Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham
Someday, Someday, Maybe, a novel by actress Lauren Graham, is about a young aspiring actress in 1995 New York. I’ll admit that whenever I see that an actress (or other celebrity) has written a book, I’m immediately wary, so let me first say upfront that I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this novel. The writing was decent, the characters felt very real, and the plot, if a little predictable at times, all held together. It took me a little while to warm up to the book, partially because it just wasn’t the type of thing I was in the mood to read (but there’s a waiting list at the library, so I had to take it when I could), and I spent a fair amount of time exasperated with main character Franny – but then, what early twenty-something trying to find herself doesn’t exasperate the people around her? By the end, though, I genuinely cared about Franny and her friends, partially because they seemed to actually learn and grow through the course of the novel.
Because the book is about an actress, I’m sure there’s speculation about which anecdotes were actually drawn from Graham’s life or the lives of her friends; while I tried not to assume anything about the veracity of specific characters or incidents, Graham’s experience in the field shone through in the way she portrayed auditions, agency meetings, and more. And I found myself begrudgingly charmed – and sometimes thinking “hey, that’s useful” – by some of the aphorisms and life lessons that Franny learned and tried to adopt in her quest for self-improvement.
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Felicity Reads: Rose Under Fire
Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
While flying an Allied fighter plane from Paris to England, American ATA pilot and amateur poet, Rose Justice, is captured by the Nazis and sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious women's concentration camp. Trapped in horrific circumstances, Rose finds hope in the impossible through the loyalty, bravery and friendship of her fellow prisoners. But will that be enough to endure the fate that’s in store for her?
When I heard Elizabeth Wein was writing another World War II novel, I was excited but a little concerned, because Code Name Verity was so amazing and original that I was afraid a sequel would either be less surprising or seem derivative. Basically, I wasn't sure even such a talented writer could pull it off again. BUT SHE DID. I don't want to get into specifics, because I want to let you discover Rose and her story for yourself, but you should absolutely read this for another fascinating, moving look at young women in WWII. (And to check in on some of the characters from Code Name Verity!)
While flying an Allied fighter plane from Paris to England, American ATA pilot and amateur poet, Rose Justice, is captured by the Nazis and sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious women's concentration camp. Trapped in horrific circumstances, Rose finds hope in the impossible through the loyalty, bravery and friendship of her fellow prisoners. But will that be enough to endure the fate that’s in store for her?
When I heard Elizabeth Wein was writing another World War II novel, I was excited but a little concerned, because Code Name Verity was so amazing and original that I was afraid a sequel would either be less surprising or seem derivative. Basically, I wasn't sure even such a talented writer could pull it off again. BUT SHE DID. I don't want to get into specifics, because I want to let you discover Rose and her story for yourself, but you should absolutely read this for another fascinating, moving look at young women in WWII. (And to check in on some of the characters from Code Name Verity!)
Monday, July 15, 2013
Felicity Reads: A Murder at Rosamund's Gate
A Murder at Rosamund's Gate by Susanna Calkins
For Lucy Campion, a seventeenth-century English chambermaid serving in the household of the local magistrate, life is an endless repetition of polishing pewter, emptying chamber pots, and dealing with other household chores until a fellow servant is ruthlessly killed, and someone close to Lucy falls under suspicion. Lucy can’t believe it, but in a time where the accused are presumed guilty until proven innocent, lawyers aren’t permitted to defend their clients, and—if the plague doesn't kill the suspect first—public executions draw a large crowd of spectators, Lucy knows she may never find out what really happened. Unless, that is, she can uncover the truth herself.
This debut novel is a solid traditional historical mystery set against the backdrop of religious turmoil, plague, and the Great Fire in 1665-66 London. The author has a Ph.D. in history, which is obvious both from the general accuracy of the time period in the novel* and the way the text is gently educational, sort of like an American Girl book for adults. (I mean that in a good way.) It's nice to find a traditional murder mystery that's not "cozy" but also not trying to be overly edgy or obsessed with its own clever structure. I eagerly await the next in the series, next year.
* I'm no expert, so I can't say exactly how accurate it is, but I'm reasonably well informed and few things stuck out at me as seeming wrong. (And in her notes at the end, Calkins explains why she made some of the changes she did, which I always appreciate.)
For Lucy Campion, a seventeenth-century English chambermaid serving in the household of the local magistrate, life is an endless repetition of polishing pewter, emptying chamber pots, and dealing with other household chores until a fellow servant is ruthlessly killed, and someone close to Lucy falls under suspicion. Lucy can’t believe it, but in a time where the accused are presumed guilty until proven innocent, lawyers aren’t permitted to defend their clients, and—if the plague doesn't kill the suspect first—public executions draw a large crowd of spectators, Lucy knows she may never find out what really happened. Unless, that is, she can uncover the truth herself.
This debut novel is a solid traditional historical mystery set against the backdrop of religious turmoil, plague, and the Great Fire in 1665-66 London. The author has a Ph.D. in history, which is obvious both from the general accuracy of the time period in the novel* and the way the text is gently educational, sort of like an American Girl book for adults. (I mean that in a good way.) It's nice to find a traditional murder mystery that's not "cozy" but also not trying to be overly edgy or obsessed with its own clever structure. I eagerly await the next in the series, next year.
* I'm no expert, so I can't say exactly how accurate it is, but I'm reasonably well informed and few things stuck out at me as seeming wrong. (And in her notes at the end, Calkins explains why she made some of the changes she did, which I always appreciate.)
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Felicity Reads: Slumber
Slumber by Tamara Blake
When I saw that this was about a girl working as a cleaning woman at a mysterious manor house, I was hoping it would have some Gothic elements, but instead, it's pretty much straight paranormal. This was a quick read and entertaining at times, but nothing particularly memorable, and the writing and characterization were mediocre at best. There was at least one giant plot hole that bothered me, though the rules of magic in this world were consistent, which is a point in its favor. This wasn't terrible, but there's nothing in it that would make me recommend you go out of your way to read it.
(I got my copy from Netgalley.)
When I saw that this was about a girl working as a cleaning woman at a mysterious manor house, I was hoping it would have some Gothic elements, but instead, it's pretty much straight paranormal. This was a quick read and entertaining at times, but nothing particularly memorable, and the writing and characterization were mediocre at best. There was at least one giant plot hole that bothered me, though the rules of magic in this world were consistent, which is a point in its favor. This wasn't terrible, but there's nothing in it that would make me recommend you go out of your way to read it.
(I got my copy from Netgalley.)
Felicity Reads: If You Find Me
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch
This is the compelling story of what happens when two sisters who grew up in isolation with their disturbed mother in the woods are brought back to civilization. While I couldn't put this book down, I sort of wish it had been a little longer and slower - things seemed to be resolved too quickly and easily, and a longer book would have allowed Murdoch the space to flesh out some of the complexities of the situation. Regardless, it was a fascinating, memorable read.
This is the compelling story of what happens when two sisters who grew up in isolation with their disturbed mother in the woods are brought back to civilization. While I couldn't put this book down, I sort of wish it had been a little longer and slower - things seemed to be resolved too quickly and easily, and a longer book would have allowed Murdoch the space to flesh out some of the complexities of the situation. Regardless, it was a fascinating, memorable read.
Friday, July 12, 2013
Felicity Reads: The Waking Dark
Whoa. I . . . just . . . whoa.
