"Wintersmith"

So, I'm officially moving out of Pittsburgh on Friday. Even though 6 (that's right, 6) banker boxes worth of books have already made the pilgrimage back to Gettysburg in the back of my dad's truck, I figure it's only appropriate to write about one of the few that stayed behidn. (Relax...only a few books stayed in Pittsburgh with me because I knew I'd need something to read or I'd go crazy. And some weren't unearthed from under the bed until yesterday. Oops.)

"Wintersmith"
Terry Pratchett
HarperCollins 2007
ISBN#: 978-0060890339

Tiffany Aching, practically thirteen and still learning witchcraft far from her home on the chalk, has accidentally inserted herself into the role of the Lady Summer. Now, the Wintersmith is calling on her, with all sorts of gifts (like frost roses and icebergs that look just like her) and all sorts of trouble. Can Tiffany put the seasons to right or will everyone end up as blue as the Nac Mac Feegles?

This is the third book in the Tiffany Aching series, Terry Pratchett's young adult books. I also have a feeling it's the last, but that's fine. Like "Wee Free Men" and "A Hat Full of Sky", "Wintersmith" follows Tiffany and her never-ending learning to be a real witch. You could probably read this book on it's own, but it's a lot more interesting after reading the other two first. Roland, the Baron's son, plays a much bigger part in this book, as does Annagramma. But, these characters really help to shape who Tiffany is throughout the books. And, of course, the Nac Mac Feegles are in full swing. The part about Explainin' is worth a chuckle. While the Wintersmith is new, the story is old. It's the same sort of myth all sorts of cultures use to explain the change in seasons, andPratchett does an excellent job of weaving it together. He also takes elements and characters from the other Discworld novels and makes them just as likeable in this setting. This particular volume contains Granny Weatherwax from the start, as well as Nanny Ogg, and I'm sure Magrat puts in an appearance (although she's not mentioned by name). Pratchett also includes Anoia (Goddess of Things that Get Stuck in Drawers) who is mentioned in some of the late Discworld novels, Greebo the cat, and Shawn Ogg. But, my personal favorite is at the very end of the book, when Rob Anybody reads a very special picture book. "Where's mah coo?" It all comes around again. :)

The Last Post (for now): "I Lick My Cheese"

Huzzah! The 22nd post!

I decided to go for a slightly unusual book this time around...

"I Lick My Cheese and Other Real Notes from the Roommate Frontlines"
Oonagh O'Hagan
Abrams Image, 2009
ISBN# 978-0-8109-8362-5

Collected here, complete with snarky commentary, are the scribblings of frustration, amusment, and oh-so-carefully-concealed hostility.

I love passive-aggressive (and just plain aggressive) notes. Not necessarily being on the giving or receiving end of such notes, but there's just something hilarious in the way people deal with their problems on paper. I'm a fan of the snarky commentary in this book as well. On a note that reads "You know, that I know that you know that I know that you took it...So give it back", Oonagh comments "This is the kind of message that the mafia would leave for a victim as the first chance to pay up before getting to wear the not-so-fashionable concrete shoes". This books great to just pick up and leaf through and smile, becuase it's not you. :)

Quick Post: "The Chocolate War"

Believe it or not, in a two sentence summary, there will be spoilers. Ye have been warned!

"The Chocolate War."
Robert Cormier
Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1974
ISBN# 978-0-440-94459-1

Boy stands up to repressive Catholic school bullies and refuses to sell chocolates. Boy gets crap beaten out of him.

This book gets my sense of justice all riled up. Read it. But, be told...it'll enflame your sense of justice and fairness.

"Nets"

Squeaking a few in under the wire. This is the first (and only) poetry book I'll probably ever include in this blog. I've been packing a lot lately, and this little volume seemed to miss the box.

"Nets"
Jen Bervin
Ugly Duckling Presse, 2006 (third printing)
ISBN# 0972768432

In a fit of experimentation, Jen Bervin transforms Shakespeare's immortal sonnets into small phrases by letting a few words slip "through the net".

Of all the crazy experimental poetry I had to read for my various poetry classes in undergrad, this is one of the few ones I enjoyed. Jen Bervin takes full Shakespeare sonnets and fades the text except for a few choice words. The effect is one of two sentences (that actually make sense...what a novelty!) that seem to capture the essence of Shakespeare. Because this book isn't so mainstream as our works discussed here, I'm including two examples. (Copyright moment: I don't own them. These works belong to Jen Bervin.)


63
Against my love shall be, as I am now,
With Time's injurious hand crushed and o'er-worn;
When hours have drained his blood and filled his brow
With lines and wrinkles; when his youthful morn
Hath travelled on to age's steepy night,
And all those beauties whereof now he's king
Are vanishing or vanished out of sight,
Stealing away the treasure of his spring;
For such a time do I now fortify
Against confounding age's cruel knife,
That he shall never cut from memory
My sweet love's beauty, though my lover's life:
His beauty shall in these black lines be seen,
And they shall live, and he in them still green.

