Book Thoughts - Raising Stony Mayhall by Daryl Gregory

Raising Stony Mayhall by Daryl Gregory 
published 2011
422 pages

Synopsis -

In 1968, after the first zombie outbreak, Wanda Mayhall and her three young daughters discover the body of a teenage mother during a snowstorm. Wrapped in the woman’s arms is a baby, stone-cold, not breathing, and without a pulse. But then his eyes open and look up at Wanda — and he begins to move.

The family hides the child — whom they name Stony — rather than turn him over to authorities that would destroy him. Against all scientific reason, the undead boy begins to grow. For years his adoptive mother and sisters manage to keep his existence a secret — until one terrifying night when Stony is forced to run and he learns that he is not the only living dead boy left in the world.

My thoughts -

This was, for me, quite a unique take on the zombie fiction genre. While it had a healthy dose of the blood & terror I expected, it also had a lighthearted sense of humor about itself that was really quite refreshing. Interesting musings on identity and discrimination and a setting in rural Iowa gave the book depth and value for me. I was pleasantly surprised by this novel, and I would definitely read more by this author.

Finished - 1/22/17
Source - my shelves
MPAA rating - R, because zombies
My rating - 4/5

Book Thoughts: The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
published 2015
392 pages

Synopsis -

Monsieur Perdu calls himself a literary apothecary. From his floating bookstore in a barge on the Seine, he prescribes novels for the hardships of life. Using his intuitive feel for the exact book a reader needs, Perdu mends broken hearts and souls. The only person he can't seem to heal through literature is himself; he's still haunted by heartbreak after his great love disappeared. She left him with only a letter, which he has never opened.

After Perdu is finally tempted to read the letter, he hauls anchor and departs on a mission to the south of France, hoping to make peace with his loss and discover the end of the story. Joined by a bestselling but blocked author and a lovelorn Italian chef, Perdu travels along the country’s rivers, dispensing his wisdom and his books, showing that the literary world can take the human soul on a journey to heal itself.

My thoughts -

Well, this novel was a delightful surprise. I received it as a Christmas gift, and guessed from reading the synopsis that I would enjoy it. I was certainly right about that.

This book feels VERY French. Now, I've never been to France, so I could be very wrong about that - but reading this book felt like taking a trip across the ocean and experiencing life in a Paris apartment, and in the countryside of Provence. There was just something about the pace - the tone - the language that was slower, more deliberate than an American novel. This book was about the experience of reading as much as it was the story, and I loved the experience.

This book is, of course, a celebration of the love of reading. It was such fun to read the references peppered throughout to various great books of history. It is also a book for readers who love the written word, and the way a story looks and sounds on the page. I found myself purposefully reading slower, to savor the time I spent in this world.

I had not heard of this book before my friend gave it to me, so I likely would not have found it without her. I am thrilled The Little Paris Bookshop found it's way into my life. It was a lovely, heartbreaking, and spirit-lifting experience. Definitely recommended.

Finished - 1/29/17
Source - my shelves, via Maria Z.
MPAA rating - PG-13
My rating - 5/5

Book thoughts - Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs

Library of Souls (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #3) by Ransom Riggs
published 9/22/15
464 pages

Synopsis - 

The adventure that began with Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and continued in Hollow City comes to a thrilling conclusion with Library of Souls. As the story opens, sixteen-year-old Jacob discovers a powerful new ability, and soon he’s diving through history to rescue his peculiar companions from a heavily guarded fortress. Accompanying Jacob on his journey are Emma Bloom, a girl with fire at her fingertips, and Addison MacHenry, a dog with a nose for sniffing out lost children.

They’ll travel from modern-day London to the labyrinthine alleys of Devil’s Acre, the most wretched slum in all of Victorian England. It’s a place where the fate of peculiar children everywhere will be decided once and for all.

My thoughts -

Oh, good gravy I loved this series. From the first time I picked up the first book I was hooked. And, for me, Library of Souls was a beautiful ending for these characters I've come to love.

As usual, