We're So Close....

My Precious Trophy!  We Wants it, We Needs it!

READERS, we are currently tied for 1st place in the Missouri Book Challenge !!! 

But we are not out of the Woods yet, we really need to continue to keep up our high reading scores.  The team we are tied with this year is The River Readers, who are from the Missouri River Regional Library District.  It's a tough team with 20 regular readers and they mean business. 

But so Do WE!  So Keep Calm, and Read on, and threaten encourage your teammates.  Remind them that there will be a TROPHY awarded this year at the annual MLA conference in ST. LOUIS!!!  We Can DO THIS!!!


(Okay, okay, yes I added this picture on the left, just to have something a little more pleasant to look at.  *sigh*  READ and BLOG or I will sick Gollum on you! Bwahahahahaha!!)

Fables: Storybook Love (vol. 3) / Bill Willingham / 190 pgs. / Fairy Tales Retold Challenge!

While Snow White is recovering from her head wound, Bigby (The Big Bad Wolf) is left in charge to make sure that Fabletown runs smoothly.  Things have been returning to normal at The Farm, and Fabletown has been quiet, until a Human Reporter shows up and threatens to expose the truth about Fabletown and it's inhabitants.  Bigby and several other fairy tale creatures launch an "Oceans 11" type scheme to break into the reporter's apartment to find out what he really knows about them.

Meanwhile, Goldilocks is still on the loose and is still trying to hunt down Snow White to finish the job that she started when she shot Snow in the head.  Snow White and Bigby are put under a spell and left out in the middle of the woods.  When the two come to, they have no idea how long they have been out, where they are, and what happened during the elapsed time.  As they make their way back to civilization and avoid being killed by Goldilocks the two open up and become closer friends.

Three Times Lucky / Sheila Turnage / 312 pages

This is totally a charming and entertaining book with very memorable characters.  Meet Moses LoBeau, up and coming 6th grader, whose story is that she arrived in Tupelo, NC as an infant floating on a billboard in the midst of a hurricane.  She is taken in by her rescuer the mysterious Colonel who has amnesia and the flamboyant Miss Lana who runs the local café which is the center of the small community.  With a murder mystery, the poignancy of a missing mother, a hurricane, and the very humorous Mo LoBeau and her cadre of friends and neighbors, this is a wonderful book for grades 4-7.  It would be a great choice for a mother-daughter discussion group.

The Butterfly Gardener's Guide - Brooklyn Botanic Garden All-Region Guides / Design Your Own Butterfly Garden - Susan Sales Harkins / 111 pgs & 45 pgs

*Yes I will blog anything for points, and I did read these books cover to cover so here they are*

The Butterfly Gardener's Guide, gives a nice overview of Butterfly Gardening, but does not get into much specifics.  Each chapter was a short essay written by a different author covering topics such as Gardening with Children, Butterfly Biology, Herbs for Butterflies, and so on.  Then there are brief 2 page essays on Gardening in different regions: the Northeast, Pacific Coast, Florida, Midwest, Southeast, and Southwest.  Good place for some quick tips and you really only have to read the chapters that interest you because the overall effect of the book is a bit disjointed.


Design Your Own Butterfly Garden by Susan Sales Harkins and William H. Harkins is written for the school-age crowd and is brief, colorful, and to the point.  What I like about it is that is give exact directions on how to plan, prepare, plant and maintain the garden.  There are also nice charts that show what flowers to look for and how butterflies use them.   

The Walking Dead: A Larger World, Vol. 16 / Robert Kirkman / 160 pgs.

In this chapter, Rick is looking for ways to strengthen the community and increase the defenses to keep the zombies and outsiders out.  While out on a scouting mission, the group comes across a stranger who claims he comes from a large network of communities that are close by.  Rick struggles with trusting and believing the stranger's story and intentions; and has to make the decision whether to keep the community closed off or open up and join the larger network.

Still exciting even if it is a bit repetitive.  AND new characters means a greater chance that someone else is going to be next on the chopping block.  

The Doomsday Prepping Crash Course / Patty Hahne / 165 pages

     Been watching the "Doomsday Preppers" show on TV?  Well, this handy little guide will help you get started with your own preparations.  Not only is it easy to read, it is also small and light so you could consider it an essential reference guide for your bug-out kit. 

     There are separate sections on food, weapons, water, how to pack, what to take, and how to go to the bathroom.  It is really only an overview so the actual prepper would need to return multiple times to the library to find out how to really can food, start fires, make an outhouse etc.  But on the bright side, it does point a novice prepper in the right direction so that they don't just pack some candy and their cd's and leave wearing flip flops.

     A further, but much more subtle use for this book is to inspire hoarders.  Yes, there is a hoarding connection.  Apparently, preppers are secretly hoarders, but they feel like they only collect "good stuff" like bullets, knives, food, wood, toilet paper, alcohol, water, bleach, and plastic bags.  Yes, plastic bags - like from Walmart or Schnuck's.  They plan to use them to bury bathroom waste.  I can just see that working really well.

     So, if you want to be prepared for any doomsday scenario, read this book and then go buy some duct tape.  (and make sure to keep the plastic bag!)

The 19th Wife / David Ebershoff / 514 pages

 
This was a truly fascinating book.  I started reading it because someone said it was a historical novel set in the late 1800's.
Indeed it was.  It concerns Ann Eliza, the 19th wife of Brigham Young.  She became an apostate and divorced him.  She became a crusade speaker across the United States which ultimately ended polygamy in the U.S. 
The other chapters of the book fast forward to a present day story of the "firsters", a renegade retro group of "Old School" Mormons and the story based on facts of recent news accounts from that type of group in southern Utah.
I highly recommend this book if you like history.