I always tell people that Wasserman's previous book, The Book of Blood and Shadow, is like The Da Vinci Code except actually good. Well, this one is like Stephen King's Under the Dome, except better. It deals with some similar themes of power and religion and drugs and evil in an isolated small town, but the overall plot hangs together better in this one, and, more importantly to me, the depth of the characterization made me really care what happened to the teenagers at the center of the story. Wasserman does a great job of seeding the action with genuine character moments that make the horrors of the story resonate even more.
This book is not for the faint of heart, which is either a warning or an encouragement, depending on your tastes. A lot of terrible things happen, and Wasserman is pulling no punches here. There were a few times when I literally stopped, said "Did that just happen?", and reread a sentence or paragraph. But it never feels like bad or scary things are happening just for shock value - it's all earned and meaningful, never gratuitous. And the tone manages to be simultaneously bleak and hopeful, which is one of my favorite combinations.
(Disclaimer: I know Robin and she gave me an ARC, but I wouldn't say I liked something I didn't!)
I always tell people that Wasserman's previous book, The Book of Blood and Shadow, is like The Da Vinci Code except actually good. Well, this one is like Stephen King's Under the Dome, except better. It deals with some similar themes of power and religion and drugs and evil in an isolated small town, but the overall plot hangs together better in this one, and, more importantly to me, the depth of the characterization made me really care what happened to the teenagers at the center of the story. Wasserman does a great job of seeding the action with genuine character moments that make the horrors of the story resonate even more.
This book is not for the faint of heart, which is either a warning or an encouragement, depending on your tastes. A lot of terrible things happen, and Wasserman is pulling no punches here. There were a few times when I literally stopped, said "Did that just happen?", and reread a sentence or paragraph. But it never feels like bad or scary things are happening just for shock value - it's all earned and meaningful, never gratuitous. And the tone manages to be simultaneously bleak and hopeful, which is one of my favorite combinations.
(Disclaimer: I know Robin and she gave me an ARC, but I wouldn't say I liked something I didn't!)
Monday, July 8, 2013
Felicity Reads: Going Clear
Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, & the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright
As someone who's interested in the history and sociology of religion, I found this thorough look at Scientology to be fascinating. Wright does a good job of remaining matter-of-fact and even-handed even in the face of ridiculous or alarming claims.
As someone who's interested in the history and sociology of religion, I found this thorough look at Scientology to be fascinating. Wright does a good job of remaining matter-of-fact and even-handed even in the face of ridiculous or alarming claims.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Felicity Reads: Destroy Me
Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi, #1.5 in Shatter Me series
I assume that Mafi wrote this novella to make the reader more sympathetic toward Warner, but it didn't work at all, at least for me. While it offered some more specific details about Warner's life and background, they all fit into the framework established in Shatter Me (which... good, in a way), so there wasn't anything that really made me like him better. And listening to his thoughts, in his own voice, about Juliette and about the civilians in his control made me less sympathetic to him, rather than more. As is the case in too many love triangles, he sees Juliette as a prize to be won rather than a person with agency, and he goes on and on about how painful her pain is to him. Um, probably pretty painful to her, too, dude. Way to make it all about you.
That said, it's always nice to get more information about a fictional world, and I'm still interested enough in general to read the next book. But this one made me firmly Team Anyone But Warner, and I think that was the opposite of the author's intention.
I assume that Mafi wrote this novella to make the reader more sympathetic toward Warner, but it didn't work at all, at least for me. While it offered some more specific details about Warner's life and background, they all fit into the framework established in Shatter Me (which... good, in a way), so there wasn't anything that really made me like him better. And listening to his thoughts, in his own voice, about Juliette and about the civilians in his control made me less sympathetic to him, rather than more. As is the case in too many love triangles, he sees Juliette as a prize to be won rather than a person with agency, and he goes on and on about how painful her pain is to him. Um, probably pretty painful to her, too, dude. Way to make it all about you.
That said, it's always nice to get more information about a fictional world, and I'm still interested enough in general to read the next book. But this one made me firmly Team Anyone But Warner, and I think that was the opposite of the author's intention.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Felicity Reads: Reconstructing Amelia
Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight
This is Gossip Girl meets murder mystery - after her daughter Amelia dies, Kate tries to uncover the secrets and scandals going on at her daughter's exclusive private school. McCreight did a very good job of using blog entries, text messages, Facebook posts, etc. to show the kids' interactions, but the timeline jumped around a bit too much - there were at least three different periods of time when things were taking place, and the scenes within each of those were presented non-chronologically, so it was something of a chore to keep it all straight. And while this was certainly a page-turner, some of the plot "twists" were very predictable, while others were never sufficiently explained or felt unearned. But the two main characters (mother and daughter) were well-developed, and it was a mostly enjoyable read overall.
(I also have to mention that the book was rife with typos, especially misspellings of a character's name and mistakes with your/you're usage. I do NOT blame the author, but I expect/hope major publishers like HarperCollins use decent copy editors. I know a few things always slip through, but when it's frequent enough that it distracts the reader, it's a problem.)
This is Gossip Girl meets murder mystery - after her daughter Amelia dies, Kate tries to uncover the secrets and scandals going on at her daughter's exclusive private school. McCreight did a very good job of using blog entries, text messages, Facebook posts, etc. to show the kids' interactions, but the timeline jumped around a bit too much - there were at least three different periods of time when things were taking place, and the scenes within each of those were presented non-chronologically, so it was something of a chore to keep it all straight. And while this was certainly a page-turner, some of the plot "twists" were very predictable, while others were never sufficiently explained or felt unearned. But the two main characters (mother and daughter) were well-developed, and it was a mostly enjoyable read overall.
(I also have to mention that the book was rife with typos, especially misspellings of a character's name and mistakes with your/you're usage. I do NOT blame the author, but I expect/hope major publishers like HarperCollins use decent copy editors. I know a few things always slip through, but when it's frequent enough that it distracts the reader, it's a problem.)
Felicity Reads: Whiskey Beach
Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts
For more than three hundred years, Bluff House has sat above Whiskey Beach, guarding its shore—and its secrets. But to Eli Landon, it’s home… A Boston lawyer, Eli has weathered an intense year of public scrutiny and police investigations after being accused of — but never arrested for — the murder of his soon-to-be-ex wife. He finds sanctuary at Bluff House, even though his beloved grandmother is in Boston recuperating from a nasty fall. Abra Walsh is always there, though. Whiskey Beach’s resident housekeeper, yoga instructor, jewelry maker, and massage therapist, Abra is a woman of many talents — including helping Eli take control of his life and clear his name. But as they become entangled in each other, they find themselves caught in a net that stretches back for centuries — one that has ensnared a man intent on reaping the rewards of destroying Eli Landon once and for all...
Like most of Roberts's hardcover standalones, this was romantic suspense, and while the mystery itself wasn't my favorite, other aspects of the novel more than made up for it. I loved the setting (a small Massachusetts beach town), the characters (including the supporting characters, which are one of Roberts's particular strengths), and the way the romance developed - Roberts is one of the few romance authors I can think of who usually lets things develop naturally and has her characters deal with problems as they come up, which is so much more pleasant to read than the contrived Big Misunderstanding many romance authors use to keep their leads apart until the end. She's also very good at extended families (both blood and made) and creating a sense of place, and I'm ready to go pack my bags for a stay with the Landons at Bluff House, please.
For more than three hundred years, Bluff House has sat above Whiskey Beach, guarding its shore—and its secrets. But to Eli Landon, it’s home… A Boston lawyer, Eli has weathered an intense year of public scrutiny and police investigations after being accused of — but never arrested for — the murder of his soon-to-be-ex wife. He finds sanctuary at Bluff House, even though his beloved grandmother is in Boston recuperating from a nasty fall. Abra Walsh is always there, though. Whiskey Beach’s resident housekeeper, yoga instructor, jewelry maker, and massage therapist, Abra is a woman of many talents — including helping Eli take control of his life and clear his name. But as they become entangled in each other, they find themselves caught in a net that stretches back for centuries — one that has ensnared a man intent on reaping the rewards of destroying Eli Landon once and for all...
