Rook Beviews

Review: The Journey of the Noble Gnarble

2011-12-20T06:46:00.001-05:00

The Journey of the Noble Gnarble by Daniel Errico

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

(Free e-book found here: http://www.magickeys.com/books/noblegnarble/index.html )

This is the tale of the noblest Gnarble of them all-- unlike his fellow gnarbles, who are content to stay on the ocean floor, this fellow decides that he has to see the sun before he dies. In spite of his nay-saying friends and neighbors, who say that he just isn't built for such an adventure, he sets off. He meets a host of other creatures on his journey to see the sun, most of them with ridiculous names, and most of them eager to eat this gnarble who is so far from home. The meter and ludicrousness of the names of all the creatures brings Lewis Carroll to mind, and the poem is very fun to read out loud. The paintings that accompany the text are brightly colored and imaginative, full of made-up animals (with their silly names), making this a good book to share when people are in a silly mood. Recommended for grades K-2.

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Review: Life As a Knight: An Interactive History Adventure

2011-12-20T03:53:00.001-05:00

Life As a Knight: An Interactive History Adventure by Rachael Hanel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Have you ever wondered what it might be like to be a knight? This book allows you to choose your own path through many different possibilities as various kinds of knights. You can be a French knight in 1096, an English knight in 1346, or a German knight in 1525. From that initial decision, you are given more choices to make, each with consequences that might not be exactly what you think. Scattered throughout the text are pictures in varying styles with captions containing facts about the knighthood or the time period. Each path you choose is relatively short, but there is always the option to go back and try the other fork in the road, making this an entertaining and educational diversion for those interested in the knighthood or battles in various European countries. At the end of the book is a final section on the state of knighthood today: now an honorary and symbolic gesture, not at all the same as it used to be. This is followed by a brief timeline of European wars, and questions to aid in thinking about knighthood in its various forms, such as Joan of Arc being a female knight, samurai being a different type of knight, and knights of legend, such as the Knights of the Round Table. Finally, there are print and internet resources for learning more, a glossary, a bibliography, and an index. Recommended for grades 3-6.

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Review: Serenity: Those Left Behind

2011-12-20T02:50:00.001-05:00

Serenity: Those Left Behind by Joss Whedon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you are a fan of Joss Whedon's TV series Firefly and its cinematic follow-up Serenity, then this is a comic that is right for you. Chronologically, it takes place after the series and before the movie. Unfortunately, it does seem that prior knowledge of the universe and the characters is necessary for full understanding of this book, but it would still be an enjoyable read even without that knowledge. Captain Mal and his crew are, as always, running low on cash in their spaceship that needs fuel and repairs, and willing to go against the law to get what they need. The comic opens with Mal and several crew-mates facing up against another group of bandits after the same stash of loot. Showing himself to have honor, Mal agrees to let the others take the prize, until they press their luck too far by demanding his gun, too-- the gun that got him through the war. The two groups clash, and their opponents end up getting away with the money, but not Mal's gun. Our heroes make their escape from the enraged townsfolk empty-handed, and so can't afford to pass up the next opportunity that comes along to make some cash. Unfortunately, that makes them fall into the trap set for them by a former adversary of Mal's, who has teamed up with the corrupt government agents who have been trying to get their hands on two of Mal's passengers: Simon and River Tam, siblings on the run ever since Simon rescued River from a life of government testing. Always gifted, River is now a bit unhinged, with psychic abilities that no one really understands, as well as deadly martial arts skills. The art style portrays the characters faithfully and recognizably as they appear on-screen, though with a comic book twist: slightly more muscles on the men, slightly slenderer waists on the women, and similar subtle distortions. As in the show, foul language is replaced by Chinese, and there is a decidedly Western, cowboy feel to the colonized planets they visit-- the townsfolk chase them on horses and on futuristic hovering machines. Recommended for Firefly or Joss Whedon fans grades 8 and up.

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Review: Vampire Academy

2011-12-20T01:30:00.001-05:00

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

With subtle anime and manga influence on the art style, Vampire Academy is an intriguing beginning to the graphic novel version of the popular book series of the same name. Rose and Lissa, fiercely loyal best friends with a psychic bond, have run away from the Academy, and are taken back in the book's opening. Princess Lissa is a kind of vampire called Moroi. Moroi are living beings, born vampires, who can practice magic. Rose, on the other hand, is a dhampir-- half Moroi, half human. Dhampir are guardians of the Moroi, who are the prey of choice of the vicious and feared Strigoi, immortal and undead creatures who gain much power from drinking Moroi blood. Once the two are back in the Academy to resume their training, they are dropped into the scheming and back-stabbing rumor-mill that is the student body, and quickly the virginal Rose is (falsely) accused of both sleeping with several classmates and also letting them drink her blood-- being a "blood-whore." While they were away from the Academy, Rose did let Lissa feed on her blood, an act that they both wish to remain secret, but that of course is leaked soon after their return. There are definite Sapphic overtones to the close friendship and the sharing of blood, but both characters have male love interests. There are flashbacks and incomplete information in this book that might make the reader feel as though he or she is missing something, but the graphic novel does stand alone from the text-only version, and instills a hope that much will be explained in the sequels. The characters are drawn and colored in a way that makes it easy to distinguish them from one another, and their facial expressions, from angry to playful to frightened, are also easily read without being over-exaggerated. Recommended for grades 8 and up.

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Review: Marie Curie

2011-12-19T23:46:00.001-05:00

Marie Curie by Nick Healy

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

One of the most famous woman scientists of all time, Marie Curie was scholastically gifted from a very young age. Enduring hardships her entire life (growing up in poverty in Russia-controlled Poland, having family members die of illness), she nonetheless never gave up on her passions and dreams of contributing to the community of scientific knowledge. She and her husband Pierre (who she met after moving from her native Poland to France) made an unstoppable scientific team, making huge strides in understanding the atom, coining the term 'radioactive,' and winning the Nobel Prize in 1903. After her husband is tragically killed by a horse and carriage, Marie takes over his teaching position and continues her research on radium. She won a second Nobel Prize in 1911, this one for chemistry, but also lost an election to the French Academy of Sciences by two votes, because many people railed against a woman being a part of such a prestigious organization. Marie didn't let that discourage her from continuing her research. Unfortunately, it is this passion for her work, for scientific knowledge, and for her newly discovered radiation that is her undoing. All the exposure to radiation that she endures gives her leukemia, which she succumbs to at the age of 66. Her story is an inspiring one of overcoming adversity and public opinion. The book has large pages, and every other page is a photograph, which makes for a visually appealing book. Each page also has a quote about Marie Curie, usually from people who knew her, including Albert Einstein. Along the bottoms of the pages are important events in her life in a timeline, and the last part of the book contains excerpts from a reluctantly-written autobiography that she was encouraged to include in her biography of her late husband. It is fascinating to get a chance to read about her experiences as seen through her own eyes. There are also some end notes that define terms that may be unfamiliar to the reader, and an index. Recommended for grades 3-5.

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Review: Slick

2011-12-19T22:50:00.001-05:00

Slick by Sara Cassidy

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Liza is a teenaged student who loves the environment and DIY projects, and whose parents recently got divorced. She and her two younger brothers still live with their mom, and their dad moved abroad and doesn't factor into the story very much. Liza's mom, an Eco-conscious and opinionated antique enthusiast, has started dating a man that Liza hates. She calls him Slick, because she thinks he's greasy and because he works for an oil company. When Liza's teacher shows her class a film on how oil companies are impacting life in Guatemala, Liza realizes that the company featured in the video is the very company that Slick works for, and she can't believe that her mother is compromising her ideals for a man. She decides to start a group of her classmates and friends to raise awareness of what the company is doing in Guatemala and how that could affect the planet, which affects everyone. The group is called Girls for Renewable Resources, Really!-- GRRR! Some of her male classmates make a sibling group for boys, named BRRR! They successfully raise awareness and make changes with their actions, and it is truly an inspiring tale for people who want to have an impact for a cause they care about. Liza even manages to earn Slick's grudging respect, though she is railing against his company, and toward the end of the book, she doesn't seem to hate him as much as she used to, either. Some sections of the story are told through e-mails sent among the characters, which makes for a pleasant change in pace. Recommended for grades 5-7.

