End of the Year Reading

Goodness, it's already the new year! Make that 28 days until the Youth Media Awards. While I am looking forward to the new year of reading (ahem Sarah Dessen and Melina Marchetta) I still have a small mountain of reading to finish for 2012. Here's a terribly thrifty review list of what I managed to read recently. Happy New Year, Oops Readers!

Every Day by David Levithan
He pulled off what could have been a disaster. A little sci-fi, a little mystery, and chapters of great characters. This one made Patti's Mock Printz list and I would love to hear the discussion. It's still a distance from Stars and Verity for me, but dang, David Levithan is amazing. How does it do it all?

Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead
I loved this book. I didn't burst into tears like I did for When You Reach Me, but I was with Georges the whole book. Reading as an adult, there aren't too many mysteries in middle grade stories, but they're not written for me so I overlook it.  Knowing that things are never what they seem in a Rebecca Stead book I still fell for this one hook, line, and sinker. The one about his mother I didn't even see coming. And I thought I had the title all figured out. Silly me.

One Year in Coal Harbor by Polly Horvath
A second Polly Horvath novel this year! A cause for celebration. A companion to Everything on a Waffle? Deliciously wonderful. Twelve year old Primrose continues to delight and we also have a return of chapter-ending recipes complete with our heroine's comments. I submit the final line of "Tater Tot Casserole", which, by the way, is in Primrose's charity cookbook entitled Just Throw Some Melted Butter on It and Call It a Day. :

On a cold rainy night when people are not participating in the better plan you have for them, this can be a comfort. (p. 116) 

Polly Horvath books are refreshingly strange. She makes you think with vocab like ersatz and adjudicator and references to Mary Oliver essays and French recipes. She's left of center with a big heart. And really, really funny.

A Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
Rowling is a bad ass. Case closed. A total departure from HP while also being completely great in its own right amazes and thrills me. She didn't have to write anything else, ever!, but she did and it is really good. The best book of the year? Nah. The most surprising? Probably.

The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan

Check another great Mock Printz book off the list. Margo Lanagan's stories embrace folklore, mythology (whether based on traditional tales or something she crafts herself), and fantastical imagery. And they've also given me some of the creepiest chills while reading.

I loved the movie The Secret of Roan Inish when I saw it back in college, so this summer when I heard about a Margo Lanagan selkie story I anticipated all kids of love. What would Lanagan add to the folktales?

My initial thought after finishing: this was pretty darn tame for a ML book.

I definitely found the weak-minded men leching after their stolen selkie brides creepy. I kept thinking that there has to be more to the story than the men leaving human women behind for these brides. Albeit brides given to them by a scheming witch. Still, a rather tame witch as witches come.

So where's the catch? These men must have repercussions for keeping their wives. I want justice for all the girls and women! But then, are the men bad? Am I starting to feel sorry for them? Might that be a glimmer of devistation on the horizon? Because that would be Lanagan style. Gently slip those chills in there.

I knew the brides would find their way back to the sea, but how and would it be terrible? By this far into the book readers will piece together potential for what may come. Brides makes for another excellent example of a storyline revealing itself in bits and making the reader stretch her mind back to previous names and details. When the revelations unfold, whoa. Chills! Thank you, author!

The verdict? I still have Verity and Stars on top of my list. I'm in the midst of a detour (Alice Munro's Dear Life) and then I'll dive into Every Day. A great list of reading so far!

A Certain October by Angela Johnson

A Certain October made the Mock Printz list. Angela Johnson's 1993 novel Toning the Sweep remains one of my favorite YA novels. Also, if you haven't read the picture book Lily Brown's Paintings do so immediately.  My eyes would mist when I read it for storytime. Little brother stories always get me.

I looked forward to reading this novel in part because of Angela Johnson's talent for capturing complex and emotional stories within her short novels. This one takes 158 pages and that is generous considering the undersized physical book. Pick it up and go. Read it in a night.

Scotty and her friends hang out at a place called the Endangered Species Café. The metaphor for teenagers is apt and Scotty's life changes in both beautiful and terrible ways. Angela Johnson gives us this one month view of rather ordinary teenage life: homecoming dress shopping, caring for little brother, loving parents, BFFs, late night talk, boyfriends, girlfriends, all that in between mystery, school work. Then there's that tragedy that knocks Scotty hard. Take a look at that cover because it's going to be all right.

