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.
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, December 30, 2011
My 10 Favorite YA Books of 2011
This is not - NOT - a list of the "best" YA books of 2011, because there are so many I did not read! There are a whole bunch I really wanted to get to and just didn't manage: Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Anna Dressed in Blood, Shine, many more. I'm a book behind on both of Cassie Clare's series. Beautiful Chaos has been on my nightstand since the day it was released but I haven't managed to open it. I think I'm two or three books behind on Sarah Dessen. I have a whole list of books I didn't manage to read. Maybe I'll do a midyear update of my favorite 2011 books I read in the first half of 2012, or something. And I've compensated for this issue in past years below the main list, with lists of pre-2011 books I read and loved this year.
And a disclaimer - I know almost all these authors to some extent. I work for one, obviously. I've worked with others at conferences. I've chatted with some on Twitter. I think the only one on the main list with whom I've had no contact is Deb Caletti (probably because she isn't on Twitter). I won't pretend that I managed to keep my feelings about the books completely isolated from my impressions of the authors, but none of them asked for good reviews or anything, and I would NEVER tell you I liked a book I didn't like.
So! Here we go! Instead of trying to write whole reviews of each book, because then I'd never finish, I will instead just give you a short list of elements that made me particularly like it.
1. The Demon's Surrender by Sarah Rees Brennan - Amazing sibling relationships, a hot lying older brother, urban fantasy, humor, the Goblin Market, a bookish boy, girls who are strong in different ways and both awesome and don't hate each other, and one of my favorite fictional couples EVER.
2. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins - A geeky love interest, GLBT characters whose sexuality isn't An Issue, boy next door love interest, basically PERFECT romance.
3. Where She Went by Gayle Forman - Classical music, a hot but angsty rock star, a perfect mix of heartbreak and tragedy and romance and hope.
4. The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson - London, boarding school, humor, a really hot ghost, lots of murder.
5. Red Glove by Holly Black - A hot lying older brother (yes it's a theme), fascinating magical politics, organized crime, family drama, and a wonderfully conflicted, complex hero.
6. Stay by Deb Caletti - The ocean, sailor boys, a well-drawn father/daughter relationship, family secrets, and the best portrayal I've read of loving someone with mental illness.
7. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - Mystery, a ridiculously hot love interest, and so much total insanity (in a good way) that I can't say more without ruining it.
8. The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson - Traveling around Europe, a mysterious hot guy, a nicely drawn portrayal of grief, non-hokey personal growth.
9. The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab - Enchanting language, fairy tales, sibling love, a mysterious stranger, subtle social messages.
10. Past Perfect by Leila Sales - Historical reenactment villages, forbidden romance, imperfect but loving family relationships, lots of ice cream.
My Favorite 2010 YA Books I Read in 2011:
1. The Demon's Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan
2. Jane by April Lindner
3. Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
4. White Cat by Holly Black
5. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
6. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Earlier YA Books I Read for the First Time & Loved in 2011:
1. The Changeover by Margaret Mahy
2. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
3. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
4. Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
And a disclaimer - I know almost all these authors to some extent. I work for one, obviously. I've worked with others at conferences. I've chatted with some on Twitter. I think the only one on the main list with whom I've had no contact is Deb Caletti (probably because she isn't on Twitter). I won't pretend that I managed to keep my feelings about the books completely isolated from my impressions of the authors, but none of them asked for good reviews or anything, and I would NEVER tell you I liked a book I didn't like.
So! Here we go! Instead of trying to write whole reviews of each book, because then I'd never finish, I will instead just give you a short list of elements that made me particularly like it.
1. The Demon's Surrender by Sarah Rees Brennan - Amazing sibling relationships, a hot lying older brother, urban fantasy, humor, the Goblin Market, a bookish boy, girls who are strong in different ways and both awesome and don't hate each other, and one of my favorite fictional couples EVER.
2. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins - A geeky love interest, GLBT characters whose sexuality isn't An Issue, boy next door love interest, basically PERFECT romance.