136
If thy soul check thee that I come so near,
Swear to thy blind soul that I was thy 'Will,'
And will, thy soul knows, is admitted there;
Thus far for love my love-suit, sweet, fulfil.
'Will' will fulfil the treasure of thy love,
Ay, fill it full with wills, and my will one.
In things of great receipt with ease we prove
Among a number one is reckoned none.
Then in the number let me pass untold,
Though in thy store's account I one must be;
For nothing hold me, so it please thee hold
That nothing me, a something sweet to thee:
Make but my name thy love, and love that still,
And then thou lovest me, for my name is 'Will.'

"Into the Twilight, Endlessly Grousing"

"Into the Twilight, Endlessly Grousing."
Patrick McManus
Simon and Schuester, 1998
ISBN # 068484799X

In yet another volume of outdoorsman humor, Patrick McManus addresses such serious issues as: Firecrackers and other fun hobbies, what to do when the Stamp People come for you, the hazards of growing a beard, and why men cry.

I always think it's funny that two of my favorite authors don't seem to match up with me in any way. Firstly- Lewis Grizzard, Southern newspaper columnist from the the 70's (and a bit of a good ol' boy), and Secondly- Patrick McManus, an outdoorsman who pursues hunting, fishing, and camping. And yet, I love reading their work because, even though I have no common ground, their writing is so funny, you can have no knowledge of the subject and still get a chuckle. Patrick McManus has written a number of short story/personal essay collections, including "The Good Samaritan Strikes Again", "Real Ponies Don't Go Oink!", and "The Night the Bear Ate Goombaw". While there are some heavily fictionalized stories in this particular book, ("The Chicken Fried Club" and "Sam Spud and the Case of the Maltese Fly" definitely reek of the hard bitten detective genre), there are also some stories that have to be straight from Pat's life (and heart). There's usually a lot of laughs, but there are also a lot of moments that make you pause. One character, the Old Man, always makes me laugh and, at the same time, tear up. And, speaking of characters, Patrick McManus stories are populated with some of the best: Rancid Crabtree, the crotchety old mountain man. Retch Sweeny and Crazy Eddie, Pat's friends. The Troll, Pat's sister. And, my personal favorite, Patrick himself. Even if you aren't into the nature scene, Patrick McManus stories are still laughable.

Valiant

"Valiant"
Holly Black
Simon Pulse, 2005
ISBN 9-780689-868238

Valerie, betrayed by the people she was closest to, tries to disappear in New York City. When a chance encounter with two other runaway teens leads her to the dark and dangerous world of street life, she finds out there's more living in the dark tunnels of the subway than she ever imagined. Val tries to understand the world of the Faeries, not the average Tinkerbells found in stories, and her connection with a troll may very well be the key back to her life.

Pegged as "A Modern Tale of Faerie", "Valiant" is absolutely creepy. It's a retelling of "Beauty and the Beast", kinda, but it's the first retelling I've ever read where the Beauty is not so self-sacrificing and nauseating. Val is undeniably human, and acts foolishly and impulsively. It makes her a much more sympathetic characters. The cast of street urchins is just as creepy as the Fair Folk they interact with, and Holly Black has a very vivid imagination. Definitely worth a read if you want a little edge to your fairy tales.

ALA Funness! :)

So, this is technically not a book review, but I was at the ALA national conference all weekend, and I've managed to add to my book collection with tons of galleys, picture books, and freebies. :) Instead of a review, here are some pictures of authors and some books that are now on my shelf.

Mike Thaler, author of "The Teacher from the Black Lagoon" and other similar titles. His shirt read "Read, or Get Laminated!", compliments of "The Librarian from the Black Lagoon".

The marvelous Holly Black, who was signing copies of the galley for "Geekitude", which she edited. What I didn't place together at the time was that she's also the author of "Valiant", which is amazing. :)

Jon Sciezka and Lane Smith might very well jsut be my heroes. Not only have they presented with world with the wonderful "Squids will be Squids", but also "The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales". True men of genius.

Mo Willems, author of the Pigeon books, is just as fun and funny as the pigeon. The original of this picture involved Mo trying to balance the pigeon on his head. Yep.

Neil Gaiman is, without a doubt, one of my favorite authors of all time. Waiting in line to get his autograph is always worth it. He's extremely polite, cooperative, and he'll draw your name on a tombstone while you gush about how much you love "The Graveyard Book." No lie.

This is just a bonus picture from the Neil Gaiman line, take two. Yes, I'm that much of a fan.

"The Graveyard Book"

:) I'm updating again from Chicago. Yesterday, Neil Gaiman (!!!!!!!) signed my copy of "The Graveyard Book", which just won the Newbery, so here is a quick blogpost.