But if I'm ever asked if there was a time in my life that made me the person I am, I will point to a certain October that stays with me like a song played over the radio a hundred times at the start of the day. You can't get it out of your head so all you can do is go through it. (p. 1-2)

Short novels may get the short end of the award discussion much like early reader books for the Newbery buzz. It certainly isn't impossible as Angela Johnson won the award for The First Part Last at a whopping 132 pages. But they can be overlooked in favor of more complex plot-driven or world-building stories. The skillful language and nuances of the story are certainly exceptional and, in my opinion, a good reflection on teenage life.  That being said, as much as I admire what this novel accomplishes, I have a difficult time holding it up to Code Name Verity or The Fault in Our Stars. I need to read a few more Mock Printz titles so my comparison list remains incomplete. (next up: Brides of Rollrock Island) (...as soon as I finish Alex potential The Round House)

Three reading notes. 1) There's a character with a rollerskating Earth tattoo which made me smile thinking about. 2) Scotty's homework is on Anna Karenina which is perfect timing for the movie. 3) Mean librarian. Yeah, okay, they're out there.

What We're Reading at Our House

The 9 year old discovered Bruce Coville.  Okay, not on his own. I picked out My Teacher Is an Alien to add a little funny sci-fi to his reading. I also wanted to introduce him to another series. He loves reading series books.

He really liked those books and started the Alien Adventures series. I never read Coville myself but so many of my students and librarian friends loved him.

Additionally, I started him on Rick Riordan's 39 Clues. This is his first exposure to Riordan and he devoured the books. He completed the first series and moved on to the Cahill vs. Vespers series. Rick Riordan is golden. Thank goodness he is a publishing machine.

The Almost-4-Year-Old and I discovered Tucker the dog. He's by Leslie McGuirk who wrote one of my favorite books last year: If Rocks Could Sing. We love that the Tucker books are small - 6"x6". It just adds to the cuteness.

 As a family we all enjoyed Dragons Love Tacos.  See that cover below? That sums up taco night at our house. Mmm. Tacoooos. Unlike dragons, we love spicy salsa.

The only thing dragons love more than parties or tacos, is taco parties (taco parties are parties with lots of tacos).
If you want to have some dragons over for a taco party, you'll need buckets of tacos. Pantloads of tacos.

Recently I read Summer at Forsaken Lake by Michael D Beil. Not as much fun as his Red Blazer Girls, but still a good mystery. Speaking of RBG, the new one just came out.

I also finished the excellent and award winning No Crystal Stair by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson. The combination fact and fiction worked really well for me. It was serendipitous timing to read this right after The Mighty Miss Malone. Two perspectives on overlapping time periods. Two fascinating characters.

Lastly, a quick mention of adult books. I finally read Gone Girl. Great writing and a great example of disliking every single character in a book. I had to cleanse my brain afterwards with Next Best Thing.

Happy Reading!

My Book of Life by Angel - Martine Leavitt

Martine Leavitt's, author of Keturah and Lord Death (one of Joanna's top 5 YA titles  you may never have read) has written another phenomenal book.

It is not one that I would have picked up on my own. It's the story of a 16 year old prostitute named Angel, which, frankly, sounds like a downer to read about. It is because of books like these that I am so glad that I've served on various reading committees and why I think it is essential that librarians try to participate in them and on Mock Printz award discussions. Why? Well, because it pushes you to read things you wouldn't pick up on your own. It stretches you as a reader and that is a good thing. You suffer professionally (as in your reader's advisory skills) if you don't push yourself to read things that you dread. Which brings us back to the book. I dread reading about crappy-true-to-life things like teenagers and children forced into prostitution.

This book is written in verse, although I wouldn't really call it poetry. Rather it read to me more like spare-to-the-bone prose. And it works really well for this story, much in the same way it worked for Sold by Patricia McCormick. More words might have diluted the horror. This way it is more haunting.

Angel is addicted to "candy" introduced to her by her "boyfriend" who is really a pimp. She gets hooked and then forced to sell herself for drugs. She does this until one day her friend goes missing. Her friend who people say must have just left the life. Except she never said goodbye.  Except she left her running away money with Angel. Except other women have also disappeared. That's the day Angel decides to try to stop taking drugs and to write her story down.

*SPOILERS*

This book felt so real to me. Angel felt so real. There were things I had a problem with - like her father who kicks her out and says, "come back when you're cleaned up" (or something to that effect). Angel has only been gone about 9 months, but he moves? Would you move if your child ran away? This is not a bad father, this is a father dealing with grief and the death of his wife. I have a hard time believing he wouldn't regret kicking his daughter out. I have a hard time believing he wouldn't stay in the same place so that his missing daughter could find him. I have a hard time believing he isn't mounting a campaign to find her. Maybe I'm naive, but to me that was a weak point in the story.

I loved Widow, the older prostitute who was not a cliche even though she had a heart of gold. I felt horror for Merri, and disgust for the men who paid for Angel's services.

An excellent book.

The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman

This book bills itself as a Da Vinci Code for Teens. I can't remember (and am too lazy to check) whether this is the official publisher tagline or whether I read that on a blog somewhere. The verdict: oh boy, is it ever.