3. Where She Went by Gayle Forman - Classical music, a hot but angsty rock star, a perfect mix of heartbreak and tragedy and romance and hope.
4. The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson - London, boarding school, humor, a really hot ghost, lots of murder.
5. Red Glove by Holly Black - A hot lying older brother (yes it's a theme), fascinating magical politics, organized crime, family drama, and a wonderfully conflicted, complex hero.
6. Stay by Deb Caletti - The ocean, sailor boys, a well-drawn father/daughter relationship, family secrets, and the best portrayal I've read of loving someone with mental illness.
7. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - Mystery, a ridiculously hot love interest, and so much total insanity (in a good way) that I can't say more without ruining it.
8. The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson - Traveling around Europe, a mysterious hot guy, a nicely drawn portrayal of grief, non-hokey personal growth.
9. The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab - Enchanting language, fairy tales, sibling love, a mysterious stranger, subtle social messages.
10. Past Perfect by Leila Sales - Historical reenactment villages, forbidden romance, imperfect but loving family relationships, lots of ice cream.
My Favorite 2010 YA Books I Read in 2011:
1. The Demon's Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan
2. Jane by April Lindner
3. Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
4. White Cat by Holly Black
5. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
6. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Earlier YA Books I Read for the First Time & Loved in 2011:
1. The Changeover by Margaret Mahy
2. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
3. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
4. Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Fortnightly Book Recommendations: Holiday Stories
Hello! Christmas is only a week away, so I thought you might need some ideas for books and stories to get you in the mood. Here are some of my all-time favorites!
Let It Snow by Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Lauren Myracle: Well, I had to start with this one, and obviously I'm biased, but I read and loved this well before I ever talked to Maureen (or John). These interconnected novellas detail what happens when one small town is hit with a Christmas snowstorm and a stuck train. It's the perfect read for when things in your life aren't going according to plan but you want a warm and fuzzy Christmas feeling anyway.
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan: I just read this for the first time this year, and it's another good one for when your Christmas feelings are a little mixed - especially because of the way the point of view alternates between the two characters. Lily's always been pretty into Christmas, Dash hasn't, and this year they're both at loose ends. There's some bonus awesome bookstore stuff, a lot of humor, and a nice dash - hah, I crack myself up - of romance.
This Year It Will Be Different by Maeve Binchy: Binchy is often a bit treacly for my taste, but this collection of short stories is shockingly un-treacly. Everyone's lives are messed up, and Christmas doesn't magically fix everything, but people get by and life goes on. It's sort of refreshing, really.
Once Upon a Winter's Eve by Tessa Dare: This Regency Christmas romance novella has spies and spinsters and a practical heroine and people who learn languages for the fun of it. It's a good time.
Christmas with Anne by L.M. Montgomery: If you grew up with Anne of Green Gables, you'll love this collection of Christmas stories (plus Christmas chapters from the Anne books) by the same author. Some were originally written for Sunday school magazines, so lay on the moral a bit thick, but they're sweet, old-fashioned stories that I, for one, find really delightful.
"The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Christmas and Sherlock Holmes: Two great tastes that taste great together! It's in the public domain, so you can read the whole thing right here, and it's a pretty good entry point to the original stories.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens: The obvious choice, yes, and you've probably seen a million adaptations and may be a little sick of the whole thing, but if you haven't actually read it, do yourself a favor and give it a try. This should go without saying, I guess, but what sometimes gets lost in the innumerable adaptations and variations and homages and spoofs is the actual writing, and Dickens is really freaking good. You can download the free ebook here.
Merry Christmas and happy reading!
Let It Snow by Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Lauren Myracle: Well, I had to start with this one, and obviously I'm biased, but I read and loved this well before I ever talked to Maureen (or John). These interconnected novellas detail what happens when one small town is hit with a Christmas snowstorm and a stuck train. It's the perfect read for when things in your life aren't going according to plan but you want a warm and fuzzy Christmas feeling anyway.