"The Graveyard Book"
Neil Gaiman
HarpersCollins 2008

Nobody Owens should have been killed when he was just a baby. Instead, he ended up in the Graveyard. But, not as a corpse. Raised by the ghosts of the Graveyard, he tries to come to terms with being living in the land of the dead.

I cannot say enough about how much I love Neil Gaiman's works, and how great this book is. It is YA oriented, but the scene with the ghouls definitely would give even adults the heebie jeebies. The cast of this book is appropriately varied and interesting and with enough life (pun intended) to keep the reader engaged. And, as with any Gaiman's books, the action is balanced with enough character development to keep the story going. And, well, I'm a fan. I can't say anything bad. Read it. :)

"Confessions of a Shopaholic"

Hahahaha....I'm updating this from Chicago! (ALA convention)
This was the book that was formerly on my shelf, but it made the trip with me. Okay, so sue me. Chick Lit ahoy!

"Confessions of a Shopaholic"
Sophie Kinsella
Bantam Dell 2001
ISBN # 0-440-24141-3

Becky Bloomwood has a massive problem: Her visa bill. She also has a number of other inconveniently large bills to pay, debts to finish off, and, unfortunately, a serious lack of funds. But, there's hope. Convinces she can quash her spening frenzy, Becky tries a number of ways to get out her debt. But it isn't until she starts helping people with their own money problems that she sees the key to hers.

Firstly, I read this book before the movie came out. And, I really liked it. I normally do not get sucked into chick lit (chick flicks, yes. Chick lit, no.) But, there's something about Becky (and indeed, many of Kinsella's leading ladies. They come across as airheads at first, but there's really something deeper to to their characters. You find yourself rooting for them, even when they do ridiculous things. I've never been a great shopper either. (The mother of my homestay family during my semester in Ireland took the two of us girls staying with her to Galway for some girl shopping. It never occurred to me that people actually DO, in real life, devote time to matching shoes to a bag. It was slightly thrilling.) But, something about the pace and the improbabilty of this book, coupled with Becky's character and Kinsella's prose, makes it fun. And fluffy. But mostly fun.

"White Man's Grave"

"White Man's Grave"
Richard Dooling
Picador1994
ISBN # 0-312-13214-X

Michael Killigan went to West Africa, and "disappeared". Now, Boone Westfall is searching for his missing friend, deep in the jungles and off the beaten track, uncovering more about the countryside and the beliefs that inhabit the brush than he ever wanted to know. But, when disturbing signs point to Michael purposefully disappearing and the dark underbelly of politics behind it all, Boone might never find his friend, or his true self, again in the face of what the brush believes.

When I was a junior in undergrad, I took a course called "Travel Literature", and it was all about the narrative. We slogged through "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner", "South" by Earnest Shackleton, "On the Road" by Kerouac, and several others. Including this little bit of fiction. Right around the time we were finishing up the book before this one, I had a massive allergy attack coupled with a twenty-four hour bug, and sat, delirious, in my room, reading this book nonstop. Needless to say, not much of it stuck. But, despite it being not even close to anything I'd normally read, I hung on to it and have read and reread it. I still don't understand it.
Dooling has a duel narrative happening, with Boone Westfall deep in Africa looking for Michael, and Michael's father Randall back in Indiana, trying to find out what the mysterious bundle is and if it has anything to do with the Unidentified Bright Object that showed up in his brain after an MRI. I tend to gloss over the parts with Randall, because it gets very heavy into medical terms, and I am very squeamish. Plus, Boone Westfall's narrative contains passages in Krio, which is fun to read. But, no matter how often I read it, I'm still not entirely sure how it ends. I know that sounds ridiculous, but there's something that happens with the timeline and I just lose the thread. Other than that hiccup, it's a very interesting read, and really creepy, especially if you kow nothing about African bush beliefs.

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"

Okay, so I've been seriously lagging behind in journal entries. Whoops. And, I'm off to the ALA conference on Friday, so it's time to cover some serious ground.

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"
Roald Dahl
Puffin Books, 1964
ISBN# 0-14-130115-5

Deserving boy (Charlie) beats out four beastly little children, who all earn their terrible fates, and goes on to win a chocolate factory from an eccentric candy-making genius.

Screw Johnny Depp's version. Say "so long!" to Gene Wilder's. Roald Dahl is the original. 'Nuff said.

Celtic-ness and "The Woman Who Walked Into Doors"

This weekend, I went home to attend the Celtic Fling and Highland Games in Lancaster, PA at the Mt. Hope Estate and Winery (where they hold the PA Renassiance Faire every year). It's a whole weekend of Celtic bands playing on a variety of stages, and there's lots of singing, dancing, drinking, parading, and other such fun events. This year, my friend Anna went with me, and, as always happens when Anna and I and beer get together, we got all nostalgic about Ireland (where we both studied abroad) and college (we were friends, in the same program at SU). Which, of course, led us to talking about one of the classes we had together senior year: Contemporary Irish Novels. We read six of the most despressing novels ever for that class. So, I thought it would be only appropriate to blog about the only book from that class that I've actually reread (and brought with me).