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Review: Pharaoh: Life and Afterlife of a God

2011-12-19T20:37:00.002-05:00

Pharaoh: Life and Afterlife of a God by David Kennett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Focusing on the time during the reigns of Seti I and Ramesses II, this book specifically begins when Seti I passes away in 1290 BC and Ramesses II is set to rule in his place. The book opens with describing the embalming ritual as it pertains to Seti I's physical body, and walks the reader through what the ancient Egyptians believed happened to his soul after his passing step by step, and how the people honor and mourn his death. Many other aspects of the ancient Egyptian culture are also discussed, from the lives of their clergy to their builders to their farmers. In particular, the tombs of the Pharaohs are seen as particularly noteworthy. Their trades, imports and exports, and military are also delved into in a broad sense to give a wonderful overview of the area. Each page has many beautiful acrylic paintings, realistic and eye-catching. Some are reproductions of ancient Egyptian artifacts and hieroglyphics, and many show people at work in the fields or on famous tombs and other buildings. At the end of the book there is a glossary of terms that might be unfamiliar to the reader, and an index. As an overview of ancient Egyptian culture, this is highly recommended for grades 3-6, and is worth picking up for the art alone for those people who might be older and already familiar with ancient Egyptian culture.

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Review: Dona Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart

2011-12-19T03:03:00.001-05:00

Dona Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart by Pat Mora

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dona Flor is a folk tale about a giant woman who grew to an enormous size because her mother sang to her. She is a Paul Bunyan-esque friendly giant, always helping out her village in ways that only a giant can-- she makes gigantic tortillas that people use as roofs, pokes a thumb into the ground to make a river spring up, and hugs a vicious wind all night to calm him down. Her enormous size is exaggerated in the text, like when she was startled and jumped up, only to hit the sun with her head and give it a black eye. Dona Flor's village starts to be terrorized by a wildcat yowling all night-- the puma sounds huge because it is very loud, but Dona Flor can't find it. Can her animal friends help her find it? There are Spanish words and phrases scattered throughout the text. The illustrations, which take up full pages, are wonderfully executed with soft lines and texture. The palate is warm and consists mostly of golden browns, blues, and greens. Recommended for grades 1-3.

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Review: Raccoon Tune

2011-12-19T01:40:00.001-05:00

Raccoon Tune by Nancy E. Shaw

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a raccoon, foraging in neighborhoods for food once all the people have gone to bed? This rhyming poem, narrated by the raccoons and split up into its separate stanzas, explores with a family of raccoons on their nightly expedition. They find a trash can that's hard to open, and when they finally do manage to pry the lid off as a team, it starts rolling away from them, down a hill. They chase after it, dreaming of all the treats it must contain, and feast when they catch up to it where it eventually stopped in a creek full of frogs. The poem is accompanied by rich color illustrations, done in oil paints that make the family of raccoons look very soft and fluffy. Their faces are very expressive, showing their effort as they try to pry the garbage can lid off, shocked as the can rolls down the hill, and supremely happy as they gorge on the food within the can. Since the story takes place at night, the palate is dark and dreamlike, with many blues. Recommended for grades K-2, especially for reading aloud.

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Review: The Book of Mean People

2011-12-19T00:43:00.001-05:00

The Book of Mean People by Toni Morrison

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What constitutes a mean person? To the little bunny in this book, a mean person could be anyone-- his mom trying to make him eat peas, his teacher saying his letters are not on the lines, or his grandparents telling him to sit down and sit up at the same time. Mean people shout, but some of the meanest people whisper. The book goes on to mention that screaming people disappear when they yell, and shows an angry, yelling bunny being propelled off the page by the force of his shout, an angry word balloon that fills up most of the page. Though it goes through many of the ways people can be mean, the book does end on a high note: Triumphant yellow letters proclaiming "I WILL SMILE ANYWAY!" The next page shows text saying "How about that!" and the bunny hopping into a bunch of flowers, holding a copy of "The Book of Mean People." There is a lot of white space on the pages, and the lines of the illustrations are not straight. The action shown is often exaggerated, showing the bunnies flying around. The color palate is usually somewhat muted and washed out. Recommended for grades K-2.

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Review: More Stories to Solve: Fifteen Folktales from Around the World

2011-12-19T00:20:00.001-05:00

More Stories to Solve: Fifteen Folktales from Around the World by George Shannon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Do you like outsmarting your opponents? This is a collection of short stories and riddles from around the world that display the cleverness of the characters within. Each short story or riddle ends on a page with a question, asking the reader to try to guess how the hero outsmarted everyone and attained victory. The solution is on the following page, so the reader can take as much time as he or she needs to try to work through the problem, or just immediately read the solution if he or she can't take the suspense. Each short story is accompanied by several black and white illustrations surrounding the text and decorating the borders of the pages. The stories are from all around the world and various time periods. At the end of the book are notes, giving some history for each folk tale and its origin. There are stories from Mexico, Burma, the Philippines, and Ethiopia, to name a few. Recommended for grades 2-4.

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Review: There's an Alligator under My Bed

2011-12-16T21:12:00.001-05:00

There's an Alligator under My Bed by Mercer Mayer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

You can see the author/illustrator reading his book, with pans of the illustrations, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNE8p0E4NVU

This is a twist on the monster-under-the-bed scenario-- a young boy is convinced that there is an alligator living under his bed, but when his parents look, the alligator hides somewhere so they don't believe him. He comes up with a plan to lure the alligator out from under his bed: he places a trail of various kinds of food from his room down to the garage, and when the alligator follows the trail to its end, he closes the door and locks it in the garage, then leaves notes taped to the door to warn his father that the alligator is in there now. But really, this book raises more questions than it answers. Was there actually an alligator? If so, where did it hide? Why did it want to eat candy, pop, and fresh fruit and vegetables? If there wasn't an alligator, where did all the food on the floor go?
The illustrations, in a pretty basic color scheme (not too bright, not too monochromatic), make the alligator look more dopey than threatening, but it's still understandable that a kid wouldn't want one under his bed.
Mr. Mayer is excited about his book, and really gets into the storytelling, but he uses some rather silly sound effects over the story, like children laughing. However, the music he chooses, upbeat banjo, for the second half of the story, fits very well. Recommended for grades K-2.

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Review: Jahanara: Princess of Princesses, India, 1627

2011-12-15T23:03:00.001-05:00

Jahanara: Princess of Princesses, India, 1627 by Kathryn Lasky

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Daughter of Shah Jahan, who would later build the Taj Mahal, Jahanara is an Indian princess surrounded by wealth and beauty. This book, written as though it were her diary written in her early teenaged years, lets us peek into her world-- a world of gems, gold, delicious food, and no hard labor, but also a world of political maneuverings, occasional poisonings, and isolation. She and her father's wives and harem are not allowed to be seen by the outside world, and spend their lives looking out at the world through screens that shield them from the eyes of others. Since she is a princess, most people are not allowed to touch her, nor she they. The sincere voice of the princess makes history come alive a little, and may shed some light onto what life was like for royalty in India in the 1600s. Following the diary portion of the book are further historical notes, a family tree of the Moghul Dynasty, and pictures of architecture of India, as well as some paintings of the princess and her parents. Recommended for grades 6-8.

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Review: The Ruby Key

2011-12-14T01:24:00.001-05:00

The Ruby Key by Holly Lisle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Imagine a world separated totally into distinct halves: night and day each have their own magics and their own races. Humans have daytime, and the mysterious and powerful nightlings control the night. At one point, the races were at war, but a truce was agreed upon, and the humans make yearly offerings to the nightlings. They are sure to get inside and lock their doors and windows before the sun sets each night, so that no nightling will steal away any children for breaking the treaty. However, that all changes when Genna and her brother Dan venture out into the night in an attempt to save their mother with some magical sap that the trees only exude at night. They are spotted by nightlings, and are drawn into a web of politics and lies, sent on a separate quest, this time with their entire village at stake should they fail the evil nightling lord in the near-impossible tasks they had set for them. Fairy tale rules abound in this book, giving it a classic and timeless feel. Recommended for grades 6 and up.