Rosetta's Dress Mess / Laura Driscoll / 118 pg.

Garden Talent Fairy Rosetta loves clothes and fashion, but gets in over her head when she boasts that she can create the best dress in the upcoming Fairy Fashion Show.  The story is quick and funny and has the good message that your good friends are the ones that will stay by you and help you in a crisis; and that being humble is much better than being boastful.

Light, a Gone Novel / Michael Grant / 413 pages

"Endgame.  That word had quickly become part of conversation in the FAYZ.  [Sam] had tried to quash it.  Endilio had tried to quash it.  Down in Perdido Beach, Caine had tried to quash it.  It wasn't good for people to start thinking things were coming to and end."  This sixth and final book in the Gone Series is an absolute must read, especially if you've read the other five.  Stephen King says "This is great fiction...exciting, high tension stories told in a driving, torrential narrative that never lets up.  There are monsters, there are kids with mad-crazy superpowers, there's the mystery of where all the adults went."  232 kids between the age of one month and fourteen years had been confined within the FAYZ (Fall Out Youth Zone).  196 eventually emerged.  What happened to the rest...and to the survivors...is...horrifically unbelievable!!

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo / Stieg Larsson / 793 pages / First Book in a Series

The beginning is bit slow, but if you keep with it, the rewards are plentiful.  The characters are unlikely and their interactions at times unbelievable, yet the reader is compelled to turn the page.  Mikael Blomkvist publishes a small Swedish political magazine, Millennium, loses a libel case,  is sentenced to three months in prison, and is ordered to pay hefty damages.  He is offered a research job by a Swedish captain of industry, Henrik Vanger, to research and write a family history and to discover what happened to his niece, Harriet.  The offer will enable Blomkvist to keep his magazine afloat.  He takes the job which turns out to be much bigger than he thought.  He could not have succeeded without assistance from the girl with the dragon tattoo, Lisbeth Salander.  The unexpected plot twists and rapid fire ending more than compensate for the slow beginning.

The Emerald Atlas / John Stephens / 417 pages / Frist Book in a Series

This is the first book in a trilogy called the Books of Beginnings.  It opens "on a snowy Christmas Eve when three toddlers are taken from their parents and placed in an orphanage in Boston.  Ten years and twelve orphanages later, fourteen year old Kate (Who promised her mother to keep her younger siblings safe that fateful night.), twelve year old Michael, and eleven year old Emma find themselves in the Edgar Allan Poe Home for Hopeless and Incorrigible orphans."  They have perhaps one more chance at a real home when the are shipped off the the village of Cambridge Falls, to the estate of the mysterious Dr. Stanislaus Pym.  Kate, Michael, and Emma are its only residents.  While exploring their new home, they discover an ancient green book.  When a picture is places within its pages the kids are transported to the past where they find the missing children of Cambridge Falls and the Countess who is determined to possess all three Books and to control the world.  Horn Book says that "Stephens creates an American version of a complex fantastical world akin to the Harry Potter or Narnia books; an imaginative and enjoyable read."  I agree!  I also could not help but compare it a Series of Unfortunate Events.

he Bagpiper's Ghost / Jane Yolen / 129 pages / Set in Scotland

This the third book in the Tartan Magic series transports the reader to Scotland with its rock-and reel bands, games like Patience, Happy Families, and Bezique, men in kilts, and magic and ghosts.  "In matters o' magic, knowledge is the most important beginning step..."  cautions Jennifer's Gran.  Jennifer and her twin, Peter, and their baby sister, Molly, and their parents are visiting their grandparents in Scotland.  On a midnight visit to a local graveyard, Peter is taken over by a malicious ghost.  Andrew McFadden had interfered with his twin's love; and her ghost - The White Lady - and her love, The Bagpiper McGregor meet in the cemetery.  Can Jennifer use her newly discovered magic skills to release the ghosts...and Peter?  This finely wrought tale includes a glossary of the many Scottish terms and phrases used within the story.

Stealaway / K. M. Peyton / 86 pages / Set in Scotland

David Wyatt's illustrations vividly recreate the Scottish Highlands, the setting for this intriguing ghost story in which the most prominent ghosts are horses.  Nicky and her mother have come to live at Bloodybow Castle in Scotland where her mother will train the horses of a wealthy American, Mr. Robson.  Mr. Robson has been researching the past and its bloody feuds, including the kidnapping of a prize stallion and the death of a young boy.  He hopes to recreate the fine line of horses Bloodybow Castle has been famous for in the past.  It seems as if his research has somehow reawakened ghosts of the border raiders.  They attack the stables and Nicky & Jed, and Rowan & Stealaway (ghost horses) save the day.

Vanished / Iren Hannon / 328 pages / First Book in a Series

This is a captivating hometown read.  Set in St. Charles and St. Louis counties, the action pulls the reader into the suspense and makes us one with the plot.  Newspaper reporter, Moira Harrison, is driving through slashing April rain on a long, curving section of rural Highway 94.  She sees a terrified woman in the road and does everything in her power to avoid hitting her.  Unfortunately, she is not successful.  Her car crashes against a tree and a Good Samaritan comes to her aid.  Moira cannot stop thinking about woman in the road and hires a PI firm to investigate what happened to her and to perhaps find the Good Samaritan.  Investigation uncovers a horrific plot masterminded by a pediatric surgeon who kills for charity.  This is a no- holds-barred page turner romance!