Like most of Roberts's hardcover standalones, this was romantic suspense, and while the mystery itself wasn't my favorite, other aspects of the novel more than made up for it. I loved the setting (a small Massachusetts beach town), the characters (including the supporting characters, which are one of Roberts's particular strengths), and the way the romance developed - Roberts is one of the few romance authors I can think of who usually lets things develop naturally and has her characters deal with problems as they come up, which is so much more pleasant to read than the contrived Big Misunderstanding many romance authors use to keep their leads apart until the end. She's also very good at extended families (both blood and made) and creating a sense of place, and I'm ready to go pack my bags for a stay with the Landons at Bluff House, please.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Felicity Reads: Silent on the Moor
Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn, book three in the Lady Julia mysteries
In Grimsgrave Hall, enigmatic Nicholas Brisbane has inherited a ruined estate, replete with uncanny tenants and one unwanted houseguest: Lady Julia Grey. Despite his admonitions to stay away, Lady Julia arrives in Yorkshire to find Brisbane as remote and maddeningly attractive as ever. Cloistered together, they share the moldering house with the proud but impoverished remnants of an ancient family: the sort that keeps their bloodline pure and their secrets close.
Young widowed Lady Julia Grey and her sometime friend and partner Nicholas Brisbane are back for a third installment, this one set in Yorkshire. I love this series and these characters in general, and this third installment had the added delight of all the trappings of a traditional gothic - a decaying manor, a mysterious aristocratic family, secrets and murder and various mayhem.
Highly recommended, but start with the first book in the series, Silent in the Grave - the mysteries mostly stand alone in this series, but trust me, you want to see the relationships develop.
In Grimsgrave Hall, enigmatic Nicholas Brisbane has inherited a ruined estate, replete with uncanny tenants and one unwanted houseguest: Lady Julia Grey. Despite his admonitions to stay away, Lady Julia arrives in Yorkshire to find Brisbane as remote and maddeningly attractive as ever. Cloistered together, they share the moldering house with the proud but impoverished remnants of an ancient family: the sort that keeps their bloodline pure and their secrets close.
Young widowed Lady Julia Grey and her sometime friend and partner Nicholas Brisbane are back for a third installment, this one set in Yorkshire. I love this series and these characters in general, and this third installment had the added delight of all the trappings of a traditional gothic - a decaying manor, a mysterious aristocratic family, secrets and murder and various mayhem.
Highly recommended, but start with the first book in the series, Silent in the Grave - the mysteries mostly stand alone in this series, but trust me, you want to see the relationships develop.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
On Coliloquy & Its First Books
Hello! You may or may not have heard of Coliloquy, a publishing company that launched earlier this month and has its own Kindle-specific platform focusing on what they call "active fiction," which means that at various points in the story the reader is asked to choose between two or more options. (Example: The doorbell rang. Was it Hot Guy 1, Hot Guy 2, or Hot Guy 3?) Sort of like those old choose your own adventure books. They kindly sent me a Kindle so I could check out their platform and initial offerings.
Disclaimer: They sent me a Kindle! Obviously I am not going to claim that that doesn't give me some fuzzy feelings toward them. But I have done my best to not let that affect my feelings about the books, and the gift of the Kindle was absolutely not contingent upon giving them a good review, or any review at all.
So! My thoughts...
On Kindle reading in general:
This was the first time I read on a Kindle, and I liked it better than I expected! I'm not philosophically against ebooks or anything, but I just don't tend to find the experience as enjoyable. (I've read ebooks on my iPad and laptop before.) But reading on the Kindle was really not bad. I'm still not going to switch over any time soon, but it's fine and I've been using it for some library books, ebook only books, and NetGalley.
On the Coliloquy format:
Honestly, my feelings are mixed. I guess I concluded that they do a good job of what they set out to do, but it's just not my kind of thing. It's not them, it's me! Really! The way it works is that when you get to the decision points in the story, you get options presented on your screen, and you use your Kindle controls to pick which path to take. Afterward, if you want, you can go back to any of the points and pick other options and see how it affects the story. At least in these first four books, the choices don't make huge differences to the outcome of the story, which makes sense because that would make way more writing for the author. But it's definitely fun to see how your preferences affect things! Also, the author and publisher get information about how many people picked which option, which is an unprecedented amount of feedback for specific issues within a story, and it would be interesting to hear from the authors later about how that data affected their writing of the later books in the series.
My issue was really just that I'm the kind of person who feels compelled to read a book from cover to cover, so I wound up spending a lot of time going backwards and forwards making sure I had read every possible option. You totally don't have to do this. I'm just insane. But a lot of people I know will LOVE this format, so if it sounds appealing, definitely give it a try! Personally, I'll probably read this kind of book occasionally as a novelty, or when authors I like use the format, but I won't be clamoring for everyone to switch over.
Now, the books! Actually, first, a note: All the books could have used a decent copy editor. I'm hoping that this was because I had review versions and the finished versions are cleaner, but I felt like I should mention just in case.
Okay, the books:
Witch's Brew by Heidi R. Kling: Lily and Logan are a teenage witch and warlock - but all their lives, they've been taught to hate each other. Now the big battle they've both been training for is approaching, but when they meet, they realize that their respective authority figures haven't been exactly truthful and start unraveling the mysteries of what's actually going on. Oh, and, of course, they fall in love, even though they don't quite trust each other. The forbidden romance is very swoony, and Kling is particularly strong when writing about high school social situations and the complicated friendships between teen girls. The magic was very nature-based, and I wished there had been more information on exactly how the magic system works in this universe, but perhaps that will come in later books. I would particularly recommend this one to fans of L.J. Smith.
(Disclaimer: Heidi and I know each other a little, and she's the one who asked Coliloquy to send me review copies.)
Arcania by Liz Maverick: Adia is from a magical family but has no magic herself, so she's trying to live more or less a normal life and take care of her little sisters - until her magical twin dies and Adia inherits her abilities. She's sent to a sort of boarding school for training, and she has to try to catch up with the others her age while figuring out all the interpersonal politics among her peers. The training is especially tense because of a war between Adia's people and a different magical people, and some of the "practice" situations are seriously dangerous, and it's all actually pretty terrifying. (Also: I'm a wimp.) At various points, this reminded me of both Divergent and the Vampire Academy series, so if you like either of those, you might want to try this.
Getting Dumped by Tawna Fenske: This is the one non-YA in this set of titles: it's an adult contemporary romance about a woman who loses her office job and takes a job driving equipment at the landfill, which causes her to rethink her relationships and a lot of things about herself. There are quirky coworkers, hot guys, and even a sort of movie not-quite-star. If that's not enough, she gets caught up in a mystery involving counterfeit purses; the mystery is better-done than many mystery subplots in romances, so that was a nice surprise. This was a quick, fun read, but it ended with a little too much of a cliffhanger for me, so be forewarned if that sort of thing bothers you.
Dead Letter Office by Kira Snyder: This is a YA southern Gothic mystery ghost story, and it was my favorite of these four books. When Celia's father dies, she and her mother go to live with her father's family in New Orleans, where Celia has to learn to fit in with the complicated social structure of old New Orleans families - and deal with the fact that ghosts are suddenly asking her for help. The world is extremely well-constructed, and Celia and the supporting characters were nicely complex. There are a few different love interests, and I got why Celia liked each one and couldn't decide which I wanted her to be with, so that was refreshing. And the ending definitely left things open for many more stories but wasn't too much of a cliffhanger. I'm looking forward to more of this series.