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Review: Adventures in Cartooning: How to Turn Your Doodles Into Comics

2011-12-14T01:13:00.001-05:00

Adventures in Cartooning: How to Turn Your Doodles Into Comics by James Sturm

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Have you ever wanted to draw your own cartoon, but you were unsure of where to start and what some of the comic book conventions are? This book, a comic book itself, is a great guide for starting off making your own comics. It follows the adventures of a knight and his fat horse as they journey to find a bubble-gum-chewing dragon. Along the way, they are aided by a magical elf who knows all the rules to making comic books, and the examples they use to teach are wonderfully played out so that the readers know exactly what they're talking about. The art style is simple, appealing, and easy to imitate, with lines for limbs and dots for eyes. In the back of the book, is an Ed-Emberly-inspired step by step guide to drawing the characters, and several examples of comics that children made. This book would be a great guide for children looking for a project to do or who love comic books and want to create their own. Highly recommended for grades 1-5.

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Review: Unique Monique

2011-12-08T13:29:00.001-05:00

Unique Monique by Maria Rousaki

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Some schools think that having students wear the same clothes levels the playing field and makes students concentrate on their schoolwork instead of worrying about fashion. But what if you hate the uniform? Monique's school uniform is blue and brown and she hates it! She wants to wear something different so she can stand out and be unique. Rummaging through a trunk full of her mother's old clothes in the attic one day, she finds the perfect accessory-- a big red hat. She wears it to school the next day, and is the center of attention. Her teacher gets upset and tells her to take off the hat in class, but she can still wear it in the halls and on the bus home, so Monique holds her head up high and proudly displays the hat to her fellow students when she can. The next day, all of the students are wearing all different kinds of hats. The day after that, hats are banned by the principal. Monique doesn't mind. She found some colorful glasses in the chest, and proudly wears those. The following day, all the kids are sporting glasses. The day after that, glasses are banned, except for those children that need them. The same pattern is followed for all sorts of accessories: colorful socks, headbands, big bags, painted nails, and many more. Finally, Monique comes in one day with her hair perfectly neat, her uniform ordinary, and nothing exceptional about her. Her teacher is thrilled, and calls her up to the front of the class to show everyone what a model student she is. Monique smiles and tells the class about her homework-- showing off the brightest and most colorful braces anyone had ever seen. She had finally found a way to be unique that the principal couldn't ban. The artwork is a skillful mix of media, with watercolor and what appears to be crayon adding texture and interest. The characters are rather simply drawn, with big, circle eyes and simple line noses and mouths. Recommended for K-2.

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Review: Got Your Nose: A True Story

2011-12-08T12:12:00.001-05:00

Got Your Nose: A True Story by Ragnar

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ever wondered what it would be like if someone actually got your nose when they performed that age-old trick? What would they do with it? Happy Horace finds out the hard way when his twin brother Borris (the bad twin), irritated at Horace's good mood one morning, steals his nose right off of his face and takes it around town, doing the most awful things imaginable to it. A marathon runner's armpit, dog poop, garbage, rotten fish-- nothing is too stinky for Borris to hold Horace's nose to. He even throws it into a beehive and stomps on it! Poor Horace is reduced to following Borris around on his exploits, hoping he'll show mercy. Instead, Borris just laughs-- so Horace swipes his nose right off of his face, and they have a good, old-fashioned Stinkoff. The art is very modern-looking and cartoonish-- the backgrounds don't have outlines, and the characters are almost always depicted in motion. The palate is black and shades of orange, though the characters themselves have blue skin and eyes, which makes them stand out from the scenery. Recommended for grades K-2.

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Review: Jinx

2011-12-03T21:10:00.001-05:00

Jinx by Meg Cabot

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Have you ever had a day where nothing seemed to go right? You spilled your breakfast on your lap, had to change your clothes, ended up running late and just missing the bus, and tripped and fell as you were chasing after it-- and that was just the beginning. Now imagine every day going like that, and you might have a glimmering of an idea of what it's like to be Jean-- so unlucky that her family and friends took to calling her Jinx, which she hates. That nickname originated from the very day of her birth. When she was born, there was a huge storm, and the power in the hospital went out. The delivering doctor quipped that her name should have been Jinx instead of Jean, and since the bad luck seemed to stick with her, so did the nickname. This red-headed daughter of a preacher has to move from her native Iowa to New York to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousins near the end of a school year to escape a sticky situation with an ex-boyfriend, only to be landed in a worse one with her cousin Torrance. Torrance, with dyed black hair, lots of makeup, and much changed from the cheerful blonde girl who preferred to be called Tory, tries to get her to join her coven in spite of Jean's insistence that it isn't a good idea. Overwhelmed by Tory's increasingly alarming bullying and manipulation attempts, trying to fit in at a new school, and falling in love with someone she is sure only sees her as a friend (and who Tory has a major crush on), Jean still manages to keep her wits about her and do what she thinks is best. Recommended for grades 7 and up.

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Review: Frog and Toad Are Friends

2011-10-17T19:33:00.001-04:00

Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book of short stories about Frog and his friend Toad is a time-tested classic and a good addition to any collection. Frog and Toad may not be having the kinds of adventures where they end up saving the world, but their stories of waking up from hibernation, losing buttons off of coats, and being worried about looking funny in their swimsuits is quite entertaining, and the large print, easy vocabulary, and short sentences make it easy for young children to read on their own or follow along with their parent or an older sibling that's reading the book to them. The illustrations, mostly in greens, browns, and grays, are done in a pen and watercolor style that many parents today might remember from their own childhoods, as the book received the Caldecott in 1971. Recommended for grades K-2.

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Review: Ivy and Bean

2011-10-17T19:11:00.001-04:00

Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In this illustration-rich book, Ivy and Bean are thrown together by situations outside of their control, and the unlikely duo become friends in spite of themselves. Bean, the unstoppable prankster and tomboy, didn't much care for the new girl, Ivy, who had moved in across the street from her. Ivy seems perfectly nice-- and nice is so boring! But when Bean plays a prank on her older sister and needs to get away to escape her wrath and parental retribution, Ivy surprisingly steps up to the plate and hides her. It turns out that Ivy is a lot more interesting than Bean initially thought. She knows how to get past her mom, her room is full of the coolest stuff Bean has ever seen, and she is an aspiring witch. Together they have fun re-imagining Ivy's witch clothing to make it more impressive (Ivy can't make very good stars; some of them don't even have five points, so Bean teaches her how to make them properly) and plotting how to get Bean out of the punishment that's waiting for her at home. Recommended for grades two to four.

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Review: The Wide Window

2011-10-17T18:05:00.001-04:00

The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Full of clever word-play and repeating themes and jokes, the Wide Window is an entertaining book that could sneakily help younger readers learn vocabulary and turns of phrase. Though some of the words used in this book may seem a bit advanced, the narrator kindly takes the time to explain them in the text so that no external dictionary is necessary. For example: "Violet was kicking the creature from behind, and Sunny was biting its wrist, but the person was so Brobdingnagian-- a word which here means 'unbelievably husky'-- that the children were causing it minimal pain, a phrase which here means 'no pain at all.'" In this book, the third in the Series of Unfortunate Events, the three Baudelaire orphans are sent to live with their Aunt Josephine, a grammar-loving woman who is scared of stoves, realtors, telephones, doorknobs, and many other innocuous objects. The villainous Count Olaf, masquerading as Captain Sham, is out to get the children (and their family estate) again, and none of the grown-ups will believe the children when they try to expose his nefarious scheme. Will they manage to escape his clutches again? Recommended for grades 5 and up.

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Review: The Last Resort

2011-10-14T23:36:00.001-04:00

The Last Resort by Roberto Innocenti

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An imaginative tale of looking for lost imagination, The Last Resort is surprisingly complex, and may be too complicated for younger readers although it is a picture book. There are also cameos from famous characters and authors, and thankfully, an index of them on the last few pages of the book, as some of them might not be immediately familiar to the reader from the hints in the text and pictures. Even without knowledge of the allusions, the characters are interesting enough. There is a boy that speaks in rhymes, a sea captain missing a leg, and a little man who is in black and white. The Last Resort (a beautiful building by the sea) is run by a talking parrot. The art is very well done, with exquisite detail and color. Recommended for middle school and up.