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan: I just read this for the first time this year, and it's another good one for when your Christmas feelings are a little mixed - especially because of the way the point of view alternates between the two characters. Lily's always been pretty into Christmas, Dash hasn't, and this year they're both at loose ends. There's some bonus awesome bookstore stuff, a lot of humor, and a nice dash - hah, I crack myself up - of romance.
This Year It Will Be Different by Maeve Binchy: Binchy is often a bit treacly for my taste, but this collection of short stories is shockingly un-treacly. Everyone's lives are messed up, and Christmas doesn't magically fix everything, but people get by and life goes on. It's sort of refreshing, really.
Once Upon a Winter's Eve by Tessa Dare: This Regency Christmas romance novella has spies and spinsters and a practical heroine and people who learn languages for the fun of it. It's a good time.
Christmas with Anne by L.M. Montgomery: If you grew up with Anne of Green Gables, you'll love this collection of Christmas stories (plus Christmas chapters from the Anne books) by the same author. Some were originally written for Sunday school magazines, so lay on the moral a bit thick, but they're sweet, old-fashioned stories that I, for one, find really delightful.
"The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Christmas and Sherlock Holmes: Two great tastes that taste great together! It's in the public domain, so you can read the whole thing right here, and it's a pretty good entry point to the original stories.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens: The obvious choice, yes, and you've probably seen a million adaptations and may be a little sick of the whole thing, but if you haven't actually read it, do yourself a favor and give it a try. This should go without saying, I guess, but what sometimes gets lost in the innumerable adaptations and variations and homages and spoofs is the actual writing, and Dickens is really freaking good. You can download the free ebook here.
Merry Christmas and happy reading!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Holiday Cards Spreading Cheer
Hello! I've been trying to think of a way to send holiday cards to some of you, because, unfortunately, I do not have the time or money to send cards to everyone. So! I decided to send cards to people who are embracing the spirit of the season and spreading CHEER by doing something awesome for someone else. So if you'd like a card, you should tell me about something you have done for others this holiday season. And to make things interesting, I'd like photographic proof! Here are the details:
First, your something awesome can be either:
1) A monetary donation to a worthy charity. It can be whatever you like, but if you need ideas, I suggest ShelterBox or Reach Out and Read. (Mother Disco works with them. They're great.)
2) A donation of your time and energy to something that helps others. It can either be an official volunteer thing - like working at a soup kitchen or animal shelter - or something you just DO to help someone in your life, like free babysitting for a busy mom or shoveling for an elderly neighbor. It could even be HOLIDAY-SPECIFIC, like saving your mom a bunch of work by wrapping all your siblings' gifts. I'm not going to say it has to have taken a certain amount of time, but it should be a substantial thing. We're talking about some degree of sacrifice and selflessness here.
TO GET YOUR CARD, email me the following:
1) Your name and mailing address
2) A short description of what you did or where you donated
3) A photo to go along with this - if it's not something that obviously lends itself to being photographed, feel free to get creative!
4) Whether I can use your photo in a Collage of Awesomeness
5) Your card preference: Christmas, Hanukkah, non-specific winter cheer
Does that make sense? Does it seem FAIR? Any questions?
Go do something awesome!
Love and cheer,
Felicity
First, your something awesome can be either:
1) A monetary donation to a worthy charity. It can be whatever you like, but if you need ideas, I suggest ShelterBox or Reach Out and Read. (Mother Disco works with them. They're great.)
2) A donation of your time and energy to something that helps others. It can either be an official volunteer thing - like working at a soup kitchen or animal shelter - or something you just DO to help someone in your life, like free babysitting for a busy mom or shoveling for an elderly neighbor. It could even be HOLIDAY-SPECIFIC, like saving your mom a bunch of work by wrapping all your siblings' gifts. I'm not going to say it has to have taken a certain amount of time, but it should be a substantial thing. We're talking about some degree of sacrifice and selflessness here.