"The Woman Who Walked Into Doors"
Roddy Doyle
Penguin, 1997
ISBN: 978-0140255126

Paula Spencer has just been widowed. The loss of her husband seems only to open the door, and through a very honest voice, she confesses and confronts the demons of her past and present.

This book is very hard to summarize, because the attraction of it is the voice. Paula Spencer is an abused housewife, a single mother (more or less), and an alcoholic. She unfolds a history of past abuses, from high school years to her present state. It's not really a plot driven book, but instead a character study. And Doyle really captures a voice. You feel that Paula is at least believable, if not a real person. And while the average reader cannot have the same experiences as Paula exactly, it is easy to sympathize with her. This book also casts a light on the world of domestic violence. It's chilling, the way Paula describes both the events and the aftermaths. She defends the violence to herself, and describes the doctor looks away from her broken arm, bruises, and cuts. It's very haunting, and it makes you wonder about the darker side of life that so many people might be hiding. We used to argue in class if it was affected once you found out a man had written it. Honestly, I don't think it really matters, except that Roddy Doyle is a master of the character voice. The book was believable, and it's one of those texts that sits in the back of my mind, always making me wonder.

"Pride and Prejudice and Zombies"

I would just like it to be noted that this blog has never been mentioned in class. Hmmm...

As promised (or threatened...)

"Pride and Prejudice and Zombies"
Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
Quirk Productions, 2009
ISBN# 978-1594743344

Elizabeth Bennet is a master of zombie disposal. And most fortuitously, for Meryton is being overrun with the undead! But, will the arrival of the proud and lethal Mr. Darcy distract her from her battles. Can Elizabeth defeat the undead AND overcome her prejudice to reach a happy, if not bloody, ending?

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains."
Jane Austen's classic novel "Pride and Prejudice" lives again (pun) as a surprisingly entertaining zombie-fied version. If you have not read the original, you might not enjoy it as much, although there's still enough to find funny in it without the context. But, if you've read the original (or even seen the movie), you'll appreciate how it ll makes sense. This isn't a massive overhaul of the novel: this is just what "Pride and Prejudice" would have been if Jane Austen had been able to include the zombies the first time around. Grahame-Smith includes much of the original text and dialogue, and the situations actually make sense. Jane goes to Netherfield by horseback because of Mrs. Bennet's strange manner of matchmaking, but also because there's a better chance she'd be able to avoid zombies on the road. It's perfectly reasonable.
There have also been a few touches that, while immortalizing Austen's novel, also poke a little fun at the sentiment, if not the content. "The smoke from Darcy's musket hung in the air around him, wafting heavenward through his thick mane of chestnut hair." Not pure Austen, but it certainly does capture the mood that modern readers have created for Mr. Darcy. (Insert Fangirl Swoon here) And, the scene in which Elizabeth refuses Darcy is an excellent little interlude. Quite honestly, it's what I've always wanted to happen in the book. :)
Recommended for, if nothing else, the sheer silliness of it all.

*When I bought this book at the Pitt bookstore, the cashier was almost as excited as I was. "Wow!", quoth he "They made a book of this? That's awesome!" And then he asked me, very seriously, if I had a zombie contingency plan. I didn't then...but thanks to Sarah, I now know where to go if the Zombie Apocalypse happens while I'm in Oakland.*

Caution: Fluff! "The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen"

I was on an Austen kick today, and breezed through "The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen" at work today. I also got back my copy of 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies", so look for that one in future. :)



"The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen"
Syrie James
Avon A, 2007
ISBN: 978-0061341427

Jane Austen's lost tale of the love of her life and the events behind some of her greatest works.

Yeah, that's a very brief summary, but I can't really think about how to sum it up any better. The only thing that really makes this book work is a knowledge of other Jane Austen works (even if you've just seen the movies...). There are some overlaps in names, but it's so easy to pick out who's who from the novels. The bustling Mrs. Jenkins, the simpering Miss Steele, the ridiculous Mr. Collins. They're all there. And, of course, Jane Austen becomes her heroines by turns. It's easy to see her as Elinor Dashwood, and her relationship with her sister is very close to Jane Bennett and Elizabeth Bennett. All the events of the story focus on Austen finishing up her first real novel, Sense and Sensibility. The story follows Jane Austen and her romantic encounter with a Mr. Ashford, who resembles a certain Mr. Darcy. It's an entertaining little read, and definitely more fun if you have any Austen background.