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Review: Mercy Watson to the Rescue

2011-10-14T21:25:00.001-04:00

Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mercy Watson's porcine hijinks are always worth a read. In this book, the first in the series, Mercy gets scared at night, and so decides to go sleep with her owners, Mr. and Mrs. Watson. Being the kind people that they are (the kind of kind people who would give a pig her own bed in her own room and sing to her every night), the Watsons have no problem with this, and they all blissfully fall asleep. Unfortunately, the added weight of the pig makes the bed start to fall through the floor, and all three are jarred from their peaceful slumber. Mr. Watson tells everyone not to move, but Mercy gets hungry, and jumps off of the bed to search for some of her favorite food, toast with lots of butter on it. The Watsons, convinced that she is going to get help, cheer her on. When Mercy finds no toast waiting for her in the kitchen, she is forced to take her search for snacks elsewhere-- to the neighbors. Mercy's unconcern for the predicament her beloved owners are in and her fixation on food above all else make for a very silly story. The artwork is very colorful and skillfully done. The style, and the shininess of people's faces, brings to mind the wholesome art of the 50's. Recommended for grades 1-3.

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Review: The Best Chef in Second Grade

2011-10-14T21:23:00.001-04:00

The Best Chef in Second Grade by Katharine Kenah

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A great Easy Reader for children who like to spend time helping out in the kitchen, The Best Chef in Second Grade is a good choice for young readers who might still need a little assistance to get through a book. Ollie is a young boy who feels like he isn't the best at anything in his class. So when he hears that a famous chef is visiting the classroom and all the students will get to bring in their family's favorite dish, he's excited-- this could be his time to shine. Unfortunately, it's much harder to figure out what his Family Favorite is than he had anticipated. His little sister doesn't like anything! But Ollie perseveres and finds the perfect dish in the nick of time. The book has several good messages: First, that no one person is the best at everything, but everyone has their own particular set of skills. Second, though nothing was really made of it, having the main character being male showed that there's nothing wrong with being a boy and liking to cook. Recommended for K-2.

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Review: Rosa Parks: From the Back of the Bus to the Front of a Movement

2011-10-14T21:22:00.001-04:00

Rosa Parks: From the Back of the Bus to the Front of a Movement by Camilla Wilson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book tells the tale of one of the most impressive women in the civil rights movement in a manner that is very straightforward and easy to understand. It takes the reader from her childhood all the way up to near the end of her life, as it was published four years before her death in 2005. Rosa Parks was very under-appreciated in her heyday, downtrodden by the white majority and even the males that were her fellow fighters for equal rights. Both racism and sexism were huge issues in Parks' life, and she dealt with both in the same way: by not bending, and steadfastly and patiently doing what she could with what she had. Thankfully, her hard work was recognized within her lifetime. Her story is an inspiring one, and it is laid out clearly in this book. Highly recommended for grades 3-5.

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Review: Queen of the World!

2011-10-14T21:20:00.001-04:00

Queen of the World! by Jennifer L. Holm

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Babymouse is a quirky little comic about a mouse of the same name who wants to be popular more than anything else. She has a habit of slipping off into dream worlds in her mind, possibly because of all the books she loves to read-- she imagines giant squid fights, being captain of a star ship, stumbling upon a monster, and being a detective in a very film noir style, among other things. She wants to go to the mean popular girl's slumber party very badly. Babymouse ends up giving the mean girl her book report to turn in as her own just so she'll get an invite. Once she gets to the slumber party, though, she realizes that these girls are nothing like her, and she doesn't enjoy the things they like to do. Additionally, she hears them insulting her friend, Wilson, and realizes that she was happier before she 'fit in' with these people, and that she didn't need to become the Queen of the World with them, since she was already the Queen of a world she cared much more about. The art is very simplistic, and the simplicity is heightened by the limited color palate: only black, white, and pink are used. Recommended for grades 1-4.

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Review: Hungry Monster ABC

2011-10-14T21:19:00.001-04:00

Hungry Monster ABC by Susan O'Keefe

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hungry Monster ABC is a great board book to sit and read with a child learning his or her alphabet. The rhyming text begs to be read aloud, and the pictures of the hungry monsters running amok in school are too great not to be shared-- there's even a 'bite' taken out of the corner of the book. Ten hungry monsters arrive at a boy's school, and he teaches them the alphabet using common objects (mostly food, since they're so hungry) to help the monsters understand. "W's for Wiffle ball. (In gym they'll show you how.) But Wiffles aren't waffles. The monsters know that now." There is a lot of silly humor in the rhyming. The boy can't find examples for X, Y, and Z, so the monsters call up their friends X-Ray Man, Yeti, and Zombie to help out. The teacher has to get all of the monsters out of her classroom: ""It's time to stop," Ms. Tubbins says, "and drive out every pest! Here are words each monster hates: Homework, grades, and test!"" The illustration shows her brandishing homework and exams at the cowering monsters. On the next page, the book ends with: "Then ten hungry monsters and monster buddies, too, jump right out the window but-- Ms. Tubbins grabs my shoe." The illustration shows Ms. Tubbins just managing to grab the boy's leg as he's about to flee from the classroom with the monsters, away from the dreaded homework. Recommended.

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Review: Fairy School Dropout

2011-10-14T21:17:00.001-04:00

Fairy School Dropout by Meredith Badger

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is a fun look into the world of fairies, and incorporates relate-able themes such as academic troubles and not fitting in. Ella is a fairy who can't seem to get things right-- her wand is broken and never fully charged, and she has an unfortunate habit of turning her teachers purple. All of her trouble-making is accidental, but she's been kicked out of two fairy schools and is not doing too well at her third. She doesn't like wearing fairy tutus, and isn't great at fairy magic, though she comes from a very distinguished family. She prefers skateboarding to other, more fairy-like forms of transportation. She doesn't want to be a fairy at all-- she sees them as slaves to humans, always flying around granting wishes. But then she accidentally reveals her true nature to her human neighbor, and an unlikely friendship is formed. She finds that helping people can be its own reward, and that you don't need fairy magic to make someone's wish come true. Whimsical depictions of magical fairy appliances are peppered throughout the book (Elly sees most of them as more of a hassle than a convenience), as well as entertaining diagrams of wands, fairy facts and rules, and Elly's family tree. The cover is eye-catching, with silver text and stars, and the text and illustrations inside are purple. Each short chapter has several illustrations, which are a little artistically messy, with lines extending beyond the boundaries of the figure. Many of the illustrations are somewhat repetitive. Stars and hearts are a motif. Recommended for grades 2-4.

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Review: Sunshine

2011-10-14T21:16:00.001-04:00

Sunshine by Robin McKinley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Set in a world of magic and wars between humans and vampires, Sunshine is an interesting addition to any bookshelf. Sunshine (or Rae), a baker in her mid-twenties, had a pretty ordinary life until the night she went out to the lake for some peace and tranquility, and was instead captured by vampires. She is pulled into the supernatural world against her will with her unlikely vampire ally, Con, and must make peace with her magic-user ancestry while struggling with media and police attention for having escaped from the vampires who had captured her. The imaginative writing and world make this book a real page-turner. There are a few mildly sexual scenes. Recommended for grades nine and up.

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Review: How to Drive Your Sister Crazy

2011-10-14T21:13:00.001-04:00

How to Drive Your Sister Crazy by Diane Z. Shore

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A mischievous guide book for boys looking to irritate their older sisters, this book is silly enough to hold the attention of a boy reading with the help of his parents. The pranks described in the book are harmless for the most part-- rubber snake hijinks, alarm clock hidden in a sock drawer, turning on the sink while the sister is in the shower to make the shower cold, being annoying to one's sister's friends on the phone-- but there are some pranks it might be best not to get into the heads of more impressionable children. For instance, it advises putting chewing gum on light switches and teddy bears on ceiling fans. The one can be messy and easy to do, and the other could be dangerous if actually attempted. If you think your child can tell that the naughtiness in the book is for entertainment and not to be reenacted in real life, then this book would be a chance to have some laughs. If, however, you don't want to put ideas into anyone's head, this book might not be the best choice.