TO GET YOUR CARD, email me the following:
1) Your name and mailing address
2) A short description of what you did or where you donated
3) A photo to go along with this - if it's not something that obviously lends itself to being photographed, feel free to get creative!
4) Whether I can use your photo in a Collage of Awesomeness
5) Your card preference: Christmas, Hanukkah, non-specific winter cheer
Does that make sense? Does it seem FAIR? Any questions?
Go do something awesome!
Love and cheer,
Felicity
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.
Friday, November 11, 2011
New Feature: Fortnightly Book Recommendations!
I've been wanting to recommend things to you all, and I did a little survey of my Twitter followers and most preferred the idea of batched recommendations rather than a short post for each one. I was considering monthly posts until someone suggested fortnightly, and, well, I just love the word "fortnight." So here we are! Every other Friday, I will tell you about some books I like. I'll try to focus on ones I've just read, but sometimes I'll throw in some older things I've never recommended before, or things that go with a certain theme, or something. You can find my previous recommendations here and here and here and here and here, and henceforth I will tag these posts as "fortnightly book recommendations" so you can find them easily.
To this week's recommendations! I have a dark smorgasbord for you: a YA paranormal, a ghost story for kids, a classic horror short story, and a very adult murder mystery.
To this week's recommendations! I have a dark smorgasbord for you: a YA paranormal, a ghost story for kids, a classic horror short story, and a very adult murder mystery.
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!
Saturday, October 15, 2011
ADVICE: Dealing with Homophobic Facebook Posts
Good morning! Those of you who follow me on Twitter may have noticed that I periodically enjoy giving ADVICE. I have been told I am good at it, but I am NOT an expert. I am just observant and think too much and have many opinions. So take all of my advice with a grain of salt! I usually try to answer on Twitter, but this question was an important one so I wanted to give it as many characters as it needed.
@ashfrankie: "A friend posted [on their Facebook page] the video "Jesus Christ Saved me from 27 Years of Homosexuality" & called it great and I am trying to figure out a diplomatic way of saying that they are completely wrong and are being very hurtful."
This is a complicated one! Because first of all, yes, of course, this is very hurtful. And it's completely natural - and good - to want to stand up to this person and say that. I'm just not sure that this is the right place to do that, for a few reasons . . .
If the person was posting this on some sort of public forum, or a group site, or YOUR Facebook page, then I'd say yes, definitely, say something in the comments. But since it's on their OWN page, this is less clear. Posting a video on a Facebook page is sort of like having something on display in your house, and I try to restrain myself from expressing my outrage when I walk into someone's house and they have Sarah Palin's book on their coffee table, you know? And this part is just from my experience, but: I have conservative friends, and when I post something liberal on Facebook or Twitter, they do not usually jump in and say "YOU ARE WRONG," and I appreciate that. Likewise, I don't do that to them. I think civility and respect for others' beliefs are very important things, within certain boundaries. (More on that in a second.) So in this case, I don't think I would make a public comment.
A few caveats here: I am assuming that this person acts like my conservative friends and is not all over YOUR Facebook page telling you your videos are wrong. If this person DOES do that, and that's the kind of dynamic you have, then responding in kind seems okay.
I am ALSO assuming that the video in question is a testimony/conversion story, which is why I categorize it as "personal religious beliefs that are to be respected." On the other hand, if it was saying "God Told Me All Gay People Should Be Killed" or something, then forget respect, because that's an outright threat. For me, I think the distinction lies in the difference between "This is a belief that I have, and I want to tell you about it" (fine) and "This is a belief that I want to impose on others by any means necessary" (not fine). Now, this distinction can be pretty subjective, and I have not seen the actual video in question, so this is more of a general statement.
(Also, I am more likely to respond if someone posts something factually incorrect rather than just opinion. Especially if these facts are easily provable/linkable. For example, a few Christmases ago there was an email going around all "BOYCOTT TARGET because they won't let the Salvation Army collect there and therefore they're anti-Christian," and I actually did respond to people telling them that Target's policy was not to let ANYONE do fundraising, so it wasn't singling out the Salvation Army or Christian groups. And someone actually said "Oh, thank you, that completely changed my mind." I was shocked! Anyway. Moving on.)