Disclaimer: They sent me a Kindle! Obviously I am not going to claim that that doesn't give me some fuzzy feelings toward them. But I have done my best to not let that affect my feelings about the books, and the gift of the Kindle was absolutely not contingent upon giving them a good review, or any review at all.
So! My thoughts...
On Kindle reading in general:
This was the first time I read on a Kindle, and I liked it better than I expected! I'm not philosophically against ebooks or anything, but I just don't tend to find the experience as enjoyable. (I've read ebooks on my iPad and laptop before.) But reading on the Kindle was really not bad. I'm still not going to switch over any time soon, but it's fine and I've been using it for some library books, ebook only books, and NetGalley.
On the Coliloquy format:
Honestly, my feelings are mixed. I guess I concluded that they do a good job of what they set out to do, but it's just not my kind of thing. It's not them, it's me! Really! The way it works is that when you get to the decision points in the story, you get options presented on your screen, and you use your Kindle controls to pick which path to take. Afterward, if you want, you can go back to any of the points and pick other options and see how it affects the story. At least in these first four books, the choices don't make huge differences to the outcome of the story, which makes sense because that would make way more writing for the author. But it's definitely fun to see how your preferences affect things! Also, the author and publisher get information about how many people picked which option, which is an unprecedented amount of feedback for specific issues within a story, and it would be interesting to hear from the authors later about how that data affected their writing of the later books in the series.
My issue was really just that I'm the kind of person who feels compelled to read a book from cover to cover, so I wound up spending a lot of time going backwards and forwards making sure I had read every possible option. You totally don't have to do this. I'm just insane. But a lot of people I know will LOVE this format, so if it sounds appealing, definitely give it a try! Personally, I'll probably read this kind of book occasionally as a novelty, or when authors I like use the format, but I won't be clamoring for everyone to switch over.
Now, the books! Actually, first, a note: All the books could have used a decent copy editor. I'm hoping that this was because I had review versions and the finished versions are cleaner, but I felt like I should mention just in case.
Okay, the books:
Witch's Brew by Heidi R. Kling: Lily and Logan are a teenage witch and warlock - but all their lives, they've been taught to hate each other. Now the big battle they've both been training for is approaching, but when they meet, they realize that their respective authority figures haven't been exactly truthful and start unraveling the mysteries of what's actually going on. Oh, and, of course, they fall in love, even though they don't quite trust each other. The forbidden romance is very swoony, and Kling is particularly strong when writing about high school social situations and the complicated friendships between teen girls. The magic was very nature-based, and I wished there had been more information on exactly how the magic system works in this universe, but perhaps that will come in later books. I would particularly recommend this one to fans of L.J. Smith.
(Disclaimer: Heidi and I know each other a little, and she's the one who asked Coliloquy to send me review copies.)
Arcania by Liz Maverick: Adia is from a magical family but has no magic herself, so she's trying to live more or less a normal life and take care of her little sisters - until her magical twin dies and Adia inherits her abilities. She's sent to a sort of boarding school for training, and she has to try to catch up with the others her age while figuring out all the interpersonal politics among her peers. The training is especially tense because of a war between Adia's people and a different magical people, and some of the "practice" situations are seriously dangerous, and it's all actually pretty terrifying. (Also: I'm a wimp.) At various points, this reminded me of both Divergent and the Vampire Academy series, so if you like either of those, you might want to try this.
Getting Dumped by Tawna Fenske: This is the one non-YA in this set of titles: it's an adult contemporary romance about a woman who loses her office job and takes a job driving equipment at the landfill, which causes her to rethink her relationships and a lot of things about herself. There are quirky coworkers, hot guys, and even a sort of movie not-quite-star. If that's not enough, she gets caught up in a mystery involving counterfeit purses; the mystery is better-done than many mystery subplots in romances, so that was a nice surprise. This was a quick, fun read, but it ended with a little too much of a cliffhanger for me, so be forewarned if that sort of thing bothers you.
Dead Letter Office by Kira Snyder: This is a YA southern Gothic mystery ghost story, and it was my favorite of these four books. When Celia's father dies, she and her mother go to live with her father's family in New Orleans, where Celia has to learn to fit in with the complicated social structure of old New Orleans families - and deal with the fact that ghosts are suddenly asking her for help. The world is extremely well-constructed, and Celia and the supporting characters were nicely complex. There are a few different love interests, and I got why Celia liked each one and couldn't decide which I wanted her to be with, so that was refreshing. And the ending definitely left things open for many more stories but wasn't too much of a cliffhanger. I'm looking forward to more of this series.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Fortnightly Book Recommendations: Hush, Mara Dyer, Lola, & The Near Witch
I have four YA books to recommend for you this time, and they're all pretty different, so I'm not going to pretend there's a theme or something. The theme is: Books I have recently read and liked! (There may be some spoilers below, but I've tried to avoid major stuff, especially in regards to the more mystery-like plots.)
(Disclaimers: I know Steph Perkins and sometimes chat with Victoria Schwab and Michelle Hodkin on Twitter. But I would not recommend their books if I didn't really like them!)
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
I liked Anna and the French Kiss a lot, but I love love LOVED Lola. It's quite possibly the best YA romance I've read . . . ever? I can't think of a better one offhand, anyway. I loved that Lola had her own interests and strong personality completely apart from any relationship. I loved that her family situation was complicated but the fact that she had two dads was the simplest, most normal thing about it. I loved that it wasn't about falling for her first boyfriend, that she spent a good chunk of the novel with the wrong guy. I loved that the fact that she was with the wrong guy made perfect sense and was completely in character, but it made even more sense for her to be with the right guy. I loved that Cricket was a geek and a little awkward. I loved that he was so obviously a good guy, in the moral sense of the word. I loved that he had his own family and personal problems, aside from the romance. I loved that the girl was more sexually experienced than the boy and it wasn't A Big Deal at all. I loved that Cricket and Lola had history but that it also made sense that they liked each other in the present. I loved that Anna and Etienne were around so much. I loved it ALL.
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
This book was way different from practically anything I've ever read, and I don't say that lightly. And while there are probably books I love better, I can't recall being so gosh darn fascinated by one in recent memory. My friend Hermione is very picky about books, but after many years of friendship I know her tastes, so she relies on me to tell her if she'll like things.* As I read this one, she kept asking if she should read it, and I kept saying "I don't know! I can't figure out if you'd like it! I can't even figure out what it IS!" I knew I liked it from the start, though, partially because I had no idea what was going on - but in a very controlled way. I wasn't confused because it was badly written, but rather the opposite: I was confused because Hodkin did such a masterful job of deliberately confusing me. And I've just realized I haven't told you anything about the plot, so: Mara (not her real name) survives an accident in which her friends die, but she can't remember what happened. And she suspects there's more going on than everyone thinks, so (with the help of a really hot guy) she sets out to recover her memories and figure out what's going on. And that made it sound a million times more boring and normal than it is. I just can't find the words to describe how awesome and insane this book actually is, clearly. (An aside about the romance: I have seen reviewers complain that there was too much time devoted to the love story, and that some things about the relationship Set A Bad Example For The Dumb Impressionable Girls or whatever, and I just want to say that I disagree wholeheartedly with both of those objections, but alas, I can't say why without ruining a big part of the plot.) Oh, and if you were wondering, yes, I wound up telling Hermione she should give this one a try. So should you. Really.