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Review: Little Rabbit Goes to School

2011-09-25T18:24:00.001-04:00

Little Rabbit Goes to School by Harry Horse

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Little Rabbit Goes to School is a silly and cute tale that can be a starting point for discussions about taking responsibility for one's actions. The story is about Little Rabbit's first day of school, and he insists on taking his little wooden toy, Charlie Horse, with him. Throughout the day, he does several things that are bad, but even the narration pins the blame on Charlie Horse. "Next they made little cakes. But Charlie Horse was naughty and jumped into the cake batter." However, the illustration clearly shows Little Bunny tossing the toy into the batter. The dissonance between how things are described and what is actually happening is amusing, and the art is precious, detailed, and colorful. Of course, Little Bunny learns the error of his ways by the end of the book, and decides to leave Charlie Horse at home with his mother for the next day, saying, "He's too naughty for school." Recommended.

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Review: Little One Step

2011-09-25T17:48:00.001-04:00

Little One Step by Simon James

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Little One Step is a cute story about perseverance and not giving up. It's the tale of three brother ducklings who get lost far from their mother and have to make their way back to her. The littlest duckling is very tired, and doesn't think he can make it, until his older brother teaches him a trick: Lift your foot up and say "One," and say "Step" as you put it down. Just by taking things one step at a time, you can accomplish even the most daunting task. Since the littlest duckling was so good at it, his brother decided that his new name should be Little One Step. The drawings, sometimes a handful of separate pictures on each page, are adorable, and the palate of yellows, oranges, and brown in watercolor with black pen make for visually appealing illustrations. Recommended.

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Review: Heat Wave

2011-09-25T17:08:00.001-04:00

Heat Wave by Eileen Spinelli

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Heat Wave is a fun picture book about the weather. In the days before air conditioning, a huge heat wave hits the city, and it gets hotter and hotter every day of the week. The art is reminiscent of some of the older newspaper comics, and it has a certain charm to it. It gives children an idea of how people used to deal with the heat before the conveniences of modern technology, and practice with the days of the week. Recommended.

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Review: Milo's Hat Trick

2011-09-25T16:49:00.002-04:00

Milo's Hat Trick by Jon Agee

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Milo's Hat Trick is a charming book about a bumbling magician who can't seem to get his tricks right. His boss threatens to fire him unless he can pull a rabbit out of his hat for his next show, so Milo sets out to catch a rabbit. Surprisingly, his carrot bait instead lures in a helpful bear who has learned from a rabbit how to hide in hats. The drawings are simple and cartoonish, and manage to convey emotion well. Milo's red hair and mustache are usually the brightest thing on the page, drawing attention to him. Recommended.

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Review: Uncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding

2011-09-25T16:37:00.001-04:00

Uncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding by Lenore Look

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Uncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding is a good book to teach your child a little bit about Chinese wedding traditions. It might also help a young one get over his or her feelings of jealousy if they think that a relative is ignoring him or her in favor of a new spouse. The narrator of the book, a young girl, is very sad on the day of her favorite uncle's wedding, and feeling neglected and ignored. She is reluctantly dragged through the stages of her uncle's wedding, and describes them and explains how they would have been different a hundred years ago, or two hundred years ago. The illustrations are simple, colorful, and a bit busy. It almost seems as though the narrator might have drawn them to aid in telling her story. Recommended.

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Review: Five Creatures

2011-09-25T16:03:00.001-04:00

Five Creatures by Emily Jenkins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This cute picture book would be a fun read to share with your child. The text, whimsically drifting along the borders of the full-page illustrations, details common characteristics of five creatures, namely a little girl, her mother, her father, and their two cats. The erasure of the line that separates humans and animals in this family is very interesting, and the different groups that they split into can provide good conversational material for a parent and child. It's funny how many likes and hobbies the humans share with the cats, though in slightly different ways. For instance, of the five, there are "Four who have a knack with yarn." The picture shows the mother and daughter knitting scarves as the cats play with balls of yarn on the floor. The art is cute and simple, with soft borders between colors and skewed perspectives. Recommended, especially for children in households with cats or other pets.

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Review: Little Red Riding Hood

2011-09-21T22:06:00.001-04:00

Little Red Riding Hood by Jerry Pinkney

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fans of classic stories and art alike will find something to enjoy in this interpretation of Little Red Riding Hood. The large, detailed illustrations are very realistic while at the same time exhibiting a sketchiness and a nuanced use of lines to bestow a feeling of dreaminess, as though we are seeing through the pictures to their very essences. The sense of slight unreality is heightened by the use of soft watercolors. Because Pinkney chose to set the story in the wintertime, Little Red Riding Hood's bright red cloak is the focal point of every page she's on. Since the story is so well-known, the text almost isn't needed; the pictures seem to tell the story all by themselves. Recommended for children of all ages.

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Review: Furry Friends: Flip-a-Face

2011-09-20T10:16:00.001-04:00

Furry Friends: Flip-a-Face by SAMi

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An interactive book about identity and illustration, Furry Friends is a board book worth sharing with your child. Bright colors and blocky shapes make for a visually pleasing layout. The book's simple text elicits good conversation between child and parent, or could be bypassed for more basic enjoyment of the subject matter. While young children can interact with the cutouts and colors, older children will have fun identifying the differences between facial features on animals. This would be especially recommended for animal lovers, or children who would enjoy the practice of identifying species or parts of the face. The variety of settings pictured around the animals and the differences between domesticated and wild animals are also rich topics for parent-child conversations. This book would be best for children under 3.

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The Seven Sermons to the Dead

2009-12-17T17:18:00.000-05:00

The story begins with three wise men. Sound familiar? Except in this case, the men get together to discuss the mysterious and newly translated book by eminent psychologist C. G. Jung. The year is 1949, and two of these men have fled from nearby Hungary to safer climes in Austria. One of the men is a Roman Catholic priest, once a member of the Jesuit order, and the youngest professor to hold a seat in the University of Hungary. This man, though a priest, is also an expert on Existentialism, and knew Sartre personally.
The second man is the author himself, at this time wet behind the ears and just getting into philosophy—not to mention maybe someday the priesthood.
The third man, the man who brings the book, is another priest about which not much is known. Because the book was for Jung’s close friends, it had been passed along for almost forty years just between a few men and in that way the third man encountered The Seven Sermons to the Dead.
The “sermons” themselves are baffling poetry, credited to Emperor Basilides—a seventeenth century alchemist and Gnostic who taught extensively in Alexandria—the ancient world’s most progressive and mystical city, located in Egypt (where east meets west). The book itself was beautiful—expensively bound, hand-written in German, and with a long unused Gothic typeface.
Dr. Jung, writing in the voice of ancient Basilides, published the rare little volumes in 1916. He kept it quiet because to be Gnostic, or even associated with such philosophy, was long considered heretical throughout history. No doubt, Jung felt he could not come forward with these as his specific beliefs.
“The dead came back from Jerusalem, where they did not find what they were seeking.”
Thus starts the Seven Sermons, the “dead” being those who have not reached individuation i.e. knowledge of the self. These are lost people, who conform to society rather than embrace their own unique and dichotomous spirits. Jung, in the voice of Emperor Basilides, continues throughout to “teach”, because he is implored, about the mysteries of universe, man, god, and spirit.
The first sermon deals with the “pleroma” or that which surrounds and fills all things. This ether has no qualities because it is all qualities. In general, I think he’s talking about space and the essence of the universe itself. The nameless and intangible something in which we are all suspended and out of which we are all created. By definition, as unique beings, we must by nature differentiate ourselves from this pleroma, this nothing and everything in which all qualities are contained. If we were to let ourselves become absorbed even in thought about it, we should cease to be.
”All things which are called definite and solid are but relative, for only that which is subject to change appears definite and solid.”
“We die to the extent that we fail to discriminate.”
“But if we know how to know ourselves as being apart from the pairs of opposites, then we have attained to salvation.”
It is implied in this first sermon that this endless potentiality of pleroma can influence a man to become either extreme on a spectrum of opposing forces—light/dark, good/evil, masculine/feminine. Instead, by transcending these forces and disallowing the projection of our own ideas on what is basically a faceless universe, a man can become truly what his nature has designed for him to be. All it takes, is listening to the self’s true desires and not letting anyone or anything stand in the way of progress to that growth.
To this day, these sermons have not been fully explored and there is too much to go over each individually or I would risk writing a novel myself. I recommend this book for anyone who is tired of the traditional “faith” around them--someone who is seeking a harmonious and balanced way of looking at the universe and our place in it as essential and unique beings. And also, someone who wants to consider an idea which allows for the attainment of their full potential.