The other reason why I would probably not make a public comment is because, in my experience, when you comment on someone's Facebook they get worried about defending themselves in front of their friends, and are not in the right frame of mind to actually listen to what you're saying.
This does NOT mean that I would necessarily do nothing, though! I don't know how close you are to this person, but if you are close enough that this is going to bother you, I would try to bring it up in private email or conversation. "Mary, I know you like sharing your beliefs, but I'm not sure whether it's occurred to you that some of the things you post are very hurtful to some of the people who see them - people you care about." Something like that. I think a private dialogue would have a better chance of getting your point across, and maybe making the person think about it, rather than just getting everyone upset for a few minutes, until the next Facebook hubbub comes along.
I hope this helped a little! Good luck!
@ashfrankie: "A friend posted [on their Facebook page] the video "Jesus Christ Saved me from 27 Years of Homosexuality" & called it great and I am trying to figure out a diplomatic way of saying that they are completely wrong and are being very hurtful."
This is a complicated one! Because first of all, yes, of course, this is very hurtful. And it's completely natural - and good - to want to stand up to this person and say that. I'm just not sure that this is the right place to do that, for a few reasons . . .
If the person was posting this on some sort of public forum, or a group site, or YOUR Facebook page, then I'd say yes, definitely, say something in the comments. But since it's on their OWN page, this is less clear. Posting a video on a Facebook page is sort of like having something on display in your house, and I try to restrain myself from expressing my outrage when I walk into someone's house and they have Sarah Palin's book on their coffee table, you know? And this part is just from my experience, but: I have conservative friends, and when I post something liberal on Facebook or Twitter, they do not usually jump in and say "YOU ARE WRONG," and I appreciate that. Likewise, I don't do that to them. I think civility and respect for others' beliefs are very important things, within certain boundaries. (More on that in a second.) So in this case, I don't think I would make a public comment.
A few caveats here: I am assuming that this person acts like my conservative friends and is not all over YOUR Facebook page telling you your videos are wrong. If this person DOES do that, and that's the kind of dynamic you have, then responding in kind seems okay.
I am ALSO assuming that the video in question is a testimony/conversion story, which is why I categorize it as "personal religious beliefs that are to be respected." On the other hand, if it was saying "God Told Me All Gay People Should Be Killed" or something, then forget respect, because that's an outright threat. For me, I think the distinction lies in the difference between "This is a belief that I have, and I want to tell you about it" (fine) and "This is a belief that I want to impose on others by any means necessary" (not fine). Now, this distinction can be pretty subjective, and I have not seen the actual video in question, so this is more of a general statement.
(Also, I am more likely to respond if someone posts something factually incorrect rather than just opinion. Especially if these facts are easily provable/linkable. For example, a few Christmases ago there was an email going around all "BOYCOTT TARGET because they won't let the Salvation Army collect there and therefore they're anti-Christian," and I actually did respond to people telling them that Target's policy was not to let ANYONE do fundraising, so it wasn't singling out the Salvation Army or Christian groups. And someone actually said "Oh, thank you, that completely changed my mind." I was shocked! Anyway. Moving on.)
The other reason why I would probably not make a public comment is because, in my experience, when you comment on someone's Facebook they get worried about defending themselves in front of their friends, and are not in the right frame of mind to actually listen to what you're saying.
This does NOT mean that I would necessarily do nothing, though! I don't know how close you are to this person, but if you are close enough that this is going to bother you, I would try to bring it up in private email or conversation. "Mary, I know you like sharing your beliefs, but I'm not sure whether it's occurred to you that some of the things you post are very hurtful to some of the people who see them - people you care about." Something like that. I think a private dialogue would have a better chance of getting your point across, and maybe making the person think about it, rather than just getting everyone upset for a few minutes, until the next Facebook hubbub comes along.
I hope this helped a little! Good luck!
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