The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
This is another one that's a little hard to describe - it's fantasy, I guess, but reads like a fairy tale, more specifically. It's about a girl named Lexi in a town where there aren't ever any strangers, and what happens when a stranger shows up around the same time children start going missing. The plot is intriguing, but what really stands out about this book is the beautiful writing and how atmospheric it is. I'm not one to always picture what I'm reading, but I did with this book, especially (for some reason) Lexi's bedroom with its candles and piles of blankets. I kept wanting to cuddle up under lots of blankets while reading. And the wind, oh, the wind - it's practically its own character here, and Schwab did a great job with that. There was also more romance than I expected, which was a delightful surprise! This is the perfect book to curl up with on a cold, windy winter night.
Hush by Eishes Chayil
This semi-autobiographical novel (written under a pseudonym) is about Gittel, an Orthodox Jewish girl who witnessed her friend's brother sexually abusing her friend - and then the friend kills herself and the families and community cover it all up. As Gittel grows up, she tries to forget the whole thing, but can't, and eventually has to decide whether to expose the whole thing to the outside world. It deals with very serious, important subjects, of course, but my main reasons for liking it weren't very different from reasons why I like other books. First of all, I love reading about daily life in other cultures, especially cultures based on or highly involved with religious practice. And second, I liked that Gittel seemed very much a part of her culture. Her childhood rebellions were small and believable - eating a non-kosher candy, say. It drives me crazy when heroines who live in conservative societies (or who are in historical fiction) suddenly become fully-formed feminists without any real reason or explanation of their influences or why they're the one girl around who hates their society's strictures, and that was avoided here. It also had perhaps the best treatment of an arranged marriage I've read - Gittel saw it as a matter of course, because that's how all relationships in her society formed, and it didn't end up being love at first sight or anything, but it was, you know, fine. Perfect middle ground, and probably more common in real life than the usual fictional portrayals of "I will insist on marrying for LOVE even though I've never heard of anyone else doing that!" or "I was iffy about this but oh, look, he is hot! I love him!" or "Because this is an arranged marriage it is obviously ruining my life because how could it not?" The way it was handled in the novel just seemed more realistic.
* No offense intended to any authors or books here: this has nothing to do with the quality of the books. It's kind of . . . idiosyncratic. For example, she has Demon Issues. And issues with anyone who reminds her of Fanny Price. ANYWAY.
(Disclaimers: I know Steph Perkins and sometimes chat with Victoria Schwab and Michelle Hodkin on Twitter. But I would not recommend their books if I didn't really like them!)
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
I liked Anna and the French Kiss a lot, but I love love LOVED Lola. It's quite possibly the best YA romance I've read . . . ever? I can't think of a better one offhand, anyway. I loved that Lola had her own interests and strong personality completely apart from any relationship. I loved that her family situation was complicated but the fact that she had two dads was the simplest, most normal thing about it. I loved that it wasn't about falling for her first boyfriend, that she spent a good chunk of the novel with the wrong guy. I loved that the fact that she was with the wrong guy made perfect sense and was completely in character, but it made even more sense for her to be with the right guy. I loved that Cricket was a geek and a little awkward. I loved that he was so obviously a good guy, in the moral sense of the word. I loved that he had his own family and personal problems, aside from the romance. I loved that the girl was more sexually experienced than the boy and it wasn't A Big Deal at all. I loved that Cricket and Lola had history but that it also made sense that they liked each other in the present. I loved that Anna and Etienne were around so much. I loved it ALL.
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
This book was way different from practically anything I've ever read, and I don't say that lightly. And while there are probably books I love better, I can't recall being so gosh darn fascinated by one in recent memory. My friend Hermione is very picky about books, but after many years of friendship I know her tastes, so she relies on me to tell her if she'll like things.* As I read this one, she kept asking if she should read it, and I kept saying "I don't know! I can't figure out if you'd like it! I can't even figure out what it IS!" I knew I liked it from the start, though, partially because I had no idea what was going on - but in a very controlled way. I wasn't confused because it was badly written, but rather the opposite: I was confused because Hodkin did such a masterful job of deliberately confusing me. And I've just realized I haven't told you anything about the plot, so: Mara (not her real name) survives an accident in which her friends die, but she can't remember what happened. And she suspects there's more going on than everyone thinks, so (with the help of a really hot guy) she sets out to recover her memories and figure out what's going on. And that made it sound a million times more boring and normal than it is. I just can't find the words to describe how awesome and insane this book actually is, clearly. (An aside about the romance: I have seen reviewers complain that there was too much time devoted to the love story, and that some things about the relationship Set A Bad Example For The Dumb Impressionable Girls or whatever, and I just want to say that I disagree wholeheartedly with both of those objections, but alas, I can't say why without ruining a big part of the plot.) Oh, and if you were wondering, yes, I wound up telling Hermione she should give this one a try. So should you. Really.
The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
This is another one that's a little hard to describe - it's fantasy, I guess, but reads like a fairy tale, more specifically. It's about a girl named Lexi in a town where there aren't ever any strangers, and what happens when a stranger shows up around the same time children start going missing. The plot is intriguing, but what really stands out about this book is the beautiful writing and how atmospheric it is. I'm not one to always picture what I'm reading, but I did with this book, especially (for some reason) Lexi's bedroom with its candles and piles of blankets. I kept wanting to cuddle up under lots of blankets while reading. And the wind, oh, the wind - it's practically its own character here, and Schwab did a great job with that. There was also more romance than I expected, which was a delightful surprise! This is the perfect book to curl up with on a cold, windy winter night.
Hush by Eishes Chayil
This semi-autobiographical novel (written under a pseudonym) is about Gittel, an Orthodox Jewish girl who witnessed her friend's brother sexually abusing her friend - and then the friend kills herself and the families and community cover it all up. As Gittel grows up, she tries to forget the whole thing, but can't, and eventually has to decide whether to expose the whole thing to the outside world. It deals with very serious, important subjects, of course, but my main reasons for liking it weren't very different from reasons why I like other books. First of all, I love reading about daily life in other cultures, especially cultures based on or highly involved with religious practice. And second, I liked that Gittel seemed very much a part of her culture. Her childhood rebellions were small and believable - eating a non-kosher candy, say. It drives me crazy when heroines who live in conservative societies (or who are in historical fiction) suddenly become fully-formed feminists without any real reason or explanation of their influences or why they're the one girl around who hates their society's strictures, and that was avoided here. It also had perhaps the best treatment of an arranged marriage I've read - Gittel saw it as a matter of course, because that's how all relationships in her society formed, and it didn't end up being love at first sight or anything, but it was, you know, fine. Perfect middle ground, and probably more common in real life than the usual fictional portrayals of "I will insist on marrying for LOVE even though I've never heard of anyone else doing that!" or "I was iffy about this but oh, look, he is hot! I love him!" or "Because this is an arranged marriage it is obviously ruining my life because how could it not?" The way it was handled in the novel just seemed more realistic.
* No offense intended to any authors or books here: this has nothing to do with the quality of the books. It's kind of . . . idiosyncratic. For example, she has Demon Issues. And issues with anyone who reminds her of Fanny Price. ANYWAY.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
The Question of Jane Eyre + More Practical Heroines
After I posted my previous list of practical heroines, a few of you expressed your outrage that Jane Eyre was not included. And I had thought about it! Really! But I wound up deciding that, no matter how much I love Jane Eyre (the character) and Jane Eyre (the book), she is . . . just not very practical. She is brave and independent and stubborn, but that's not the same thing. Standing up for yourself to a cousin even though you know it will get you punished and maybe beaten? Not practical. Running away out into the wilderness with no plan or supplies? Not practical. Turning down a respectable offer of marriage when you're an orphan with no prospects, in that cultural context? Not practical. And that's okay! That's why we love her! I'm not saying she's not awesome, just that she doesn't fit the criteria for this particular list. Like real people, we should allow characters to be awesome in many different ways!