The Abduction / Gordon Korman / 137 pages / First Book in a Series

Were Aiden and Meg Falconer doomed to be misfits forever?  Their professor parents were recently released from fourteen months in prison where they were being held for aiding foreign terrorists.  Aiden and Meg had achieved almost as much notoriety as their parents when they escaped from a juvenile detention facility in Nebraska and became fugitives for eight weeks.  After their experience, high school and middle school seemed pointless.  Then Meg is kidnapped and the same FBI agent who arrested and later cleared her parents is put on the case. Meg is quick-witted and ingenious and almost escapes twice.  The kidnappers' attempt to collect a ransom is foiled.  To find out what happens next, you have to read book 2 in the series.  This was hard to put down.  The story moved rapidly and was over much too quickly.

Twenties Girl/ Sophie Kinsella/ 435p

During her Great Aunt Sophie's funeral, Lara finds herself haunted by a much
younger version of her Aunt.  Sophie can't rest until she has her most cherished
possession once again,which happens to be an heirloom necklace.  Lara and Sophie try to solve the mystery of the missing necklace and uncover family secrets and deception. Kinsella delivers another great read with wit, romance and mystery.  I found this book a bit predictable but I also like the paranormal aspect
and would give it three out of five stars.

Death of Yesterday/M.C. Beaton/263 pages/Scottish literature

The latest in the Hamish Macbeth series finds Hamish looking for the murderer of young factory worker. In the process, he uncovers more wrongdoings. Although the Hamish of the earlier novels was one to run from commitment and marriage, he's slowly started thinking he should change his ways. His romances keep getting in the way of his professional and personal life. He may have to be contented with his "wife" and fellow police officer, Dick.

A nice little cozy that lets you leave the world behind. Plus, perfect timing, and another Scottish novel!

The Unusual Suspects / Michael Buckley / 293 pages

This is book 2 in the Sisters Grimm series which uses fairy tale elements and characters to tell the story of the two young Grimm sisters, Sabrina and Daphne, who are searching for their long lost parents.  These books include adventure, humor, great characters, and a quest.  I listened to the audio version and enjoyed it immensely....on to book 3!!

Thor the Mighty Avenger vol. 2 / Roger Langridge/128 pages

I read this volume because I read vol.1 as it was recommended for Top Ten Best Graphic Novels for Teens from Booklist.  I liked the first volume and was certain I would like the second volume.  However, I still had issues with the 1962 comics they slipped in the back of the volume. The writing of todays Thor is just so much better than the writing from 50 years ago.  And modern technology has made the illustrations just so much more vibrant.  A good read for the most part.

Shades of Earth/Beth Revis/369 pgs.

As the concluding book in the "Across the Universe" trilogy, Shades of Earth met all of my expectations. Elder and Amy, along with a good portion of the population aboard the spaceship Godspeed, are landing on Centauri-Earth, to build a new home. However, Centauri-Earth isn't what any of them expected. There are hidden dangers, secrets, and mysteries that must be solved in order for a new colony to exist and prosper. It is a riveting trilogy that I would highly recommend to the YA public.

Into the Wild/Jon Krakauer/207 pgs.

This was a very difficult book for me to read--maybe because even the thought of going camping puts a chill up my spine, so the idea of someone voluntarily exploring Alaska on his own is unimaginable for me. Yet, that is exactly what Christopher Johnson McCandless did. Upon graduating from college, Chris headed west, then ultimately to Alaska, to commune with nature, and to "make it" with minimal resources. Along the way, he befriended some people upon whom he made a lasting impression. His travels, and his resulting death, makes up the majority of the story, but there is much more to it than that--thanks to the author's insight and research. The part that still bothers me the most is that McCandless struck out on this adventure without letting any of his family know. I can't imagine willingly putting your parents through that type of heartache and anguish. It was an interesting read.

Odd Interlude / Dean Koontz / 253 pages

This is a "mini Odd" book that was first published as an eBook.  Odd Thomas is always an interesting character.  Koontz can come up with the most bizarre circumstances...like a scientist who injects himself with alien DNA and becomes an evil human/alien hybrid able to enter minds and control actions.  Odd Thomas is unique and provides good, thrilling, horrific stories with thoughts about the meaning of life and who we are as leavening.

Speaking from Among the Bones / Alan Bradley / 375 pages

I absolutely love these books that star the intrepid child prodigy 11 year old Flavia de Luce.  In this episode, readers will follow Flavia as she solves the murder of the church organist in the village of Bishop's Lacey on the eve of the opening of the crypt of St. Tancred 500 years after his death.  Readers will follow Flavia as she creeps through the remains of the deceased, uses squalene from her nose to pick a lock, reveals the consequences of lead poisoning, zooms about the countryside on her trusty bike "Gladys," combats the vicious verbal jabs of  her two older sisters and tries to understand her father.  There's humor, mystery, science, a cast of great characters, and everything that makes up a good cozy mystery with an unforgettable main character.  This one ends with a cliffhanger...can't wait until the next book!

The Third Gate / Lincoln Child / 306 Pages

This is one of Lincoln Child's standalone novels (ie not Pendergast) about an enigmalogist and empath, Dr. Jeremy Logan, who is called on by one of the worlds preeminent archaeologists to investigate some mysterious events that are impeding the quest to find the tomb of the first Pharaoh in the Sudd.  There's plenty of action, Egyptology, mythology, elements of the supernatural, and questions about near death experiences that keep you turning the pages.  The setting itself, the Sudd which is an area south of Egypt that is neither water nor earth but vegetative sludge, plays an important role in the ambiance of the story.  Recommend.