For the record, I wrote this entry while watching the lastest film for "Pride and Prejudice" with Keira Knightley. Yes, I swoon over Mr. Darcy. But Mr. Knightley is still my all-time favorite.

Artemis Fowl

Artemis Fowl
Eoin Colfer
Scholastic, 2001
ISBN: 0-439-35600-8

Artemis Fowl is a criminal mastermind. Armed with a loyal bodyguard about the size of a small mountain and the twin wonders of money and connection, he's out to steal the most valuable treasure out there: The gold of the fairies. But Artemis might have met his match when he captures agent Holly Short, the first female officer of the LEPrecon Special Forces. Not only does he have to negotiate with the entire fairy world, but he'll be dealing with trolls, the Blue Rinse, and a kleptomaniac dwarf. And he's only twelve years old.

I do like the first Artemis Fowl book. Really, I do. I think there's a lot that's great about it. The cast of characters is excellent. There's a smart-mouthed centaur who's actually a gadget genius. The kleptomaniac dwarf is pretty awesome. And the relation between Holly Short and Commander Root is a great multi-faceted aspect of the book. It's a rare commodity in a YA book. Artemis is anot necessarily a great character. But, he is fascinating. One of the best features of the book is the way Artemis grows and changes. He's a snot-nosed, conniving little bugger, but he ends up having to deal with things that even snot-nosed, conniving little buggers shouldn't have to deal with. That's part of the reason why I have such problems with the sequels. Artemis Fowl grows and changes. And Colfer throws it away in the fourth book. Le sigh. Still, the first book is a great stand-alone, and definitely worth the read.

For the record, it's pronounced "Owen". I had a professor in Ireland with the same first name.

"Confessions of a Cineplex Heckler"

I realize I ahven't been writing about a lot of adult books here. I think it's because there are so few adult books on my shelf (excluding the fantastic number of David Eddings' books that I felt the urge to bring to Pittsburgh "just in case"), let alone adult books with plot. There are tons of non-fiction, list books, etc. So, I guess I'll throw some of those your way. Here's one for the grown-ups.

"Confessions of a Cineplex Heckler"
Joe Queenan
Hyperion, 2000
ISBN: 9-780786-884643

With unfailing sarcasm and snideness, Joe Queenan takes on Hollywood again, covering such important topics as Irish films that are pure blarney, why America likes to see good-looking actors pulverized, movies about nuns, and the mistreatment of ears.

Joe Queenan actually writes for Movieline magazine, and his articles are hilariously snarky. Even if you can only read one article in a sitting, it is worth it. Queenan takes on some of the biggest names and movies in history and really prings them down a peg. He's also great at doing "stunts" for articles. In a previous book, he impersonated Mickey Rourke's screen personas for a day. In this book, he attempts to watch all the Merchant & Ivory films released (this was in 2000), which is his own personal version of Hell, and masqueraded as the "Bad Movie Angel", who handed out refund to patrons who sat through dismal movies. And, in both books that I've read, he features a "Don't Try This At Home" article about stunts that appear in movies and how they translate in real life. For the record, Leonardo DiCaprio would not have been so chatty in real life whilst slowly drowning in the freezing Atlantic. Just the topics Queenan looks at are so off the wall, they're actually interesting. Queenan devotes an entire article on bad hair in movies, which seems like it wouldn't be that interesting, but it's actually hilarious. And this was before Tom Hanks' ridiculous hair in "The Da Vinci Code". Overall, I recommend Queenan's snark and antics. If anything, check out the indexes in his books. (Yes, I look at the indexes in books. Nerd.) Instead of just a straightforward list, entires include

Bridges, Jeff
Dead otter glued to side of head in The Vanishing, 144

Dancing, Dirty
Somehow never get mentioned in this otherwise thorough book

Luke, Saint
Only evangelist to notice Christ surgically reattaching ear lopped off Roman centurion, 48-9

Queenan, Bridget and Gordon
Light matches to father's feet in an effort to keep him awake during Merchant and Ivory's
Slave of New York, 91


His book "If You're Talking to Me, Your Career Must Be in Trouble" is also fantastic.

"Messenger"

As Promised: "Messenger"

Fair Warning: Here there be spoilers!

"Messenger"
Lois Lowry
Houghton Mifflin, 2004
ISBN: 978-0618404414

Matt has managed to escape from the brutish fens and now lives with The Blind Man in a village open to all those who seek sanctuary. But dark times are stirring. The forest, always open to Matt, is becoming darker and more sinister. And in the village, people are trading away their deepest selves for happiness that Matt can't see. Soon, talk turns to closing off the village, and Matt must make one more trip into the forest to bring The Blind Man's daughter back safely. His only hope is the gift he has, if only he knew when, and how, to use it.