Lot's of fun this one. I liked Nora our main character's voice quite a bit. She's prickly, defensive, and desperately trying to appear jaded and blase about it all. She's also a bit of a phenom at Latin, which is what gets her into this whole mess.

Her best friend Chris and her begin an independent study translating some old letters and working on a coded book. As they begin to break the code Nora also is translating letters that are secretly the key to the whole shebang. Her professor suffers a mysterious "heart attack," her friend is murdered, and her other friend suffers a mental breakdown while covered in his blood.

Enter secret societies from stage left and you've got the set up pretty much figured out. I liked how the author made several people equally shady so that I ended up suspecting everyone and having a lot of fun discovering exactly who was the actual guilty party. It did require a bit of suspension of disbelief, but I was more than willing since I was having such a good time.

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Book Source = e-book from Library

Summer Lull

We are in full summer lag here at our house. In the ultra hot mid-day you'll find us all inside reading, playing games, and just hanging out.  It's how summer should be.

There's less than one month before school starts and 2 weeks until the 8 year old becomes 9.  As summer '12 slips by I am happy to have days where we slow down and enjoy it.*

Here are my recent reads.

Drowned Cities - Finally finished this. I started before our vacation and had to turn it back in before we left. The story, while excellent, embraced so much sadness that it was almost a chore to read. I would see the book on the table and pass it by for later. What more could happen to Mahlia? Some pages I just didn't want to know. Tool also came off as too perfect. Yes, the ending amazed me and yes, I'll be waiting for book 3 where I will hope and pray that something decent happens to Mahlia or anyone. For once.

The Year of the Beasts - I'm not with Patti in the Printz Camp, but it is a unique and compelling read that I hope gets all kinds of attention. The graphic novel/text back and forth worked very well as did the mythology storyline. Cecil Castellucci always delivers wonderful storytelling.

Bon Appetit!: The Delicious Life of Julia Child by Jessie Hartland - Oh I liked this. Almost a graphic novel biography and it reminded me of Maira Kalman. I'm not sure the 2 page spread for galantine will resonate with young readers, but I do plan on making crêpes with my boys just like we made waffles for Everything On a Waffle earlier this year.

The Great Molasses Flood: Boston, 1919 by Deborah Kops - Molasses? The stuff used to make cookies?  Yes. Two million gallons of molasses unleashed on a neighborhood leaving utter devastation in its wake. Molasses was used to make rum and in the winter of 1919 alcohol suppliers were trying to make as much as they could before prohibition. Also, because of poor inspection standards so many buildings and structures collapsed or were destroyed in the molasses flood. Really rather interesting. Plus, the lawyers for the molasses company tried to pin the disaster on a little girl (who died in the event) who could have been a terrorist bomber for the Italian anarchists. Really! The book highlights other historical events like immigration, anarchists, and women's suffrage.

Currently reading: Home by Toni Morrison. And loving it. And it's only 144 pages! Genius.

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*and then I have the Olympics! I love the Olympics. And this Voldemort vs. Poppinses business just increases my adoration. Please let it be true. Perhaps throw in a Tardis? Or Hobbitses?

Two more great books

I've been reading up a storm. Somehow life arranged itself so I could read both of these yesterday and watch several episodes of Game of Thrones. What luck! Both were fabulous so that might have helped with the quick reading. I also managed to make dinner. How awesome am I?

Friends With Boys by Faith Erin Hicks
A YA graphic novel that was fantastic. It looks like you can read the first 20 pages online! I loved the art, the kids were so expressive and everyone looked very hip and cool (and freaking adorable) regardless of what "type" they were. The story was really good too and it is basically a coming of age story with a couple of twists. I enjoyed following Maggie on her first day of high school after being homeschooled by her mother. Her older brothers are already at the high school, but this will be the first time she's ever gone to school with other kids. As you can imagine, it is a big changd. I really liked the family dynamic, the policeman father, the absent mother, the 3 older brothers who all had distinct and lovely personalities.I enjoyed her new friends as well (and her potential love interest). There was a secondary story throughout about a ghost that didn't work as well for me. I didn't hate it, it just didn't feel that well integrated into the story.
[library copy]

The Year of the Beasts by Cecil Castellucci (art by Nate Powell)
This one grew on me as I read along. It had a powerhouse of an ending that left me sobbing - so be forewarned before you read. I went into this knowing nothing other than the fabulous Castellucci wrote it. I think this is a possible Printz contender. The writing was top-notch, the story was tight, and it had a graphic novel interspersed that as you read you begin to understand its connection to the story. A story of two sisters, jealousy, love, regret, and moving on. It is an emotional read that I bet a lot of people will flip to the front to re-read as soon as they put it down.
[library copy]