Thor: The Mighty Avenger vol. 1/Roger Langridge/128 pages

I read this because it was listed as one of YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens (Top Ten - 2012) and a Top Ten Graphic Novel for Youth (Booklist) (2012).  In general, I am not a big fan of graphic novels or comics, but am attempting to broaden my reader's advisory of this genre.  The first graphic novel I read thusly did not endear me to the genre, but I think I might change my mind after reading Thor.   Having seen the recent movies, it was quite an entertaining read.  It tells of a re-imagined beginning for the hero Thor and Jane that parallels the main events from the movie, Thor.  The artwork was very good as well as the storyline.  An addition at the end of the graphic novel is the original 2 stories from the 1960s.  I got quite a giggle to see how far comics and graphic novels have come in the past 50 years.  Happy to say it was a big improvement.  It also made me think that I might be judging my like/dislike of the genre base on what was available when I was younger.  If that is the case, I am more than happy to give graphic novels another try.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth / Carrie Ryan / 310 pg. / 1st in a Series

Just FYI - the cover artist for this

book wanted to remind you that

 even though its the end of the

world, don't forget to wear your

smokey Eye shadow and eyeliner.

"Through twists and turns of fate, orphaned Mary seeks knowledge of life, love, and especially what lies beyond her walled village and the surrounding forest, where dwell the unconsecrated, aggressive flesh-eating people who were once dead."

This book was creepy, had lots of action and a little romance.  I could see teens getting into this book; and now that the movie is in the works this book will become a "must-read".  This is also the first book in a trilogy  and while it does not end on a cliff-hanger the book does abruptly end leaving the reader with open questions and wondering what will happen next.

Just a side note:  Like a lot of post-apocalyptic stories after the characters go through long bouts of suffering and dead ends, I begin to wonder why they still "want" to live.  Why continue on this way, what for, what about the world do you possibly find joy in?  It's always desolate, ugly, extreme weather, the people are mean and take advantage of each other, what could they possibly want to save and preserve for future generations?   Obviously, I will not be someone that will live long after an apocalyptic event.  ;)

The Spy with the Wooden Leg : Virginia Hall / Nancy Polette / 152 pages

This biography of Virginia Hall was quite interesting. She worked with the French underground during World War II.  Although she did receive a medal, she is not anyone I had ever heard of.  There was much that I learned about France during the war.  Nancy takes a complex time period and makes it much more readable.  She has a background page in several places which helps the reader with context.  I found it very helpful.  This isn't really a book for kids much below 5th grade because they probably don't know enough for it to make sense.

The first part of the book tells how Virginia Hall wanted to be an ambassador or a representative in the Foreign Service.  Kids won't know what is coming, but I did.  Of course she couldn't hold such a position since she wasn't a "Man"  She seemed to get glorified secretary jobs with the Foreign offices.  The United States blew her off when she offered her services as a spy so that is how she came to work for the British Intelligence.

     There are 152 pages which is the perfect number to make a teacher happy and yet not so long as to make a student sad.  Nancy Polette, a St. Charles author, has done a great job with this book.

Little White Duck / Na Liu / 102 pages

I never read Graphic Novels, but when I went to help someone fine one, this caught my eye.
I am a sucker for anything about China and this was about growing up in China during and after Mao.  The author takes a small slice of her life and portrays it in this book.  She actually had a sister because her mother was pregnant when the one child rule went into effect and they lived in the country.  The children are raised to be community-oriented and really want to help China.  She has the awakening about truly poor, needy people when her father takes her to visit her grandmother and cousins who really have nothing.  Any American kid reading this book should talk about it with their parents because they may not really understand that kind of poverty.
It was a good Graphic Novel (I would have preferred a book) and was easy to read without a lot of jumping around the page.  She is actually a hematologist and oncologist in the United States now and her husband did the graphics which are excellent.

What She Wants / Sheila Roberts / 391 pages

"Shakespeare had it right.  The course of true love never did run smooth.  For Kyle, it seemed to run into nothing but dead ends."  His friend, Jonathan Temple, a computer genius, is trying to follow Winston Churchill's advice, "Never, never, never, never give up."  If he is going to win Lissa Castle at their high school reunion, he has to "find a way to transform himself from zero to hero; find a way to make her see that her truest childhood friend could also be her truest love."  He needs a love coach.  Will romance novels do?  Adam, a pharmaceutical rep has forgotten his anniversary...again, and comes home from an Alaskan trip to find the locks on his house changed.  He realizes he has often taken his wife for granted.  Will Jonathan's research help him?  Kyle is sure he want to hook up with his firm's dazzling receptionist, who by the way is a gold digger.  His co-worker, Mindy, offers advice and much more, but Kyle is too focused on his mission to notice.  This is a most fun read!!!

Across the Universe / Beth Revis / 398 pages / First Book in a Series

Told in alternative voices - Elder and Amy, Across the Universe is the story of the airship Godspeed's journey from Sol Earth to Centauri Earth.  Amy had been frozen for the voyage.  As a nonessential person she was only allowed on board because both her parents are essential to the establishment of a colony on the new planet.  They, too, were frozen as the voyage would take many lifetimes.  Amy is unfrozen and almost dies.  She realizes that she will now outlive her parents.  She isn't the only person unfrozen.  Both the others died.  Who is murdering people on the ship?  Eldest, a Hitler-like leader, is indoctrinating Elder into his leadership style:  Difference is the first cause of discord; firm leadership is essential to minimize discord; and individual thought increases discord.  is Eldest the murderer?  What secret is he keeping?