The Language Instinct

2009-11-01T19:46:00.000-05:00

I thought that this book by Steven Pinker was very interesting. It goes from sentence diagramming (which I don't think I ever learned) to the makeup of the brain to case studies of linguistic savants and computer programs that try to emulate human conversation. Though the information is densely packed into this volume, it is still entertaining. I wouldn't pick it up if I wanted a light read, but if you're as interested in linguistics as I am, this seems like it was a great introductory book.
Pinker's assertion is that humans are born with an instinct to learn language, and a specific window in which we are optimally prepared to learn it-- which is why people who learn second languages later in life learn more slowly, and have thicker accents. He also brings up the sad cases of those poor folk who have been raised without language, in insanely neglectful and abusive households. They can never learn any language as well as someone who is raised with it, though some have invented languages of their own.
Another particularly interesting aspect of this book was Pinker's propensity for bringing in examples from other languages. I liked it when he used examples from Japanese, since I've studied it, but there were some absolutely fascinating examples from various African languages as well. It's wonderful to see these wildly different languages broken down into their component pieces to find out that they are not so different after all.

I would definitely suggest that anyone interested in linguistics read this book-- I am sure I have not done it justice.

More Sookie Stackhouse

2009-11-01T19:21:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I now realize that it might be kind of silly to keep writing reviews for every Sookie Stackhouse novel-- they're all written by the same woman, in the same style, with the same characters, for the most part. If you like the first one, you're going to like the rest of them. So I thought I might condense the rest of the books into one review, writing only a sentence or two about each title.
And I suppose I should mention now that I am not fond of the cover art at all. The cover of Dead Until Dark was the best of the lot. After that, they switch to a strange, stylistic, almost childish style. I've also never been a fan of the little starbursts on the cover of books that proclaim that they're in Oprah's book-of-the-month club, or now a new HBO series, or a movie, or whatever. I think I would prefer a similar notice inside the book somewhere... or even just inside the cover. It's just such an eyesore. Ah, well.

Dead to the World : The Viking vampire Eric loses his memory due to a curse, and is put in the unique position of being the only male character in the series (so far) who has the opportunity to fall in love with Sookie twice. We learn a little more about witchcraft, and fairies.

Dead as a Doornail : We get a better look into the werepanther society in Hotshot. Sookie puts on her detective hat again.

Definitely Dead : Sookie's estranged cousin Hadley, who had become a vampire and the consort of the Queen of Louisiana, is murdered. She leaves all of her possessions for Sookie to go through, and Sookie is drawn into intrigue after intrigue. We learn a little more about witches and Wiccans.

All Together Dead : There is an important vampire convention, and Sookie is dragged along as an accessory of the Queen.

From Dead to Worse : Oh my goodness, it ends with such a tweest! I can't wait for the next book to come out.

Sorry for the extremely short 'reviews,' but as I said, they are all written very similarly, and if you like one, you'll like the rest. Also, I finished them quite a while ago, and just haven't gotten around to writing about them.
I would definitely recommend both the HBO show and the book series. They go in such different directions, but each in interesting.

Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah

2009-09-12T09:40:00.005-04:00

Clearly fiction, but written as if from personal experience, this 1979 bestseller is in my top list of strange and unusual books. Richard Bach is a nomadic type, flying over the countryside in his little biplane selling rides for a couple bucks an hour to locals. At night he nestles in a field somewhere with some canned beans and pan-fried bread and enjoys his life of solitude and freedom. Then one day he sees another biplane he's never seen before, and another pilot just like himself leaning against the plane as if just waiting for him to land. The strange fact is that the man was waiting for him to land, and had known that he would be arriving shortly. Richard soon learns that his name is Don Shimoda, and that he was supposed to be the world's next Messiah before he abruptly quit and left his followers behind.
Don and Richard become friends and soon they are zooming all over the countryside together, offering rides and making more money then Richard would normally make in a single season. There's just something about Shimoda that makes Richard feel as if he's known him all his life. Living the good life, Richard doesn't think to leave until all the little miracles start becoming noticeable--no squashed bugs on Don's plane, the tight impossible turns he makes, and the fact that he never once fills up for gas. When he confronts Shimoda, he is immediately invited to know all the things only a messiah is supposed to know. These things come conveniently in a "Messiah's Handbook", which Shimoda digs out of his cockpit and throws to Richard without ceremony. At first thinking Shimoda is crazy, Richard soon learns that no matter where he goes or what he says, Shimoda is one step ahead and determined that Richard understand he is the real deal.
It soon becomes apparent that Richard has been chosen to take his place. Throughout the book we get glimpses of not only why Shimoda quit being the new messiah, but also into the handbook and its "wisdom".
Philosophical, otherworldly, and at times downright crazy--still I carried this book around in my back pocket for months when I first read it years ago. Picking it up again, I see how it inspired me to see myself as powerful as any Christ, and as capable of miracles. Illusions is a weird and ofttimes confounding novel, and I'm sure it will be viewed with skepticism in the least, ridicule at the most. I love this book because of it's uniqueness, the author's ability to place himself entirely within a fictional story, and because of D. Shimoda--the unforgettable and reluctant messiah.
"Argue for your limitations, and sure enough they're yours." (Messiah's Handbook p. 100)

Club Dead

2009-09-04T16:11:00.009-04:00

The third book of Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire series begins with Sookie acting petulant. It's kind of refreshing, not having to wait for it. The tanned blond telepath is having yet more problems with her pale vampire lover, Bill. It's understandable, though-- at this point they've been together for a few months, and the honeymoon's over. Not that they're married, Sookie would be quick to point out. It's not legal for vampires to marry humans. And once she has pointed that out, it is required by law that she add, "Not that he's asked me." She seems awfully bitter that her soulmate (of a few months) hasn't tried to wed her (illegally).

You know what else makes Sookie bitter? When Bill uses the computer for top-secret vampire stuff and doesn't shower her with attention. He doesn't even tell her what his top-secret vampire stuff is about! So when he leaves, on more top-secret vampire business, she feels so betrayed and hurt and it's the worst thing that has ever happened to her, ever, ever, boo-hoo-hoo, etc.

When she finds out that it is past the time that he should have been home, and she hadn't known when he was due back, and other vampires know more about the situation than she does, she feels even more hurt and betrayed, and it can't possibly get any worse, but then oh my god somehow it does get worse! Sookie mopes through the beginning of the book, sighing about how her life, evidently, wasn't worth sharing, and lamenting that Bill had "had some faith in [Sookie], no matter how faithless he might have been himself." This moping period isn't quite as painful as the one in the Twilight series, but it's close.

Another thing that bothered me: it's strange that the exotic vampire Chow, who is "Asian," has a Chinese name and Japanese yakuza tattoos. I guess I'll let that one slide, though, considering that Sookie lives in northern Louisiana and says that Chow is the first person of Asian descent that she has ever met. (That ignorance is probably reflected in Ms. Harris, as authors of these kinds of novels almost always seem to put a lot of themselves into their heroines.) That is just incredible to me. How can you go your whole life, until you're 25 or 26, not having met anyone of Asian descent?

Anyway, all complaints aside, I enjoyed this book, as I enjoy all of the Sookie Stackhouse books. We get to learn a little bit more about shifters and Weres, and Sookie meets more men who can fall in love with her.

One out of one pretty sweet Yakuza tattoo!

Living Dead in Dallas

2009-09-03T22:32:00.005-04:00

I told myself that I couldn't read any further in the third book in Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire series until I reviewed the second one, Living Dead in Dallas. So here we are. Hopefully, this will keep me from getting plot events confused, as I think I might have with my review of the first.