"Messenger" is the third (and last) book that ties to "The Giver". Matt, as well as Kira and her blind father, appear as holdovers from "Gathering Blue", although several years have elapsed. And, if you didn't figure out who the leader of the village was from the last post, shame on you. (I'll give you a hint: a sled) This book is more outrightly dark than the other two. While "The Giver" was dark with its too-rational world, and "Gathering Blue" was dark with its cruel "Lord of the Flies"-esque life, "Messenger" has both physical manifestations of cruelty and the subtle attitude shifts. This is a little off topic, but I've always been more creeped out when human nature and survival instinct runs amok. Case in point: the movie "War of the Worlds", starring Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning. It wasn't that great of a movie to begin with, but what stuck with me the most was a scene when Tom Cruise and his family are trying to escape. The power has gone out everywhere and, for some reason, cars refuse to run. Tom Cruise somehow manages to get a car running (I'm not sure how...maybe he just laid hands on it and said "The Power of Scientology compels you!"), and he and his family are caught in a crowd of people, who beat down the doors, break windows, and swarm over this car in their attempts to get away. That scene scared me more than any tripod-y alien ever would. The same sort of thing happens in "Messenger". Slowly, the people start to change and become more and more cruel, to the point of closing off the village. This isn't half as scary as a thousand people beating against a minivan, but you get the idea. Meanwhile, the forest is the physical bogeyman (kinda). Lowry's descriptions of the rot and decay is just vague enough to let your imagination fill in what it actually looks like. And, unlike the other two character-driven books, this one is very plot driven. (Okay, true, "The Giver" really picks up there at the end...but this one is plot most of the way through.) You're worried about Matt getting through the forest, you're wondering about this gift he has and what it all means, and then you're worried about him making safely out the other side with Kira in tow. And, while the ending is not exactly the most satisfying, at least it ends.

Personal note: I was surprised with this book by my dad, who went ahead and ordered it without telling me, right after it came out. I read it in a furious afternoon, and at one point threw the book onto my bed and screamed (not too loudly). So, yeah.

"Gathering Blue"

I have totally been missing out on my blog. Readers, I promise I will try to be more regular with updates. However, Summer Reading is upon us! (Cower, brief mortals!)
Here's the promised "Gathering Blue" post. I promise to post "Messenger" by Friday.

Fair Warning: Here there be spoilers!

"Gathering Blue"
Lois Lowry
Delacourt Books 2006
ISBN 978-0385732562

Kira has managed to live with a crippled leg and without a father, but when her mother dies as well, it is Kira's gift with threads that saves her from the cruel justice of her village. Now, Kira learns the art of dying and weaving,. becoming the sewer of the Robe and ensuring the yearly recitation of her village's history. But there are sinister forces at work, and when Kira seeks out blue for "Yonder", she discovers more to the world.

I am really terrible at doing these summaries. Ick. But, "Gathering Blue" is a companion/sequel to "The Giver". At first glance, it's impossible to find the connection. Both books are dystopias, but they function on opposite ends of the spectrum. While Jonas's world is order and peace, Kira's world is rough, unruly, and primitive. Families live in functional units within the village, but in the Fens, family scrape and squabble and fight for survival. Lowry does an excellent job at providing little snippets of the rude world of the Fens, but the majority of the action takes place in Kira's new home, the main building of the civilization, where Kira is taken after her parents die. Her crippled leg is a huge part of the story, as the village tends to drag those ruined (injured, sick, crippled) to the Field to die alone. Luckily, it is clear that Kira has a gift with thread. In a way, this makes her much like Jonas, who is labeled by his light eyes. Kira is joined in her work on the history of the town by Thomas, a boy with carving skills, and Jo, a child from the Fens who can sing. They'll be the ones to carry on the history, as well as record the present, on the Robe, Staff, and in the Song of the village. Whew. The story is not as complicated as it seems, but trying to relate makes it snarl a lot. The other pivotal character in "Gathering Blue" is Matt, a child from the Fens who is Kira's friend. He's very impish, mischievous, and generally adds a little comedy to the proceedings. But he is the one who goes off in search of the color blue to bring back to Kira and her threads. And, he's the one who discovers the others who live yonder. It's an entire community of "broken people", who had fled for their lives from other lands. Most importantly, Kira's father, who was not killed in a hunt but instead attacked by jealous rivals and left, blind and injured, for dead, was safely brought to this community, and is reunited with Kira through Matt, although he cannot stay. It's a very interesting view into the Darwinian justice of the village. Especially when you find out who attacked him. But, the primary message of the book is the realization by Matt, Thomas, and Kira (much like Jonas's) that the world they live in is much bigger than what they've been told, and that the only way to bring about the future is to change it themselves. The ol' turning-a-dystopia-into-a-utopia. In the end, Matt goes back with Kira's blinded father to the village of other. By the way, the village is led by a young man with light eyes.

Aha. Draw your own conclusions here. Then, read "Messenger" and see if you were right.