John Green's Competition

I said a little while ago I thought John Green's newest was the strongest book that I had read so far in 2012. I think he's got some competition.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Holy moly, this one is good. No. This is a great one. A solid historical fiction that kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire book. It is set in WWII England, the war effort is revving up and two women become fast friends. One is a pilot, the other a spy. The spy gets caught and we get her version of events first, then her friends version. I was captivated the entire time. The characters are extremely well developed, especially since we are getting a very one-sided tale that we can't quite trust. The action and the drama are front and center and I believed every word. I loved how the second version of events explains what really happened in the first - because it is obvious something is going on beyond what is being told to us (I mean things are underlined for goodness sake. And we aren't told why!!!).  Brilliant. I think this has a good chance to win the Printz. I would have read this one cover to cover if life hadn't of gotten in the way.
[publisher copy]

Ask the Passengers by A.S. King
I love her books. I loved her Printz speech when she won her honor for Please Ignore Vera Dietz. My love for this book is no different (I actually think this one might be more of an honor book, but I think it is one that the committee will be discussing and taking second looks at). I knew nothing about this book going in, but I can tell that A.S. King has some overarching themes. Poor parenting being one. Once again, we've got some clueless parents and their cluelessness is having a serious impact on their teenage child. Simply put, Astrid is a lovely character to spend some time with. She's aware of her environment, self-effacing, but not to the point where she hates herself (just to the point where she is a hyper-aware of her environment and how it impacts her). Anyhow, she has decided to send her love off because she doesn't need it. She sends it to the passengers on the plane, she gives it to the people she meets, and it has some interesting repercussions. Normally, this type of thing can bug me. I don't always get along with magical realism. But just like Everyone Sees the Ants it worked for me. I thought it was well integrated into the story, I liked the breaks where we visit the passengers on the planes that Astrid sends her love to. And I really, really liked Astrid. I read this in less than a day.
[publisher copy- ARC]

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour

Good morning, sunshine! How great is this cover? I want that shirt. Plus, it yells, "Summer Read!" "School's Almost Out!" "Road trip!" In fact The Disenchantments just made The Horn Book's list of summer reading recommendations.

I first heard of this title from the (excellent) book site Slatebreakers. I was drawn to it by a couple of points: One, it is narrated by a feminist-leaning 18 year old boy and Two, all the Riot Grrrl references. It reminded me once again how bummed I am that I missed Kathleen Hanna when she came to Jacksonville last year. Also, Carrie Brownstein has popped up all over entertainment news lately with her comedy show Portlandia and her new band Wild Flag. Pretty good timing for this book as LaCour's characters worship her.

While the main plot involves a fantasy summer road trip and longtime friends Colby and Bev and Bev's secret decision to ditch Colby and go to college, it was the end of the book revelations about love, trust, commitment, and freedom that struck my emotional nerve. I may be over-sentimental because it's my wedding anniversary, but dang, it warmed my spirits. Now where is my Wild Flag album...

The Fault In Our Stars - post-it note edition

Last week my copy of John Green's book finally came in on library holds. It was on hold since February (the earliest it was available here) and while I was anxious, I was pleased it had such a long holds list. To make it more fun, this was inside my book:

Aw, Nerdfighters. Right back atcha.

Patti already reviewed the book here. I second that it is an amazing work. Plus, it mentions stormtroopers. But seriously, I am so happy John Green writes books.

Mock Printz-ing it up

We are well into our reading for potential Mock Printz titles. Here are three of the titles that we're considering that I've recently finished, in very brief :

The Miseducation of Cameron Post - Emily M. Danforth

I feel like there is a lot of buzz about this one that I've sort of skimmed over. I think it was a really strong piece of writing that took a long time to get to the best part. It is set in the 90s and the main character would actually have been the exact age I was (which was sort of neat). I felt like it took a long time with Cameron's journey. The real strength of the book is the part of the plot where Cameron is sent to a boarding school to get "de-gayed." I know these places exist, but I have never read a YA book that deals with them. The author really shines during the last third and writes with an amazingly level of empathy for everyone involved, while clearly showing how devastating such places are. I wish that we had gotten to explore that more. I think the book would have been stronger for it. 

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Saenz

Another book dealing with gay teens, this one also written beautifully and with an amazing level of empathy and set in El Paso. The parents in this book are really great in that they are good supportive parents, although not without flaws. It is also set in the 90s (i don't have a copy in front of me, but it was set in the recent past i do remember that). This one I questioned more about the dates because I wasn't sure why it was set then. It was another quiet journey of self-discovery. I knew this one was going to make me cry before I picked it up, and it did - but not as much as I had feared. 

After the Snow - S. D. Crockett

The thing I've seen most in reviews of this title is the comparison of Willo's voice in this title to the girl's voice in Blood Red Road. I can see that comparison. I see the similarities for sure. I don't think the vernacular is as strong here, especially since it is only Willo who seems to talk this way. I also don't know why language would have changed so much in only one generation. Or why Willow seems to have a totem animal that talks to him other than he is wicked isolated. Or why after only 20 some odd years the entire system would have fallen apart to such extremes. I don't know - something about the timeline really bothered me. I think it got a ton of starred reviews, but I didn't think it stood out that much for me.

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Book Source = Library Copies

Beneath a Meth Moon by Jacqueline Woodson

I wasn’t sure how I would enjoy this book. Realistic fiction, or rather realistic fiction that deals with an "issue" is generally not my favorite type of story. However, how can a reader not trust Ms. Woodson to take them on a journey? She is one of the best YA writers out there. I’ve read enough of her books to trust her implicitly. I may struggle with the subject, but I know I’m going to enjoy excellent writing, characterization, and storytelling along the way.

This is a book about meth. It is a story of a girl with heartache and tragedy in her life, although nothing that support and family can’t help you through. Laurel has all that, but when she’s offered meth for the first time she naively and sort of unquestionably takes it anyway. Perhaps she didn’t realize what it was? Regardless, she’s immediately transformed. It fills up the holes inside of her much more quickly than they were healing on their own. And like it will, meth quickly takes over her life.

It is an interesting contrast between how lyrical the book is written and how ugly meth is. The sores, the scratching, the desperation, it is all there in the book, but because Woodson can write with grace, this isn’t what I would call a gritty book.

There are interesting religious references. Laurel grows up in Pass Christian, a gulf coast town in Mississipi, she loses her family to a flood (caused by Hurricane Katrina), Her father moves her to a town named Galilee, where she eventually meets Moses, a boy who symbolically parts the flood waters helping her find her way to recovery and home.

This is a beautifully written book. I will say that I had a hard time connecting with Laurel. I felt held at hands length away. I felt sorry for her, but I didn’t empathize on a level that I expected to. In any case, I did appreciate how these were average everyday kids that fell into this. They weren’t typical “at risk” kids. I also appreciated how clearly it was shown that recovery is incredibly difficult, often more so for meth than other drugs. What would have driven this home would have been a meth fact page/resource list at the end.

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Book Source = Library Copy

Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral

My first feeling when I put down this book was confusion. What exactly happened in this story? I knew I was missing something big. So I went and read the professional reviews. Ahhh, I thought. I did miss something. They say, "read it more than once." So I did. My feelings when I put down this book for the second time? There was less confusion, more appreciation, but probably mostly frustration. Why frustration? Well, this is a concept book told through photos, video stills, letters, paintings, programs. It pushes the boundaries of storytelling. However, there was much left unexplained and it's visual strengths created some narrative weaknesses.

Please don't read this review unless you have read the book, or are curious about what happened. Spoilers ahead. You've been warned.

What we think we know: Glory is a piano prodigy. Her mother is dead and her father seems to be a bit overbearing on her piano career, forcing her to perform and tour the world. Glory meets and falls in love with Frank, the boy next door. Father does not approve. Frank is an artist who paints beautiful pictures. Glory seems to be mentally unstable and can't stop playing chopsticks.

She is institutionalized and then disappears one day.

What we actually know: Apparently nothing.

Recurring pictures/themes:

1. Frank's school logo is the SAME as the institution where Glory has been sent by the end of the book. The names of the school/institution is different, but the principle/administrator has the same name (the institution is hilariously called "Golden Hands Rest Facility" which made me think it was an institution created for piano prodigies who need mental health breaks so they can get back to performing).

2. We think Frank is an artist, but the photos at the end show Glory painting some of the very paintings Frank was supposed to have painted.

3. Wine. Glory's mom was a wine importer. There is a special bottle of wine in her old trunk that is the same type that Frank is given by his parents on his 16th birthday. The wine seems to come from Mendoza Estate. Frank's last name is Mendoza. Frank has moved here from Argentina. The wine seems to be from Argentina.

4. The Kraken. It shows up as stickers, on t-shirts, on paintings.

5. There is more, but I'm kind of working up a funk because I don't like how open ended it is.

I really liked the idea. I did. I loved the interconnections and the questions they raised, but there were so many possibilities that the reader is left with...nothing. I mean, can we trust the photos or not? Can we trust the IMs or not? What is made up? What is exaggerated? What is true? Did Frank exist or is Glory schizophrenic? I love the unreliable narrator, but without more to go on this really starts to feel like an exercise in futility which is incredibly frustrating.

By the end I was pretty convinced that the entire story was a figment of Glory's imagination. She is an artist and the damn girl never played anything but chopsticks in her life. She created Frank out of a wine label with a dude's picture on it and fabricated an entire history with him that never existed.

What I find the most frustrating is not even that. It isn't. It is that I couldn't find enough clues to definitively say what happened in the story. Now, Patti, you might say, "Isn't that the point?" And I might answer, "sure, but that doesn't mean that at the end of the story you've got a success."

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Book Source = Library Copy

The Children and the Wolves by Adam Rapp

Hoo boy. This book. Friends, this book took me 4 days to read, perhaps a personal record for slowness (there was only around 150 pages). I’ve read Adam Rapp before. I knew what I was in for. I was well aware this was not going to be a fun-fest. The thing about Adam Rapp though, is that, well, the dude can write.

The writing in this book is spare to the point where it is almost starving. A fitting match for characters who are starving for love, attention, and frankly any sort of morality.

We’ve got Bounce, our leader with definite sociopathic tendencies. She’s rich. She’s neglected. She’s intelligent and probably just this side of insane. She’s also got a crew of two that she keeps well supplied with pharmaceuticals. Orange, also perhaps sociopathic and Wiggins, our lost boy who knows he’s got a “badness” inside him, but in all this mess he’s our only beacon of light. A weak light, but believe me, you’ll take it.

Together they kidnap a four year old girl and lock her up in a basement. The reasons for this are cloudy. *highlight for SPOILERIFIC discussion* The plan is put into place by Bounce. Her motivations are unclear. Is it because the young girl seems loved, whereas Bounce is neglected by her wealthy parents (to a point where her parents are so busy on their European vacations – where they send her pictures of them sightseeing – but refuse to take her with them because they are “business” trips it almost seems over the top). Does she kidnap her with the intention of soliciting funds in her name for her other murderous plot? Why couldn’t she just pay for that out of pocket? She is wealthy after all. *end SPOILERS*

My one issue with the book was the video game that the four year old girl was playing in captivity. She seemed to have a lot of manual dexterity for a four year old. The video game also seemed terribly complex for someone of her age to understand. There was probably also some metaphorical parallels I was missing since I was so busy being disturbed and horrified at the plight of this young girl.

It is a bleak world Mr. Rapp paints for us. It is full of adults abusing prescription drugs along with their less legal counterparts. It is a world of children so damaged they seek the same refuge of numbness drugs can provide.

I can’t really say I enjoyed this book. There wasn’t much redemption, there wasn’t much hope, we’re not sure if Bounce ever gets caught (although I really hope so), but it was very, very well written.

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Book Source = Publisher Copy

What We're Reading at Our House - 6

Other titles for this post could be A: The month-long cold that we've passed around is finally on its way out so I can finally get other things done. Or B: Oh alright, watching each episode of Downton Abbey 10 times didn't leave much time for reading, either.

Here's what we put in our library bag this past month. (I'm impatiently waiting for The Fault in Our Stars and There Is No Dog. C'mon library! Acquire these already!)

8 year old son has continued on his quest to read all Goosebumps books, zomibe doll nightmares and all. He knocked out Harry Potter #3 and we celebrated by watching the movie, which is probably my favorite of them all. He also plowed through the Spiderwick Chronicles and we have that movie on reserve at our library.

Other notables: Bad Island by Doug TenNapel. We both loved this GN. I was particularly fond of the strong parent-child relationships. Yesterday he checked out Ghostopolis and I know he read it once already. He has Mouse Guard vol 1 (which he read ages ago) and vol 2 on his night stand.

 






And me? 

The Unforgotten Coat by Frank Cottrell Boyce, a novel from an author I've been meaning to read. Say what you will about lucky coincidences, but I found this immigration story magical and beautiful. The characters are reunited at the end and while that is, I'll admit, a totally schmaltzy author trick, I found it heartwarming. My sap status is firmly established on this blog so this should be no surprise.

Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall earned the Pura Belpre Author Award this year. I love a good novel in verse and this is one of them. I read it right after The Unforgotten Coat which made fore back-to-back immigration tales. Under the Mesquite is a feel good, good girl triumphs over adversity immigration tale based on the author's life. Another warm fuzzy read.

And then there was Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler, a 2012 Printz Honor. It just didn't do it for me. I am apparently not a Handler fan. I never got past book 2 of Unfortunate Events. But I love Maira Kalman and admired each piece in this book. I trudged through this one, often tiring of Min's voice and her finger pointing accusatory "Ed you this", "Ed you that". Al, Al, Al. At the beginning I liked all the fake movie titles, actors, plots, but then it wore on me. It was too precious. Too cute. Trying so darn hard to be "artsy", which Min loathed. Some sections I thought were truly excellent and distinguished, but overall I was not captivated.


P.S. What is this pain in the neck registration with ALA to view award lists? Really? 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Oh man. This is a good book. No. Actually, this is an excellent book. I know it is early, but I think this is going to be the book to beat for the Printz.

We've got two main characters, Hazel and Augustus, both cancer survivors, one surviving at a higher level than the other. They meet in a cancer support group and are immediately drawn together. They are typical John Green characters: smart, funny, sarcastic. You will love them upon first reading.

The secondary characters are pretty fantastic as well. Issac, yet another cancer survivor who has just lost his last eye. Peter Van Houton, the reclusive author of Hazel's favorite book (i loved him even when I was sneering at him). The various sets of parents who are all refreshingly functioning and supportive.

There is plenty of gallows humor, I imagine continually dealing with your own mortality helps you develop coping skills that if you are lucky include humor and humility. Also in typical John Green fashion, this is not a book dumbed down for the masses. This is for the kids who are sharp, who are looking for answers, who don't mind thinking about things and figuring them out.

I read this in as close to one sitting as is possible for me. It took under 24 hours and my eyes leaked the entire way through (they dripped even when I was laughing out loud). It is a book that will hit your emotional core early and often and you'll be so glad you picked it up.

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Book Source = Library

There is No Dog by Meg Rosoff

The love oops has for Ms. Rosoff is quite large and has been documented over the years. We are kind of fangirls. So it was actually with a bit of trepidation that I started reading her newest title. Would I like it? Would it live up to my expectations? I almost put it off because the whole thing kind of stressed me out. Nevertheless, I did pick it up and read through it very, very quickly, and with a whole bunch of enjoyment.

Although, to be honest, it was a few chapters in before I really started to get into and get in tune with the flow of the book. The first few chapters are dedicated to the set up of the story. Yes we’re getting introduced to many of the main characters, but we’re also getting primed to how this whole “God” thing actually works. And the way it works takes a little getting used to. Mostly because God (or Bob, which is his real name) is a total pill. He’s a teenage boy who has very few redeeming qualities. Which was a bit of a problem for me. I like to have strong feelings about characters. I want to love them or hate them, pity them or empathize, not just feel kind of indifferent. Which is how I felt about Bob. Indifferent. Maybe slightly annoyed. And by the time I finished reading, I ended up still feeling...kind of indifferent, but I fell in love with so many of the other characters that it didn’t matter too much in the end.

This is an enormously funny book (although probably not for those who take the bible as literal truth). It is quite blasphemous. In a good way. I mean, Bob sort of makes a lot of sense in the "why isn't God listening to me," sort of way.

There is Bob, the creator, who has very little follow through. Mr. B, the man charged with keeping Bob on track (no easy feat, in fact an impossible one). Lucy, the mortal girl Bob falls in love with. Eck, Bob’s beleaguered pet who is looking at a terrible impending fate due to a poker game. Mona, Bob’s mom, who wins some poker games (how Bob got Earth!) and loses some (how Eck speeds towards his doom!). And the fabulous Estelle, the daughter of the “head” God, who is (luckily) smart enough for everyone.

Rosoff really uses her wit and her writing, as always, is wonderful. I can’t say it is my favorite of her books, but his enjoyed it very much and I am so glad that I read it.

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Book Source = Library Copy

Pink Smog by Francesca Lia Block

Two amazing things happened this past fall. The first, I was sent an ARC of Francesca Lia Block's Pink Smog. The second was attending a wedding of 2 librarians. But wait, here's the connection! What do marrying librarians offer guests as favors? BOOKS! The incredible union of their marriage also unified their vast book collections. All books that were duplicates (dozens) were offered on tables all over the reception. I walked away with the first volume of Bone for my son and Weetzie Bat for myself. A double Weetzie and Joanna reunion!

I've talked about Weetzie before. She and Witch Baby hold a special place in my heart. I even love her as an adult in Necklace of Kisses. Pink Smog (HarperTeen 1/12), a prequel, tells the story of a 15 year old Louise whose father just walked out and who is deep in the confusion of early high school. Add to that mysterious poem clues delivered by strangers, a guardian angel, and a load of voodoo.

I will admit that the story dragged through the middle. As much as I loved learning about Louise and what helped shape her into the character I so adore, I found myself bored with the ongoing Winter/Staci saga as well as what is behind all the notes. But all in all, by the end when things are wrapped up and Weetzie peeks her bedazzled head out, I embraced the story.

Prequels may be a mixed bag and we do certainly have some of that here. This novel does not contain as much as the fun magic realism as the others, but that is to be expected because Weetzie is not Weetzie just yet. So while this is a must for collections, I would hesitate to have a new Dangerous Angels reader start with this one. Perhaps try it after the original classic Weetzie Bat.

Now, when is FLB going to work on another middle grade story? I loved House of Dolls.

me in my official work pic from 2007. we were asked to pose with books.

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

Please note that this is posted for our Mock Printz discussion and will have spoilers and pertinent plot points discussed.

First review here.

So this one is popping up a lot. Someday My Printz will Come just reviewed it and had some fairly substantial problems with the book.

I will freely admit that I loved this book. It really struck an emotional chord with me, which only deepened on my second read. I think it is extraordinary in every way. Maybe not flawless, but extraordinary nevertheless.

Cullen was such a strong character and I found him to be a compelling narrator. What I noticed my second time through was that his tendency to switch into third person was a way to disassociate himself from his painful emotions. His drifting into daydreams was a survival mechanism he employed during the most horrible summer of his life. On the second read, the switch from 1st to 3rd person narration wasn’t as jarring, in fact I could see it coming. It had a sort of pacing to it that I found I really enjoyed.

Plot wise, not a lot happens and so this is, by no means, a fast novel. It meanders a bit with asides that sometimes tie into the main story and sometimes do not. Characters appear only to disappear only to reappear later. We definitely don’t get resolutions for each character, but that is as it should be – this is truly Cullen’s story, his relationship to Ada (or Alma) is inconsequential once Gabriel returns. To me, these were people he was distracting himself with. That sounds cold and makes Cullen sound calculating, which is not what I mean at all. Just that the real story is with his brother Gabriel, with Lucas, with his parents. The fact that we don’t know what happened to Ada and Russell isn’t terribly important.

Someday My Printz Will Come also mentioned the similarities between Cullen and Holden and yes, many many similarities stand out, not least being his use of “ass-hat” which mirrors Holden’s “phonies.” These are both boys on the brink of a breakdown, both boys who are desperately searching for themselves. Cullen I think, is more than just a re-written Holden though (not that she suggested that at all). Now, I may be wrong (loooong time since I’ve read Catcher in the Rye) but it seemed like Cullen was more grounded in community than Holden. Part of what I loved about this book was how loving and supportive Cullen’s friends and family were. Frankly, it was refreshing. They were loving despite the difficulties they were having themselves. Everyone was breaking down in their own way and yet the love and support was evident and relied upon by everyone. Part of this could be because Cullen was telling this as a memoir of sorts (we certainly never meet Dr. Webb in these pages despite the fact that he is mentioned quite a bit and that his healing influence on Cullen is evident from the beginning).

I also loved how Cullen initially struggled with the pity and the gestures of his fellow townspeople. He didn’t want a free burger from the burger joint, but understood the humanity behind it and why someone might offer up a burger instead of a hug. People want to help, they’re just not sure how to do it. I thought that was beautiful and a wonderful perspective on life. I think one of the things I enjoyed about this book so much was that it was so full of tenderness without being schmaltzy or saccharine.

The weakest part of this book? Maybe Cabot Searcy. Why did he become so obsessed? Why did he start such an odd religious quest? To me it seemed obviously he was deeply affected by his friend’s suicide. However, I did see changes in him that began before Benton’s death (his refocus on school and studying mainly, but also his desire to change the world). After Benton’s death, I can see how he changed his focus to attempt to discover basically the meaning of life and the potential of humankind. I can see how after another setback (the death of his unborn child and the impending divorce from Alma) how Cabot suffered a psychotic break. He was devastated. That is a lot of things to happen to a person and Cabot was in a fragile state. Did I think the author reached in his motivations? Maybe? I mean, it was a bit much. In the end though I bought Cabot’s motivations, or at least they didn’t detract much from my enjoyment of the story.

It is the way in which the separate storylines come together which really pushes this book into the forefront for me. Not only are the stories full of small interconnected gems, but the author also pushes the story by making the time-lines disparate so that the interconnectedness is hidden from the reader. I thought it was fantastic.

I loved how the very last title that Cullen wrote is the title for the book and so although throughout his teens he only wrote titles we have the satisfaction of knowing that he completed a goal set in his teens. So touching and I loved that it tied the ending of the story back to its beginning.

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Mock Printz Titles:

A Monster Calls - Patrick Ness

(Patti's 1st review)

Between Shades of Gray - Ruta Sepetys

(Patti's review)
Berlin Boxing Club - Robert Sharenow

(Patti's 1st review)
Blood Red Road - Moira Young

(Patti's 1st review)
Daughter of Smoke and Bone - Laini Taylor

(Joanna's review)
Divergent - Veronica Roth

(Patti's 1st review, 2nd review)
Everybody Loves the Ants - A.S. King

(Patti's 1st review)
Flesh and Blood so Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Legacy - Albert Marrin
Imaginary Girls - Nova Ren Suma

(Patti's review)

Where Things Come Back - John Corey Whaley

(Patti's 1st Review)