This book continues to follow perky Sookie Stackhouse on her adventures with her vampire boyfriend, Bill. Bill's boss, Eric, who owns the vampire bar Fangtasia, sends them off to use Sookie's telepathy to solve a mystery over in Dallas. In the past, she helped him find who was embezzling from his bar by reading the minds of humans who worked there. Now, she's being sent to Dallas to investigate the disappearance of a very old vampire named Godfrey (originally Godric), and to see whether the rabid anti-vampire faction of Christianity known as the Fellowship of the Sun had anything to do with it. (Funfact: Just found out that the Fellowship has a website: http://www.fellowshipofthesun.org -- hilarious! The production value on the videos is way too high for it to be realistic, though. Tee-hee!)

Now, this brings to mind another difference between the show and the books. In the show, it seems like they pull fewer punches with their fairly graphic sex scenes. But when you look at several specific incidences, it seems that some things are too extreme even for HBO. For instance, Sookie was molested by one of her uncles when she was a child. In the book, she tells Bill that he never penetrated her (obviously, since her hymen was intact for their first time), but in the series, they change it to her saying that he never touched her-- just held her in his lap and thought creepy thoughts about how she didn't have any hair on her body. Still gross, yes, but miles away from what happened in the book.

Also, when Sookie finally meets Godric in the series, he is a wise, almost Buddha-like vampire. He shows much more mercy, compassion, and understanding than any other character in either version of the series. In the books, though, he seems merely apathetic and bored with life-- he shows a disconnect with all beings, living or undead.

On to more complaining about Sookie getting mad about things I don't understand!

I believe this example comes from the second book-- if I err and it is from the first, I apologize. I lent both books to a friend right after I finished them, so cannot go back and check, or get exact quotes, for that matter.

This conversation occurred when Bill was driving Sookie to Fangtasia to meet with Eric. Bill bought a strip mall, if I remember correctly, that had several stores in it. When he told Sookie that she could go into the clothing store and pick out anything she liked, telling the salesperson to put it onto Bill's tab, she became furious with him. She was absolutely outraged that he would treat her like a 'kept woman,' and when the car mysteriously stopped, she jumped out and stormed off into the spooky woods, planning to walk all the way home. She ignored his calling to her, and when she began to have misgivings about her safety (as she heard creepy noises following her), she tried to tell herself that she was doing the right thing, and how dare Bill offer her free things and try to get her back in the car.

She is pretty awesome.

One, two, three out of three inexplicable love interests! Ah! Ah! Ah!

Dead Until Dark

2009-08-29T20:53:00.006-04:00

Ever since I was in elementary school, I've had a soft spot for vampires, witches, and werewolves. I used to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the different guises the monsters wore in different cultures and time periods. When I was young, my fix was a series called The Last Vampire by Christopher Pike. Maybe I'll re-read that later and post my more mature (?) impression of them.

However, more recently I've discovered the guilty pleasure that is the Southern Vampire series, by Charlaine Harris.

Dead Until Dark is the first book in this series, and I liked it. I just finished re-reading it (and the second book-- I probably should have written this review before I started reading the next one..) after having seen up through Season 2 episode 10 of the HBO series based on the books, True Blood. My memory is awful, so I thought I should go back through the books and see just how true to them the show is.

The show goes much more deeply into some side-plots than the books do, but I think that it only adds richness and makes it more interesting. The minor characters are also more fleshed out and defined, again adding a new dimension.

Dead Until Dark focuses on the heroine, Sookie Stackhouse, and her 'disability,' which is telepathy. I think that Charlaine Harris might be overdoing her quirky character a bit much sometimes, making her a tad unbelievable. For instance, Sookie is always referring to her telepathy as a disability. Now, I understand that it's made her life harder, and she would rather not know everything that everyone around her is thinking, but 'disability'? That word just conjured up all the wrong images. I think a better route would have been the more obvious blessing/curse dichotomy, especially since Sookie proves herself time and time again to be a religious person.

Also, Sookie has never been in a serious relationship, because of her 'disability.' Since vampires are a 'blank spot' for her telepathy, they are some of the few people she can feel comfortable around. So when the vampire Bill wanders into the bar where she works, Merlotte's, she is instantly attracted to him (and the calming mental silence around him). However, once she is in the relationship, she seems to be quite a bit higher maintenance than one might have assumed. She takes offense at the strangest things, and gets her knickers in a knot for no reason I can see. I suppose it might be merely a writing device to differentiate between the usually cool vampire, Bill, and the hot-blooded human, Sookie, but I think that her 'reasoning' for starting tiffs with Bill is poorly thought out, even though the story is told from her perspective. It paints her as quite an irrational person, which is odd, especially since her telepathy supposedly gives her such great insights into human nature.

The foundation of the relationship of Sookie and Bill seems to be just that she can't hear his thoughts and that he thinks she tastes remarkably good. Oh, yes, and of course all of the incredible sex. Honestly, with all the fights they have over nothing, I can't imagine much else holding them together. It is quite possible that they have long, meaningful talks that the reader is not privy to, but if that's the case, they seem to forget about them pretty quickly when Sookie decides Bill isn't letting her be her own assertive self.

Bill, too, seems to have some strange personality quirks, in that he doesn't seem to have much of a personality. Perhaps it's just that he is so opaque to Sookie, who is used to reading everyone's mind. As the reader, we only know what Sookie knows-- that may be the base of the problem. Maybe.

Sam Merlotte, too, seems to be a somewhat flat character. He is Sookie's boss and owner of the bar, Merlotte's, and is defined first and foremost by his longing for Sookie-- Lord only knows why.

Flightiness of women and blankness of men aside, this book is quite entertaining. I enjoy seeing the hierarchy and power plays of the vampire society, how some vampires choose to 'mainstream' and try to join human society, and the sneak peeks that Sookie gets into the thoughts of those around her.

One out of one bloody mess!

Fool Moon

2009-08-20T16:49:00.004-04:00

As you can probably guess by the title, the second book in the Dresden Files deals primarily with werewolves. Again, author Jim Butcher weaves a nicely detailed tapestry of the rules of magic, in this case separating out several different types of werewolves.
There is a series of grisly murders, apparently committed by wolves that aren't quite like normal wolves. Therefore, Harry Dresden, freelance wizard and sometime helper to the Special Investigations section of the Chicago PD, gets called in to lend his professional expertise.
Despite being the only wizard listed in the Yellow Pages, Harry often has a difficult time finding employment. He seems to be living the life of a broke college student most of the time, especially when his contact in the Chicago PD, Murphy, is avoiding him. His detective work seems to be the only steady employment he has, and Murphy has trouble asking for help. She also seems to have trouble trusting anyone. Harry is burdened with many secrets of the arcane world, but Murphy can't seem to accept that, and is personally offended when he doesn't tell her all of the forbidden knowledge that he has, or when he tries to keep her in the dark to protect her. His chivalry sometimes does not go too well with her fierce independence.
Either this time Mr. Butcher cut down a bit on the hard-boiled, sarcastic comments, or I've just become more accustomed to them and didn't notice them as much. Either way, I thought that this book was a bit better than the first, though it was still rather heavy-handed with the introspection as characters tried to work through their trust issues. At one point, Harry even has a conversation with himself in a dream as a way to work through the hectic events that had happened up to that point. Call me hard to please, but that seemed a little hackneyed.

Four out of five wolves!

Finger Lickin' Fifteen

2009-07-27T00:36:00.002-04:00

Maybe it’s because my husband watches the Food Network when I want to watch Law and Order reruns, but I quickly tired of the cooking theme in Janet Evanovich’s new Stephanie Plum novel, Finger Lickin’ Fifteen. Readers familiar with the series already know Stephanie only orders in for food and Lula makes a mess of everything she touches, I was looking for more. Evanovich’s books are the ones I pick up when I want an easy read with frequent laugh out loud moments and lots of sexual tension. Fifteen had the laughs but this time the only sizzling was in the kitchen or on the grill.

Lula, the loud and large ex-ho in Stephanie’s life, witnesses a murder (think head flying action), while Ranger, security pro and sexual tension source, experiences a series of break-ins at his clients’ homes and businesses. Stephanie assists them both while tracking down her own bounty hunter cases in her own hilarious bumbling fashion. Getting sucked into Lula’s crazy bar-be-que sauce cooking scheme is understandable and provided those moments where I giggled and snorted my way though Evanovich’s wonderful descriptions. Stephanie, dressed in a hotdog costume and falling down repeatedly, was some of the written word’s physical comedy at its best. But I struggled with the plot line when Ranger seeks Stephanie’s detective prowess; the man is the epitome of security and bounty hunting skills. Seeing him in a weakened position may have been where the current of sexual tension died for me. I found it easier to believe a man could get beheaded in broad daylight and Stephanie and Lula could lose yet another criminal to a second floor window escape than to think Ranger would ever need her help.