"Haroun and the Sea of Stories"

I know, this is technically two posts on the same day. "The Giver" post had been sitting in my draft box all week, and I was going to do a double post with "Gathering Blue". I just didn't quite get around to writing everything I wanted to say about it. And, yes, it appears backdated.
So, here's another book instead.

"Haroun and the Sea of Stories"
Salman Rushdie
Granta Books, 1990
ISBN 0-14-015737-9

Rashid Khalifa is the Ocean of Notions, a storyteller with the ability to captivate audiences, who tells his son Haroun that his amazing stories come from the sips of the mythical Sea of Stories. When the Shah of Blah loses his gift of the gab, Haroun must come to his father's rescue and reconnect him to the Sea of Stories, as well as save the whole Sea of Stories and the city of Gup from the awful silence that threatens it.

This is technically an adult book, but I can easily see it as a YA book. It's very well written, without being too prosey, or too florid. I do love Rushdie's use of language and words. Every name means something (and there's a handy appendix in the back for it.) While reading this book, I like to just whisper some of the words aloud: Kahani, Abhinaya, Khattam-Shud. There's so much importance placed on words, it makes it a lovely read.
The plot is easy enough to follow without being boring. And Haroun is a sensible main character, which fits him perfectly as Gup City, and most of Kahani, seems to be populated by over-excitable characters who make him seem at times both foolish and wise.

And, my personal favorite part is that the army of Gup City is headed by a "librarian", as the army is made up of "pages" divided into "chapters". :)

"The Giver"

The 13-year old in my house is reading "The Giver" for class, which inspired me to check for it on my shelf. It's there...and now it's here.

"The Giver"
Lois Lowery
Bantam Doubleday Dell 2003
ISBN 0-440-90079-4

Jonas has a life with structure, purpose, and peace. His worries are small, except for the anxiety over what Assignment he'll have at the start of his twelfth year. But it turns out, Jonas is not assigned anything. Jonas is Chosen. All the structure and peace in his life is discarded as Jonas begins to learn from The Giver, the man who holds the memories for an entire world. And Jonas will never be able to see his world the same way again.

Lame summary, yes. But, awesome book. When I first had to read "The Giver" (special note...had to ), I rejected it. I thought the premise was stupid, the ending was stupid, and Jonas was stupid. But, I was also in the sixth grade and clearly too smart to fall for any book they made us read for class. But, like a lot of books I had to read for school, it's actually an amazing book. When I reread it, I got more and more caught up with the sinister air of the community. The whole regimented idea. Lowry's descriptions are just spot on. Everything appears to be totally normal, totally acceptable. And everything is so vivid. Discovering color for the first time is one of my favorite moments. I will say my biggest gripe with the book is the ending, but, read on. I know I'll review "Gathering Blue" at a later date.

"The Supernaturalists"

So, I know I made some sort of promise about doing four YA books and two adult books a week. I'm going to have to break that one.
Here is one more post to bring our total this week to three YA and one Adult. In the future, just look for two YA and one Adult a week.

"The Supernaturalists"
Eoin Colfer
Scholastic Inc., 2004
ISBN: 0-439-70182-1

Cosmo Hill, non-sponser and orphan in the middle of the falling-apart Satellite City, manages to escape from the Clarissa Frayne Institute and fall into the hands of the Supernaturalists. This misfit band of vigilants fight a war against the mysterious Non-Specs, which suck the very life out of the injured. When they get caught up in the politics of the failing city, will they be in over their heads? And when will their battle against the Non-Specs end?

I always recommend this book before I recommend Colfer's moderately successful "Artemis Fowl" series for two reasons.
1.) It isn't plagued by the burden of a massive series.
and 2.) Cosmo Hill is a likeable and sympathetic main character. A bit more likeable than Artemis Fowl.

Although I do really like the Artemis Fowl books, I think that Colfer lost a bit of the magic around the fourth book. The Supernaturalists, however, keeps it fresh with just one book. The action starts and stops a lot, but there is enough of a plot to keep you invested in the characters. And the cast is very likeable. Besides hero/orphan Cosmo Hill, there's the snappy ex-gang member Mona, the revenge-bent Stefan, and Ditto, a Bertoli Baby who looks four but is really twenty-eight. Each voice is distinct and interesting, with just enough history on each of them for a decent backstory without suffocating you with details. And, like other Colfer books, the writing flows. The futuristic setting is in interesting, if a little bit bleak. It's not quite a dystopia, but it makes the fight against the non-specs that much more interesting. Cosmo Hill is a much more thoughtful and likeable character than Artemis, who seemed a little too glib and sharp for a kid his age. I know that's part of the premise of the Artemis Fowl books, but I found myself identifying and sympathizing with Cosmo, the strangeness of the world he finds himself in, and the way he fights through truth and lies in Satellite City.

"American Gods" and "Heir Apparent"

Twofer today.