Sandman Slim / Richard Kadrey / 602 pages / First Book in a Series

James Butler Hickok Stark has just returned from Downtown/Hell.  He plans revenge on the Circle of Six who sent him there and killed his girlfriend, Alice.  He was the first living man to enter Hell and when he left he seems to have acquired an inability to die.  He allegedly is "a direct descendant of Wild Bill Hickok, the greatest shootest of the American west."  "Harry Potter's a wizard. [Stark does] magic.  [He's] a magician."  He "might be the Tasmanian Devil and Angle of Death all rolled into one, but he doesn't know how to use a phone."  For this he need Allegra...And Francois Eugene, an alchemist and friend.  Is he Sandman Slim, the monster who kills monsters?  This is a most irreverent tale of a nephelim and his determination to accomplish his goals regardless of opposition.  He uses a veritas coin like a Magic 8 Ball, befriends unlikely entities, and would very much appreciate God's attention and intervention...if he exists.

"What's a miracle but another word for magic?"

Revenge is never what you think it's going to be.  There's no pleasure and glory, and when it's done, your grief remains."

Cinderella and the Mean Queen / /Tony Bradman / 57 pages / Fairy Tales

"Cinderella's Prince Charming is just perfect, but his mother is a royal pain.  She makes the ugly stepsisters seem friendly!  With a little make over magic, Cinderella is ready to turn the mean queen into the nice queen."  Perhaps Cinderella and her prince would have lived happily ever after if not for the constant criticism of her new mother-in-law.  Cinderella decides to get a job...This book is part of the After Happily Ever After series and features adorable illustrations, a glossary, discussion questions, writing prompts, Internet sites, and links to other series.

The Iron King / Julie Kagawa / 278 pages / First Book in a Series

Meghan Chase is an odd duck at school and is made fun of often.  Thank goodness for her good friend Robbie.  He has helped make her life bearable.  Ten years ago on her sixth birthday, Meaghan's father had disappeared.  Not long after the disappearance, her mom moved them far way to a little hick town in the middle of the Louisiana bayou.  Now that she is turning sixteen, Meghan is sure her life is about to change.  And it does!  Her computer screen displays the message "We see you.  We're coming for you."  Her four year old half brother, Ethan, is kidnapped and replaced with a changeling and her friend Robbie is actually Robin Goodfellow, Puck, from A Midsummer Night's Dream, and her father is really Oberon, King of Summer.  Meghan and Puck enter NeverNever/ Fairyland to rescue Ethan.  This is a really clever journey to fantasy land with noteworthy homage to the power of love, loyalty, imagination, and importance of memory...and the disastrous effects of technology on the natural world.  The detail with which the author has crafted her world, her characters, and their relationships is truly phenomenal...

Smart Girls Think Twice/Cathie Linz/290 pages

Smart Girls Think Twice is the fourth installment in Cathie Linz's series "Girls Do or Don't" about a small town in Pennsylvania with quirky characters.  It's been a few years since I read the first three in the series, but Linz didn't disappoint.  This was a quick, light romance with plenty of humor.  Cathie Linz is a librarian and she always hits it on the head when portraying our profession.  Nothing stereotypical with her.

Emma Riley, the youngest of three sisters, has come home to Rock Creek, PA for her sisters weddings.  While there she decides to do a little research work for her publish or perish job at a university.  Since she is a sociologist, she decides to interview the residents of Rock Creek and determine the cause of the resurgence of the small town.  She meets newcomer Jake Slayter who has come to Rock Creek for reasons of his own that he is not willing to share.  Because of trust issues, there is the standard miscommunication that happens in romances, but Linz doesn't let it get too far out of hand before bringing the characters back together.  All in all, a very quick, fun read.

12th of Never/James Patterson/397 pgs

This is number 12 in the Murder's Murder Club series.  And once again Patterson doesn't let you down.  Lindsay is in labor and about to give birth to her first child and the lights go out and Joe is out of town.  So of course she ends up giving birth at home - this becomes important later.  But just when she is trying to get used to being a mother, she gets called back to work.  There is a serial killer who is locked up but will only talk to Lindsay and says he is willing to tell her where the girls are buried.  Yuki is trying a case against a man who murdered his wife and daughter they think.  Claire is in trouble at work after a body goes missing and Cindy and Conklin are having issues.  Once again a very good book and maybe a new nemesis for Lindsay??

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter/ Seth Grahame-Smith/ 336 pages

I loved this book!  If it was not for my twins unexpected arrival, I would have read this in 4 days (that's fast for me).  But, as it is I had a 3 month break before I got around to the last 50 pages.  Anyway, Abe Lincoln's secret life was incredibly well written.  Now, I wish I had time to go back and check some of the facts to see what truths were weaved into the story and what was just made up.  Like how did his paternal grandfather die.  I know it wasn't vampires, but what is the truth?    Anyway, with so much history woven into the story, it was a believable work of fantasy.    I hope I can fit more of his books into my reading one day soon... like when my twins are 3... :)

The Confidant/ by Helene Gremillon/ 245 pages

It took a little bit to get into this book, if I remember correctly, but once I did I was hooked.  Crazy story about a woman feeling the pressures of infertility in France during WWII.  The lengths she went to are extraordinary.  And the story of those affected by her desires are equally compelling.  Great for book discussion, just sad I had to miss mine!

Collateral/ Ellen Hopkins/ 496 pages

I also read this in January.  As always, Ellen Hopkins is great.  This is an adult novel in verse about the loved ones of men in the military, specifically marines serving in Afghanistan.  Hopkins does her research and I hope that like many of her YA books she follows this up, so we can learn more.