Upon further reflection, though, I am surprised that no one mentioned Hermione or Katniss. Thoughts?
And here are some more suggestions for practical heroines that have trickled in:
Ann Aguirre: Sirantha Jaxx series
Cassandra Clare: Clockwork Angel
Karen Cushman: Catherine, Called Birdy
Diana Wynne Jones
Stephanie Perkins: Lola & the Boy Next Door
Diane Setterfield: The Thirteenth Tale
Upon further reflection, though, I am surprised that no one mentioned Hermione or Katniss. Thoughts?
And here are some more suggestions for practical heroines that have trickled in:
Ann Aguirre: Sirantha Jaxx series
Cassandra Clare: Clockwork Angel
Karen Cushman: Catherine, Called Birdy
Diana Wynne Jones
Stephanie Perkins: Lola & the Boy Next Door
Diane Setterfield: The Thirteenth Tale
Friday, November 4, 2011
Practical Heroines
Yesterday I asked Twitter for book recommendations that featured Practical Heroines Who Get Things Done, because . . . well, really just because that's what I was in the mood to read. And all of you on Twitter have many good suggestions! So I thought I'd share.
First, a few I'd recommend that no one mentioned: The Spymaster's Lady by Joanna Bourne, Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon, The Demon's Lexicon trilogy by Sarah Rees Brennan, The Changeover by Margaret Mahy
These are some you suggested and I have read and can vouch that the heroines are indeed practical:
Gail Carriger: The Parasol Protectorate series
Jasper Fforde: The Thursday Next series
Sue Grafton: A Is for Alibi
Laurie R. King: Mary Russell series, starting with The Beekeeper's Apprentice
Veronica Roth: Divergent
These suggestions were popular:
E. Lockhart: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
Robin McKinley: Chalice, everything else
Tamora Pierce: Basically everything by her
Terry Pratchett: The Susan Sto Helit books, Tiffany Aching books, Witches series
Patricia Wrede: Enchanted Forest Chronicles, starting with Dealing with Dragons
Others that were suggested:
Libba Bray: Beauty Queens
Emma Bull: War for the Oaks
Kristin Cashore: Graceling & Fire
James Clemens: Wit'ch Fire
Jennifer Crusie, in general
Pamela Dean: Tam Lin
Anita Diamant: The Red Tent
C.S. Friendman: In Conquest Born
Nicola Griffith: The Blue Place
Kim Harrison: The Hollows series
Eva Ibbotson: A Song for Summery
Barbara Kingsolver: The Bean Trees
George R. R. Martin: The Game of Thrones series
Colin Melot: Wildwood
John Jackson Miller: Knight Errant
James Patterson: Maximum Ride
Jackson Pearce: Sisters Red & Sweetly
Maria V. Snyder: Poison Study
Maggie Stiefvater: The Scorpio Races
Jean Webster: Dear Enemy
Scott Westerfeld: Leviathan trilogy
Do you have any more ideas? Let me know!
First, a few I'd recommend that no one mentioned: The Spymaster's Lady by Joanna Bourne, Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon, The Demon's Lexicon trilogy by Sarah Rees Brennan, The Changeover by Margaret Mahy
These are some you suggested and I have read and can vouch that the heroines are indeed practical:
Gail Carriger: The Parasol Protectorate series
Jasper Fforde: The Thursday Next series
Sue Grafton: A Is for Alibi
Laurie R. King: Mary Russell series, starting with The Beekeeper's Apprentice
Veronica Roth: Divergent
These suggestions were popular:
E. Lockhart: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
Robin McKinley: Chalice, everything else
Tamora Pierce: Basically everything by her
Terry Pratchett: The Susan Sto Helit books, Tiffany Aching books, Witches series
Patricia Wrede: Enchanted Forest Chronicles, starting with Dealing with Dragons
Others that were suggested:
Libba Bray: Beauty Queens
Emma Bull: War for the Oaks
Kristin Cashore: Graceling & Fire
James Clemens: Wit'ch Fire
Jennifer Crusie, in general
Pamela Dean: Tam Lin
Anita Diamant: The Red Tent
C.S. Friendman: In Conquest Born
Nicola Griffith: The Blue Place
Kim Harrison: The Hollows series
Eva Ibbotson: A Song for Summery
Barbara Kingsolver: The Bean Trees
George R. R. Martin: The Game of Thrones series
Colin Melot: Wildwood
John Jackson Miller: Knight Errant
James Patterson: Maximum Ride
Jackson Pearce: Sisters Red & Sweetly
Maria V. Snyder: Poison Study
Maggie Stiefvater: The Scorpio Races
Jean Webster: Dear Enemy
Scott Westerfeld: Leviathan trilogy
Do you have any more ideas? Let me know!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Book Recommendation: The Ogre Downstairs
Hello! I did not mean to go away for so long. I will try to be better. Here, have a book recommendation!
I had somehow never read Diana Wynne Jones - I know, I know! - so when Sarah Rees Brennan recommended The Ogre Downstairs I thought I'd give it a try. It's about two families of siblings who are suddenly step-siblings and trying to figure out how to make the new family work, and the new stepfather is horrible (they think), and there are magical chemistry sets wreaking all sorts of havoc. Honestly, it took me a while to get into it. Well, it was a perfectly pleasant reading experience from the start, but I would read a few pages before bed, put it down, and not feel any particular call to pick it up again until the next night. But I think that's more my problem than its, and when I finally got a decent stretch of time when I wasn't falling asleep, I read the last half of it in one go. The magic is very well grounded in the real world, and the way it comes to help the kids recognize that their new family members aren't necessarily as awful as they seem is really well done. My favorites were Malcolm, who comes across as mean but maybe is just shy and lonely and fragile, and the little one, Gwinny, who overcomes her fears with bravery and honesty and open-mindedness, and is much more of a real character than little siblings in YA books often are.
Sadly, this seems to be out of print, but I'm sure your library can get it for you!
I had somehow never read Diana Wynne Jones - I know, I know! - so when Sarah Rees Brennan recommended The Ogre Downstairs I thought I'd give it a try. It's about two families of siblings who are suddenly step-siblings and trying to figure out how to make the new family work, and the new stepfather is horrible (they think), and there are magical chemistry sets wreaking all sorts of havoc. Honestly, it took me a while to get into it. Well, it was a perfectly pleasant reading experience from the start, but I would read a few pages before bed, put it down, and not feel any particular call to pick it up again until the next night. But I think that's more my problem than its, and when I finally got a decent stretch of time when I wasn't falling asleep, I read the last half of it in one go. The magic is very well grounded in the real world, and the way it comes to help the kids recognize that their new family members aren't necessarily as awful as they seem is really well done. My favorites were Malcolm, who comes across as mean but maybe is just shy and lonely and fragile, and the little one, Gwinny, who overcomes her fears with bravery and honesty and open-mindedness, and is much more of a real character than little siblings in YA books often are.
Sadly, this seems to be out of print, but I'm sure your library can get it for you!
Friday, August 5, 2011
What about not-so-great books?