"American Gods" {Adult}
Neil Gaiman
Harper's Perennial 2001
ISBN 9978-0-06-055812-3

Shadow left prison with nothing to return to. But an encounter with Mr. Wednesday brings him a job, a new life, and a journey into the world of the gods. A storm is coming.

Yes, I know it's not a very good summary, but there is so much to the book, I didn't really want to give too much away. This was my first Neil Gaiman book ("Good Omens" excepted), and it is by far my favorite. The characters in the book are so real, so believable. And, if you know anything about any kind of mythology (well, maybe not so much Greek and Roman), you'll find something that will speak to you. I went through a huge mythology phase in middle school, so this book really delighted me every time something mythological would show up. If the mythology isn't enough to interest you, the book is plot-driven. You'll get caught up in Shadow, and what he has to do to keep on going. It's a great read.

"Heir Apparent" {YA}
Vivian Vande Velde
Harcourt, Inc. 2004
ISBN 0-15-205341-7

Giannine just wanted to play a simple virtual video game. And Heir Apparent had everything she was looking for: Dragons, castles, intrigue, cute princes. But now, she's not just trying to beat the game: She's playing for her life. And if she doesn't beat the game soon, it's really going to be Game Over. Permenantly.

I've always liked Vivian Vande Velde books, and one of her strong points is the female lead. She has a great tradition of books with strong femal protagonists who, while maybe not always being the bravest or the brightest, certainly make the book more interesting. Giannine is a bit harder to connect to than some other leads, but she has you rooting for her as she goes through the trials of "Heir Apparent". The narrative style is interesting, because it is in first person, but there's the duality of Giannine outside the game, and Janine inside the game. There's also the matter of Giannine losing one way and having to restart again and again. At first, it seems like that would get old really fast, but Vande Velde changes up the pathway every time. It's actually interesting to start trying to figure out the game as Giannine plays it. Not necessarily the best YA book I know, and not Vande Velde's best, but definitely worth a look.

"Hank the Cowdog: The Case of the Killer Swirling Tornado"

I've been carting boxes of books back and forth from Gettysburg to my shelf unit here in Pittsburgh. After so many miles, I think it's finally time to start reviewing them. So, every week I'll try to do four YA/Children books and two adult books.
*All the YA books are a holdover from last semester (and the last several years), but this should make it fun.*
So, to start, a goofy book.

"Hank the Cowdog: The Case of the Killer Swirling Tornado"(Vol. 25)
John Erickson
Puffin Books 1995
ISBN: 0-14-130401-4

Hank the Cowdog must protect the ranch yet again, but what's chance does the head of ranch security have against a huge, angry, killer, swirling tornado? Joined by his loyal sidekick, Drover, Hank must face an attack by the Charlie Monsters, the dark pull of Sally Mae's House of Horrors, the lure of raw bacon, and the storm itself. Will he save the ranch? Or will he be punished for destroying the screen door?

Dun- Dun- Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!

Over the years, I've tried to read more Hank the Cowdog books because they're immensely entertaining and fairly easy-reads. But I've never really gotten inoto the rest of the series like I did with "The Case of the Killer Swirling Tornado", and part of this is because I listened to it as a book on tape first. I've actually memorized a large chunk of it, because the tape was hysterical. but Erickson just has so much working for him. The narration style of a self-important and slightly oblivious cow dog is clever and very funny. The following conversation is just one of the many great moments between Hank and Drover. Both dogs are on 'high alert" while resting their eyes (Trans: Sleeping).

Hank's in red, and Drover's in blue.

I couldn't help chuckling to myself. I mean, to who or whom did he think he was speaking? Whittlewheelbarrowing fodder-fiddle whicker-bill.
Mugg wump tree trunk. Norking smurk whifle feathers on Tuesday.
I donkey that. Horse hoof jellybean bonk woofer clock spring.
Rubbard pillowfight?
Omelet.
Yeah, but cornbread highway?
Tell your spaghetti leaves to double-clutch the peanut butter.
Beanstalk bird nest horizontal chicken pox.
All at once it occurred to me that this conversation was going nowhere. Drover was making very little sense and I was a busy dog. I didn't have time to listen to his foolishness.
I cracked my other eyelid and beamed him a look of purest steel. Drover, if you're going to talk to me, the least you can do is snork mirk the posthole digers.
His head came up. His eyes drifted open and moved around in, little circles. Who ate the trees?
I can't answer that. The point it... I blinked my eyes several times and slowly Drover's face came into focus. Perhaps I had been asleeper than I thought. The point is that I don't know what you're talking about.
Oh. Then what about the spare tire?
I still don't know what you're talking about.
He gave his head a shake, stood up, and walked around in a circle. Gosh, I don't know what I've been talking about either.

I still love rereading this book. And, yes, I know all the words to 'The Tornado Safety Song'

Happy trails!