After Ever After/ Jordan Sonnenblick/ 260 pages

I don't remember the details of this, but I enjoyed this book (read it in January).  It's a follow up to Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie.  All about the little brother who had cancer in the first book and what his life is like now that he is in remission.  Great read-especially if you liked Drums.

The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel / Diana Gabaldon & Hoang Nguyen / 224 pgs. / Scottish Fiction!!

I have never read Outlander, but anyone who has ever talked to me about the book says "ohhhhh...you gotta read it!!!"  Unfortunately for me, Outlander is 688 pages, and the complete series is 8 volumes (with #9 being published in December)  each 800 - 1,000 pages long (or in my case 30+ hours on CD); Basically this book better be beyond amazing for me to invest that kind of time.

Soooooo, I cheated and I read this Graphic Novel.   You can tell that Gabaldon must really pack a lot into her books, because this 200 pager jumped from one event to the next and trying to add back story   I really felt like I was missing a lot of the story and was reading some sort of cliffnote version, which basically I was; and was shocked to read in the author's note that this Graphic novel really only covered one-third of her 1st novel!  Yikes!

Now do I really want to read Outlander?  Maybe... I am a bit annoyed with the female main character Claire.  Yes, she is from the 1940s, and has time traveled back to 1700's Scotland, so she is a "liberated" woman in a misogynistic society; but some of her "brassy and fiery" antics just come across as "whiny and annoying".  It was very reminiscent of the movie "Romancing the Stone" where the heroine screams at the Michael Douglas character for hacking the heels off of her very expensive and very high heeled shoes with a machete thus making them flats so she can walk through the jungle.  There were times when yes, it was nice for Claire to point out how unfairly she's being treated, and at other times I just wish she would stop whining.  I also didn't like that the main character Jamie had to "punish" Claire by whipping her; Historically accurate for the time? most likely yes;  But no matter how "hard" it was for Jamie to punish her and how "sorry" he was; I am that bitter enough of a person to not want to forgive him (even if he was doing it to save her life).

But the male lead Jamie is super sweet and romantic.  I now see why so many female readers speak fondly when they talk about him and the series.  So maybe, just maybe, I could forgive this one transgression and try to read the actual book.

If anything if could really boost our page average in the competition!  That and if Laura W. reads Ulysses :)

Fahrenheit 451 / Ray Bradbury / 199 pgs.

This book was written 60 years ago, but the themes and social issues are still very significant today.

The basic premise behind Ray Bradbury's novel 'Fahrenheit 451' is compelling. In the future, fireman don't put out fires, they start them. It is their job to seek out books and put them to the flame, making sure that no one indulges in the 'crime' of reading one. But what makes this nightmare so interesting, and relevant, is that it was not forced upon the people by their government, but was decided upon by the people themselves. Minority groups, religions, and ethnicities, which were offended by the words of writers, simply made reading unpopular and convinced the world that books were, first, a waste of time, and then the root of all evil.

This is not an easy read, due to the fact that the “meat” of story lies between the lines.  However, “Fahrenheit 451” asks important questions.  Take the time to answer them for yourself.

Defending Jacob / William Landay / 421 pgs.

For suspense readers, finding a plot that hasn't done to death is a real prize.  The novel “Defending Jacob” manages to supply a few new twists for those readers. 

In a small Massachusetts town, a young boy is found murdered in the woods.  Initially a pedophile is suspected, but soon, another classmate, fourteen-year old Jacob Barber, the only child of well-respected district attorney, Andy Barber, is a person of interest and eventually charged with his classmate's murder. Jacob admits to finding the body in the woods, touching the body, but being afraid to tell anyone about it. Andy and his wife Laurie find it hard to believe that there could ever be capable of such an act, but yet at times they wonder if it could be true. Jacob's is a sullen boy, often moody and withdrawn and full of secrets. The fact he has posted things on Facebook that could be used against him will not help in proving his innocence. The family is from a nice suburban town, and is shamed and shunned by the community.

When the prosecuting attorney introduces the “murder gene” theory, Andy is forced to take a closer look at his own life.

This title is highly recommendable, which is the true test of any book.

Starting Now: A Blossom Street Novel/Debbie Macomber/338 pages

For years Libby Morgan dreamed only of making partner in her competitive, high-pressure law firm. She sacrificed everything for her career—her friends, her marriage, her chance at creating a family. When her boss calls Libby into his office, she assumes it will finally be good news, but nothing can prepare her for the shocking reality: She’s been let go and must rebuild her entire life . . . starting now.  She finds herself at A Good Yarn, the local knitting store.  She forms a close bond with Lydia, the sweet-natured shop owner; Lydia’s spirited teenage daughter, Casey; and Casey’s best friend, Ava, a shy yet troubled girl who will shape Libby’s future in surprising and profound ways.  Macomber creates new characters and situations and blends them well with characters and settings from previous books.

Straight From the Hip/Susan Mallery/313 pages

  An oil platform explosion left Izzy Titan with only 30% sight and mentally shattered; she had been the daredevil of the three Titan sisters and now she lives in shadowy fear. Making her even more frightened is the fact that she believes her half-brother Garth deliberately caused the incident and he will return to finish the job. Still she has to decide on a risky surgery that could restore her sight or leave her permanently blind.  This is a paperback that I packed in my suitcase to read in sunny California.  It's part three of a trilogy by Mallery.

Sweet Spot/Susan Mallery/376 pages

This is the second book in the "Bakery Sisters"  trilogy that I started due to Laura's bonus point "challenge" a few months ago. This title features twin-sister Nicole who has spent her life as the "responsible" sister.  She continues to be responsible - even for people who aren't part of her family.  In this book there's a little more conflict than in the first so it's a little more interesting.  I'll be reading the third installment to see how the youngest sister fares.