I know the question of whether to post bad reviews has been discussed to death, but . . . apparently I'm going to make you discuss it again. It's been bothering me since my earlier post, because even though I didn't say a book was bad, I did say I didn't think one book was as good as another book. Which . . . is true. And honest. And everyone makes value judgments about what they read. But. These are my concerns:
1) Well, if a book is REALLY bad, I'll probably not finish it, and I wouldn't review something I didn't read in its entirety. So I guess I'm really asking about "I wasn't crazy about this" books, rather than "OMG this is awful" books.
2) I know authors Google themselves - everyone Googles themselves - and I don't like the idea of them coming here and finding primarily negative things. I realize this is sort of silly, but . . . still.
3) I assume you all know that these are all MY opinions here, and have nothing to do with my employer, but I am still afraid of someone thinking badly of her because I didn't like their book, or something. Again, I realize this is silly, but I worry. About everything, basically.
4) I don't have infinite blogging time, so I'd rather spend my time and energy telling you about books I love!
But at the same time, I don't want to make it sound like I LOVE EVERYTHING, you know? And I would NEVER say I liked something if I didn't. I would just not mention it. This is what I'm leaning toward - writing book recommendations, rather than reviews, and just not mentioning the books I wouldn't recommend, unless they come up when I'm writing about a certain topic.
Does this make sense? Thoughts?
Edited to add: I also don't mean saying only positive things. "I loved everything about this" isn't really helpful. There's always room for "I wish the author had..." or "I wasn't crazy about this one thing because..." even when a review is generally positive.
1) Well, if a book is REALLY bad, I'll probably not finish it, and I wouldn't review something I didn't read in its entirety. So I guess I'm really asking about "I wasn't crazy about this" books, rather than "OMG this is awful" books.
2) I know authors Google themselves - everyone Googles themselves - and I don't like the idea of them coming here and finding primarily negative things. I realize this is sort of silly, but . . . still.
3) I assume you all know that these are all MY opinions here, and have nothing to do with my employer, but I am still afraid of someone thinking badly of her because I didn't like their book, or something. Again, I realize this is silly, but I worry. About everything, basically.
4) I don't have infinite blogging time, so I'd rather spend my time and energy telling you about books I love!
But at the same time, I don't want to make it sound like I LOVE EVERYTHING, you know? And I would NEVER say I liked something if I didn't. I would just not mention it. This is what I'm leaning toward - writing book recommendations, rather than reviews, and just not mentioning the books I wouldn't recommend, unless they come up when I'm writing about a certain topic.
Does this make sense? Thoughts?
Edited to add: I also don't mean saying only positive things. "I loved everything about this" isn't really helpful. There's always room for "I wish the author had..." or "I wasn't crazy about this one thing because..." even when a review is generally positive.
Books involving issues don't have to be Issue Books.
Deb Caletti's Stay and Jennifer Brown's Bitter End both came out this year, and I picked them up at the library and read them almost back to back partially because they were reviewed together in the Times. Now, I have plenty of issues with that review - most notably with the idea that most YA books are designed to Teach A Moral - and don't necessarily agree with its assessment of these particular books, either. I do agree with the reviewer that Stay is far better, but I don't think it's particularly light, and I don't think Bitter End is more realistic.
Let's deal with the one I liked less first - and I should emphasize that I didn't think Bitter End was a BAD book, at all. (And I probably would have liked it better had I not just read Stay.) But it read very much like an Issue Book, to the point that I never really got into it as a novel. And after thinking about it for a week or so, I've concluded that most of my problems with it came down to the fact that it felt like Brown was so dedicated to Getting The Issue Across that the characterization suffered for it, and that ended up making the book worse as a book as well as undermining the Teaching Of Issues. Because when you want readers to buy into a story in which the heroine gets into a relationship with an abuser, the reader needs to be able to see at least a hint of why she finds him attractive. And that just wasn't here. From his first entrance, Cole is clearly A Big Jerk. And shortly thereafter, he becomes A Big Jerk Who Is Also Evil. Everyone in Alex's life can see this (and tries to tell her). The reader can see this. I'm not saying that people don't fall for jerks - we've all done it - but the author needs to give us something to go on so we can understand the attraction.
And Alex herself . . . I never really warmed up to her, and I read mostly for the characters, so this was a big problem. And she was . . . a little boring. At first she was Sad About Her Dead Mother, and then she was Sad About Her Dead Mother and also In Love With This Jerk. She complains about her sisters not being focused enough on the fact that their mother is dead, and because I'm a horrible person that kind of made me wonder if books about the sisters would be more interesting.
But let me emphasize that this wasn't BAD! There were some minor characters I loved, who were perhaps more complex than the main characters, and some aspects of the book seemed really promising, and I wished she'd spent more time on them. The whole question of what happened to the mother and how the family could go on living around that big event was fascinating, and I felt somewhat let down by how quickly it was wrapped up, almost as an afterthought. I did wholeheartedly love Alex's best friend Zack, and would happily read a book about him.
On the other hand, Deb Caletti's Stay is one of those books that I loved so much that I have a hard time being coherent about it. But I think the main difference is that it read like it was a novel, first of all, that happened to involve an abusive relationship as part of a larger thing, rather than a Lesson that was pushed into the form of a novel. I adored the main character, Clara, and her flawed but lovable father, and the seaside town where they went to recover from Clara's trauma. I loved the tone and the writing and the whole atmosphere of the thing. I loved it so much that I immediately requested the rest of Caletti's books from the library.
But what really got me was the extremely realistic description of what it's like to love someone who has mental illness. At one point when Clara's talking about dealing with her boyfriend Christian's moods, she says "You anticipate, and when you do that for a long while, it's hard to shake. You get edgy. Like men back from the war who jump when a car backfires." That's one of those lines that made me stop reading and stare at the book because it was so true. I am in no way claiming to understand Clara's specific situation, but I dated someone who had a mental illness (though very different from Christian's and not related to abuse), and Clara's descriptions of what that's like - both while you're in it and the lingering effects afterwards, which is the part people don't usually talk about - were probably the best I've come across in any novel.* Overall, Christian was a much more nuanced character than Cole from Bitter End, so it was much easier to buy into the fact that Clara had ever liked him in the first place. (Of course, this apparently led to Amazon reviews saying he "wasn't abusive enough." Gaaaah.)
Of course, if that aspect hadn't won me over, the HOT SAILOR BROTHERS would have. Swoon. I love sailor stuff, and hot brothers, and I loved the way these brothers appeared in the role of saviors but wound up being very human at the same time. Finn is definitely one of my new Literary Boyfriends - he's funny and confident and outdoorsy and also caring and perceptive. And his big brother's no slouch, either. Their family as a whole was one of those warm, chaotic fictional families whose house I want to show up at for Sunday dinner.
Another quote from Stay that I loved:
Summary: Read Stay by Deb Caletti! I loved it! It will make you laugh and cry and think and cheer and want to move to the beach. Bitter End by Jennifer Brown was okay, and reviewers who think the point of YA is to teach morals should just FIND NEW JOBS already.
* This was a long time ago, and there was nothing directed at me and I was never in danger like Clara or anything, so please, no need to call the police or my mother.
Let's deal with the one I liked less first - and I should emphasize that I didn't think Bitter End was a BAD book, at all. (And I probably would have liked it better had I not just read Stay.) But it read very much like an Issue Book, to the point that I never really got into it as a novel. And after thinking about it for a week or so, I've concluded that most of my problems with it came down to the fact that it felt like Brown was so dedicated to Getting The Issue Across that the characterization suffered for it, and that ended up making the book worse as a book as well as undermining the Teaching Of Issues. Because when you want readers to buy into a story in which the heroine gets into a relationship with an abuser, the reader needs to be able to see at least a hint of why she finds him attractive. And that just wasn't here. From his first entrance, Cole is clearly A Big Jerk. And shortly thereafter, he becomes A Big Jerk Who Is Also Evil. Everyone in Alex's life can see this (and tries to tell her). The reader can see this. I'm not saying that people don't fall for jerks - we've all done it - but the author needs to give us something to go on so we can understand the attraction.