By and large, the novel achieved what it set out to do. Although at times predictable - Stephanie spent a lot of nights in Ranger’s bed and muttered about his salads and lack of pie, granny was toting her gun in inappropriate settings, and cars were destroyed every other chapter– Evanovich is still innovative. Who knew so many elderly women would look forward to a daily neighborhood flasher, and cross-dressing firemen would work as fast food mascots to pay for their sequined tops?

The ending wrapped up a bit too suddenly. I felt myself running out of pages and wondering if ten more might have been able to provide readers with a more satisfying adversary for Ranger. Carrying his problem to the next novel might have been a better choice. With Stephanie ending the novel back with her steady lover, Joe, I’m not too excited for what book sixteen will bring. I think I’ll go back and enjoy my favorite taxidermy squirrel bombs and Ranger in Stephanie’s bed instead of picking up number sixteen when it hits the shelves.

For a list of all the Stephanie Plum novels and a chance to name book sixteen, visit Janet Evanovich’s website.

People Of The Lie

2009-07-10T19:44:00.001-04:00

First of all, absolutely necessary to understanding the spirit in which this book was written, one must read the introduction open-mindedly before moving forward. The subject of human evil is one too difficult and prevalent to merit no explanation as to why anyone would try and write a book about it. The introduction explains why Dr. Peck chooses to speak of human evil from a Christian perspective, but aimed for all people to consider, regardless of their faith (or lack thereof). This is a book about human evil, but not about religion—since evil transcends all boundaries and is prevalent in all mankind. Personally, I am relieved by how the author makes no pretenses about his own beliefs, and also mentions that the book will probably offend WAY more fundamental Christians then it ever will anyone else. (Let’s face it: it’s remarkably easy to offend most Christians.) Instead the author attempts to approach the disease of evil from a moralistic viewpoint—morality being separate from individual religious identity.

Like most books from a psychiatric perspective, People Of The Lie uses case studies from real patients to make a point—however, confidentiality demands that not much is realistically cited. This is fine with me, since I’m not a purist for data. If you are, though, this might tickle your skepticism a bit. The personality types so defined do meet with reality in that I think everyone could recognize someone they know in what he lays out with the case studies, so all together I do find them effective.

Dr. Peck seeks to approach evil in a multi-faceted way. Moreover, he recommends approaching as many things in life as possible with a multi-faceted view. The more simplistic and basic a concept is—such as evil—the more elusive it becomes, the more mysterious. In fact, he posits that such seemingly ingrained features of mankind are never fully understood. We approach them with all the tools at hand, reaching the best knowledge on the subject we can obtain. The closer we approach such mysteries, the more we don’t understand.

“Then why try to understand? The very question speaks the language of nihilism, since time immemorial a diabolic voice. Why do or learn anything? The answer is simply that it is far better—both more fulfilling and constructive—to have some glimmer of understanding of what we are about than to flounder around in total darkness.” –Peck, p. 39.

This book is amazing and a must-read for anyone interested in the depths of the human soul—particular the dark and disturbing aspects.

Mother of Sorrows

2009-07-07T15:45:00.001-04:00

In Richard McCann’s Mother of Sorrows the short stories read more like memoir than fiction and each carries its own sadness. They link together well or can be read individually, both creating a picture of a single life and segmenting it into different time periods. The foreknowledge of the dead father (if you read the stories in order) gives “The Diarist” a heart wrenching sadness that surpasses the sorrow of any other piece. The image of the destroyed car and the angry father stand out brilliantly through McCann’s descriptive language and the intense connection he forms between the reader and the young boy. The mother, as a character, is much harder to define and pin down than the father, thus making her more realistic, more frustratingly human. Her presence tinges every aspect of the boy’s life and makes me wish he could pull away.

The brother, Davis, comes about slowly, developing a little more in each story until his life is told as well. “Fugitive Light, Old Photos” gives quick glimpses of Davis’ life, after his death. The mother is grieving again, she is constantly grieving throughout the book, and it is difficult to imagine her happy or fulfilled. “My Brother in the Basement” shows more about Davis; McCann uses the similarities between the two brothers seem to highlight their differences. Davis had been close to their father, a man’s man; while the narrator coveted his mother’s attention. Yet both are gay and it is the narrator who hides his sexuality from his mother, fearing her reaction after his brother’s disastrous coming out. The two brothers seem much closer in this story than in the previous ones, in “My Mother’s Clothes” they were opposed, although this may have been because Davis was resisting the urges the narrator gives in to.

The standout story is “Some Threads Through the Medina”. The drifting writing style perfectly depicts the narrator’s confusion and frustration with his growing sexual urges. He does not know where he is or where he plans on going but simply feels the desire to keep moving. The story is beautifully written and although it is difficult to keep straight at times I believe the intention is to give off the same feelings the narrator experiences. The reader feels a bit lost, floating from memory to memory with no idea of the places in between.

Knowing the bare bones of McCann’s life I see how closely the narrator in Mother of Sorrows resembles who he has been. With so many memoirs exposed as fabrication I understand the urge for caution, painting your own past is dangerous ground and with this book labeled fiction McCann is able to take liberties otherwise off limits. But perhaps if readers and critics alike could remove the restrictions on memoir, poignant stories like these could be embraced as the writer’s truth with no one quibbling about the details.

Storm Front

2009-07-03T19:12:00.006-04:00

A friend just loaned me Storm Front by Jim Butcher. It's book one of the Dresden Files series, and I liked it.
It's a tale of a wizard detective-for-hire in Chicago. His business isn't doing very well, but he does occasionally get work helping out the Chicago Police Department, as when they find two people with their hearts exploded out of their chests mid-coitus. When things of an obviously magical nature are involved, he is their go-to man, as he's the only wizard listed in the Yellow Pages.
The supernatural aspects of the book-- vampires, faeries, the methods of magic-use-- don't seem to be incredibly innovative. Rather, Butcher sticks mostly to the classics, drawing from established mythology and lore, Paganism, voodoo, and the like. He hints at things that have happened to the main character, Henry Dresden, in the past, and at an organization in the magical world that I look forward to learning more about.
Some aspects of the writing do seem a tad overdone, like Dresden's hard-boiled, sarcastic inner monologue and his contact in the Chicago PD's tough-woman-in-a-man's-world demeanor, but I believe it is Butcher's first novel, so much can be forgiven. Besides, I don't think it detracted from the overall quality of the book to any significant degree.
Also, on Dresden's staff on the cover of the book, it looks like there is some backwards katakana (one of the phonetic alphabets of Japanese) spelling out matorikkusu. Matrix? My tricks? Just some random symbols chosen for the aesthetics of the thing? Not sure.
I look forward to reading about more of Dresden's undoubtedly shenanigan-filled cases.

Four out of five magic wands!

Rose Madder

2009-06-29T16:05:00.001-04:00

Okay. I just finished re-reading Rose Madder by Stephen King.
I've always liked this book. It entwines the real world and a bizarre, mythical world in a way that I find quite intriguing. Like a dream, the mythical world has its own set of complex rules that always remains just out of reach of the reader. (Or perhaps just me.)
Another thing I like about this book, though some might say that it makes it a little too two-dimensional, is the clear separation between good and evil-- at least, at first. On one hand we have Rose, the battered housewife who makes a break for it, and on the other is Norman, the abusive, insane, and bigoted murderer of a husband. Norman has no redeeming qualities that I could see, and it is creepy but fascinating to get a glimpse into his mind.

I'm a little torn here as to whether or not I should include spoilers in these book reviews. It seems rather short without discussing more of the plot or some specific imagery I may have found especially moving. This is my first stab at it... please bear with me. Assuming anyone reads this.

It Begins!

2009-06-18T23:40:00.000-04:00

This is a blog where I will review books that I've read.
You'll have to wait for me to read the books, though.