Princess in Love / Julianne MacLean / 339 pgs.

Princess Rose has always had a crush on Leopold Hunt, Marquess of Cavanaugh; but he was secretly engaged to another and could not return her affections.  Now that Rose is about to enter a political marriage with Archduke Joseph to unite two kingdoms, Leo's engagement is broken and he is now free to pursue Rose.  Now having to choose between two suitors and decide between love or duty; Rose thinks she's made her choice when a plot is uncovered and Leo is accused of attempting to murder and overthrow the King (Rose's beloved brother).  Is Leo innocent or is he just using Rose?  Will she stand by Leo or just throw him to the wolves (which is what I was rooting for)?

Entertaining, not predictable, and not overly sappy.  All of the male characters major and minor, in the book were sweet, kind and understanding; I had a few *sigh* and *awww* moments at how loyal and dedicated they were to their ladies.

Fables, vol. 2: Animal Farm / Bill Willingham / 112 pgs. - Fairy Tales Retold Challenge

Snow White and Rose Red travel to "the Farm" which is located in Upstate New York, to check on the other Fairy Tale Creatures.  The non-human fables (ie talking animals, giants, goblins, etc.) have to live on the farm to keep them hidden from normal humans.  However, after hundreds of years of isolation, the farm animals are restless and are plotting a revolution to take over the Fable government to force all of fable-kind to attack the Adversary and take back their homelands.  Unfortunately, for Snow White and Rose Red they stumble across the revolutionary plans and become political prisoners.

The Gate Thief by Orson Scott Card/380

The Gate Thief by Orson Scott Card is the second book in the Mither mage stories.  I enjoyed how he describes the "devil" and the idea of a BA and KA.  I was very surprised and angry at the ending of this book so I will of course have to read the next in the series!

The Automatic Detective / A. Lee Martinez / 317 p.

Okay, this book was just plain fun.  The main character is Mack, a robot designed to be an offensive weapon. However, Mack has developed the Free Will Glitch and is driving a cab, hoping to qualify for citizenship in Empire City. He's got to be careful and not squish any "biologicals" and knows that the police are keeping an eye on him in case his original smash-and-destroy programming runs amok. But when the human family that lives next door to him is kidnapped, Mack swings into action to track them down and rescue them, for reasons that are not clear to his logic processors.

The best parts of the story concern Mack's thoughts on moving from cold robot logic to slippery human sentimentality, and Martinez does a great job with this subtle philosophical theme. Meanwhile, the action is fun and fast-moving, and fits perfectly within the pulpy world that Martinez has created. But the novel is also a bit monochromatic as the retro-sci-fi backdrop can't quite hold together an ambitious conspiracy among aliens, mutants, norms, and robots; and there are a few plot holes here and there that do some damage to the story line  particularly regarding Mack's run-ins with the cops. But readers who are willing to forgive a few lapses in focus will still find a fun and very unique story with cool characters and a lot of rip-roaring action.

The Dinner / Herman Koch / 292 pgs.

I wanted to like this novel. I'm a big fan of unreliable narrators, unlikable characters and of plots that gradually unfold, layer by layer, i.e. “Gone Girl” and “Shutter Island”.  So a novel that starts out as the story of a civilized dinner party at a posh Amsterdam restaurant involving two couples discussing their sons, but with this underlying feeling that things are not as they seem, should be right down my alley.

The problem is that what Herman Koch ends up revealing over the course of the novel is too little too late.  Instead of telling the story through one parents’ perspective, it might have been more effective if Koch had chosen to come at the plot line from the viewpoint of all four parents.  It would have moved along faster, and not pushed the story so far to the back.  Yes, it's as much or more a story about how two sets of parents deal with (or fail to find a mutually acceptable way to deal with) some horrific behavior on the part of their sons as it is about those boys and their actions, but the ramblings back over time on the part of the narrator, Paul, become so much a distraction that the conflicts at the heart of the novel end up feeling like the subplot..

This novel is a great concept that never quite delivers. There are some fascinating ideas -- such as the way in which individuals can distort reality and morality -- but the author never lets his characters’ fend for themselves.

The Tragedy Paper/Elizabeth LaBan/312 pages/Scottish fiction?

"Enter here to be and find a friend" is the motto of the Irving School, a prestigious private high school located in New York state. Duncan gets his room assignment for his senior year and is dismayed to discover that he has the worst room on the senior boys wing. Last year, it was occupied by Tim Macbeth, an albino transfer student, who was involved in something that Duncan would rather forget. Each senior is left a "treasure" by the student who lived in that room the year before. Tim has left Duncan a set of CDs on which he has left the story of what happened the spring before. Over the course of the year, Duncan listens to the CDs while juggling his school schedule, his love life and the ever looming "Tragedy Paper", the senior thesis required for graduation.

Interesting and somewhat suspenseful. With names like Macbeth and Duncan, I'm claiming Scottish fiction. Especially since I wasted my Maeve Binchy last month! :)

May's Challenge

Irish & Scottish Fiction!!!  Hey, I may not be Irish nor Scottish, but I sure do enjoy seeing a man who is not afraid to wear a skirt once in awhile. So here is to the Men and Lassies in plaid.  For this reading challenge I will award "2" points for any book that is set in Ireland or Scotland, has a main character that is Irish or Scottish, or anything else you can come up with that somehow relates to Ireland or Scotland (maybe the main character has a dog that is an Irish Setter? - okay, perhaps that is too vague of a connection).  Still, your choices are endless...