And Alex herself . . . I never really warmed up to her, and I read mostly for the characters, so this was a big problem. And she was . . . a little boring. At first she was Sad About Her Dead Mother, and then she was Sad About Her Dead Mother and also In Love With This Jerk. She complains about her sisters not being focused enough on the fact that their mother is dead, and because I'm a horrible person that kind of made me wonder if books about the sisters would be more interesting.
But let me emphasize that this wasn't BAD! There were some minor characters I loved, who were perhaps more complex than the main characters, and some aspects of the book seemed really promising, and I wished she'd spent more time on them. The whole question of what happened to the mother and how the family could go on living around that big event was fascinating, and I felt somewhat let down by how quickly it was wrapped up, almost as an afterthought. I did wholeheartedly love Alex's best friend Zack, and would happily read a book about him.
On the other hand, Deb Caletti's Stay is one of those books that I loved so much that I have a hard time being coherent about it. But I think the main difference is that it read like it was a novel, first of all, that happened to involve an abusive relationship as part of a larger thing, rather than a Lesson that was pushed into the form of a novel. I adored the main character, Clara, and her flawed but lovable father, and the seaside town where they went to recover from Clara's trauma. I loved the tone and the writing and the whole atmosphere of the thing. I loved it so much that I immediately requested the rest of Caletti's books from the library.
But what really got me was the extremely realistic description of what it's like to love someone who has mental illness. At one point when Clara's talking about dealing with her boyfriend Christian's moods, she says "You anticipate, and when you do that for a long while, it's hard to shake. You get edgy. Like men back from the war who jump when a car backfires." That's one of those lines that made me stop reading and stare at the book because it was so true. I am in no way claiming to understand Clara's specific situation, but I dated someone who had a mental illness (though very different from Christian's and not related to abuse), and Clara's descriptions of what that's like - both while you're in it and the lingering effects afterwards, which is the part people don't usually talk about - were probably the best I've come across in any novel.* Overall, Christian was a much more nuanced character than Cole from Bitter End, so it was much easier to buy into the fact that Clara had ever liked him in the first place. (Of course, this apparently led to Amazon reviews saying he "wasn't abusive enough." Gaaaah.)
Of course, if that aspect hadn't won me over, the HOT SAILOR BROTHERS would have. Swoon. I love sailor stuff, and hot brothers, and I loved the way these brothers appeared in the role of saviors but wound up being very human at the same time. Finn is definitely one of my new Literary Boyfriends - he's funny and confident and outdoorsy and also caring and perceptive. And his big brother's no slouch, either. Their family as a whole was one of those warm, chaotic fictional families whose house I want to show up at for Sunday dinner.
Another quote from Stay that I loved:
"One of the hardest tasks as a human being is knowing when to keep an open mind. And when not to."And I think that's another good example of why I preferred this book - that's a Lesson, sure, but it's not a hit-you-over-the-head lesson on one exact topic. It's more general, and it ties into the dating violence plot as well as other situations in the book and plenty of situations in life in general. The point of fiction ISN'T to get a message across, but if it were, such a universal and less-obvious (than "don't stay with the boy who hits you") message is almost certainly more worthwhile - and springs from a more interesting novel.
Summary: Read Stay by Deb Caletti! I loved it! It will make you laugh and cry and think and cheer and want to move to the beach. Bitter End by Jennifer Brown was okay, and reviewers who think the point of YA is to teach morals should just FIND NEW JOBS already.
* This was a long time ago, and there was nothing directed at me and I was never in danger like Clara or anything, so please, no need to call the police or my mother.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Post-birthday thoughts
Yesterday was my birthday, and, perhaps partially because it's conveniently toward the middle of the year, I tend to make some new goals and resolutions at my birthday to replace my abandoned New Year's resolutions. So that means today, the day after my birthday, I shall sit here and eat leftover cake and blather at you about them.
Next year I'll be thirty, and I don't really MIND getting older, but it still feels . . . something. So I thought that this year I should concentrate on just doing things that will make progress toward Big Life Goals, so at least I'll go into my thirties feeling like I'm on the right track. Or something. Anyway, since this blog is mostly about reading and writing, the important thing here is the writing goal: I am determined that by my next birthday, I will at least be at the querying stage with my novel. The rough timeline in my head is that I should have a complete draft by Christmas, and then spend the first half of 2012 revising and rewriting. And I will pledge to put some sort of writing update here once a week, to keep myself accountable. Hold me to it!
My reading goals are mostly in the interests of keeping myself sane, because when I'm busy it's easy to cut back on reading time, but then I go nuts. Really. So. I'm going to start trying to carve out AT LEAST an hour of uninterrupted reading time every night, and see how that goes. I'm hoping this will also mean I FINISH books more often instead of starting lots and leaving them scattered around. (I've long since given up any attempt at actually only reading one book at a time. I can't. I just can't.) And I also want to write about a higher percentage of the books I read, so I will write SOMETHING here about books at least once a week, either a review of one book or a quick "three good mysteries I've read recently" thing or something like that. (One thing I HAVE been managing to do is keep a list of the books I've read so far this year, so that's something.)
My library is having some of its carpets replaced, so the adult stacks are CLOSED at the moment. That, of course, means that all of a sudden I am thinking of dozens of books I DESPERATELY NEED and having to convince myself not to just buy them all. On the other hand, the renovations mean that the borrowing period is longer than usual, so I have a LOT of books out right now. We'll see how many I can actually get through by the time the library reopens and wants their books back.
And on that note . . . I should stop blathering about reading and go actually read.
Next year I'll be thirty, and I don't really MIND getting older, but it still feels . . . something. So I thought that this year I should concentrate on just doing things that will make progress toward Big Life Goals, so at least I'll go into my thirties feeling like I'm on the right track. Or something. Anyway, since this blog is mostly about reading and writing, the important thing here is the writing goal: I am determined that by my next birthday, I will at least be at the querying stage with my novel. The rough timeline in my head is that I should have a complete draft by Christmas, and then spend the first half of 2012 revising and rewriting. And I will pledge to put some sort of writing update here once a week, to keep myself accountable. Hold me to it!
My reading goals are mostly in the interests of keeping myself sane, because when I'm busy it's easy to cut back on reading time, but then I go nuts. Really. So. I'm going to start trying to carve out AT LEAST an hour of uninterrupted reading time every night, and see how that goes. I'm hoping this will also mean I FINISH books more often instead of starting lots and leaving them scattered around. (I've long since given up any attempt at actually only reading one book at a time. I can't. I just can't.) And I also want to write about a higher percentage of the books I read, so I will write SOMETHING here about books at least once a week, either a review of one book or a quick "three good mysteries I've read recently" thing or something like that. (One thing I HAVE been managing to do is keep a list of the books I've read so far this year, so that's something.)
My library is having some of its carpets replaced, so the adult stacks are CLOSED at the moment. That, of course, means that all of a sudden I am thinking of dozens of books I DESPERATELY NEED and having to convince myself not to just buy them all. On the other hand, the renovations mean that the borrowing period is longer than usual, so I have a LOT of books out right now. We'll see how many I can actually get through by the time the library reopens and wants their books back.
And on that note . . . I should stop blathering about reading and go actually read.
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