You can read a nice historical, literary novel like James Joyce's Dubliners - A collection of 15 short stories, published in 1914; which depict life of the Irish middle class in and around Dublin.

OR

Try The Seduction of Elliot McBride, by Jennifer Ashley.  With a name like "McBride" and the fact that he is wearing a plaid kilt on the front cover; you just KNOW this book is going to be a work of historical accuracy and literary genius!


Hmmmmmm.....Choices, choices..... and "May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light, may good luck pursue you each morning and night."

Taken/Erin Bowman/360 pgs.

This is Erin Bowman's debut novel, and I loved it! It's a dystopian novel taking place in Claysoot, where there are no men past the age of 18 years old. On their 18th birthday, Claysoot male youth are "taken" in a "heist"--they just disappear. If they try to avoid their fate by trying to go over the Wall bordering Claysoot, their charred remains will be found the next day back in Claysoot. There is more to this "heist," however, than meets the eye--and that is where the story gets very interesting! This book got mixed reviews in Goodreads, which I just don't understand--I consider it one of the best YA novels I've read this year. Highly recommended--and Erin Bowman better write the next installment very soon!

Bossypants / Tina Fey / 272 pages

Bossypants by Tina Fey, on the New York Times Bestseller List for five weeks upon its 2011 release with over 1 million copies sold is an autobiographical romp through Tina Fey’s life.

 

Tina Fey’s humorous autobiography runs the gamut from motherhood and marriage to her Eastwoodesque father, her gay best friends, work and Christmas in series of funny vignettes just insane enough to make you wonder how much of it is true, while simultaneously teaching work and life lessons in management.

Bossypants will appeal to those who like humor by strong women and a similar work is I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence by Amy Sedaris.

Gone Girl / Gillian Flynn / 416 pages

 
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, which has sold more than 2 million copies worldwide since its release in June 2012, is a disturbingly, dark account of sociopathy set in small-town Middle America.

When his wife Amy disappears on the morning of their fifth wedding anniversary, Nick, the prime suspect in what appears to be her murder, uncovers disturbing evidence of her manipulative past and the lie that was their marriage as he desperately tries to prove his own innocence.

Gone Girl will appeal to those who like dark, character-driven, psychological fiction, as well as those who like mysteries and suspense. Similar works include: Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson and Keeper of the Keys by Perri O'Shaughnessy.

Ghost at the Window / Margaret McAllister / 119 pages / Set in Scotland

Ewan Dart and his artist parents have just moved to Loch Treen, Scotland.  They live in a stone house called Ninian House after a saint who once lived there.  Ninian House is known to be peculiar.  "It has a freaky habit of flickering in and out of different centuries."  During one of the flickers, Ewan meets Elspeth, the ghost of a girl who died of diphtheria in 1937.  She is in a stooshie - a Scottish way of saying she is in a state, agitated.  Her cousin, Alex, who was known to be fey,  (He knew "things the rest of us don't.  You could call it a sixth sense.") had told her never to open the closet.  Fear of the closet and what it might contain interrupted her passage into the afterlife.  Can Ewan help Elspeth?  This endearing tale, evocative of the Scottish Highlands and history, portrays the power of fear, hate, love, and forgiveness.  A ghost story well worth reading.

"Perfect love is stronger than fear."

Castle Waiting / Linda Medley / 457 pages / Fairy Tale

Do you know St. Wigglefort the Unencumbered?  If you read Castle Waiting you will discover just who he is/was.  Over forty years ago a professor at UMSL made reference to this little known saint frequently in his lectures.  I have not heard mention of the saint since.  Imagine my surprise to encounter him in a graphic novel fairy tale!  Publishers Weekly says, " A set of linked nouveaux fairy tales, this graphic novel extends the story of Sleeping Beauty into a modern feminist Chaucer..."  Definitely a surprise!!  Bearded ladies?!

Dealing with Dragons. Patricia C. Wrede / 212 pages / Fairy Tales

Princess Cimorene is bored.  She runs away to find excitement and find it she does with the dragons.  She is content to be Kazul's cook  (Kazul is a dragon.)...so content that she absolutely refuses to be rescued by knights on quests to rescue princesses from dragons.  Cimorene is instrumental in thwarting a plot whereby the wizards attempt to fix the face to determine the next dragon king.  This was a delightful audio book with multiple voices.  According to Booklist it is "a decidedly diverting novel with plenty of action and many slightly skewed fairy tale conventions that add to the laugh-out-loud reading pleasure..."

The Children of Green Knowe / L. M. Boston / 157 pages / First Book in a Series

"Lucy Maria Boston bought a ramshackle manor house near Cambridge, England in 1935 which she lovingly restored over a period of two years.  It is this house that inspired her to take pen in hand and create the beloved Green Knowe Chronicles."  In this first book in the series, Tolly has come to Green Knowe to stay with her Great-Grandmother, OldKnow.  Tolly is very observant and notices things that haven't been seen for centuries - Toby, who reads the majestic horse, Feste; his mischievous little sister, Linnet; and their brother, Alexander, who play the flute and sings like an angel.  The manor was once cursed and is sometimes referred to as Green Noah, in honor of the massive tree, a constant reminder of the curse.

Sweet Trouble / Susan Mallery / 439 pages

This is the third and final book in the Family Saga series.  (Yes, our Blogmaster was most wise to offer Bonus Points for First Book in a Series.  It did, in fact, encourage at least one reader  to read the entire series.)  Here we have the third Keyes sister meeting or remeeting her match; the Keyes' Bakery being destroyed by fire; a familial reconciliation - actually several; and a leading man we are led to love...then hate...then love again.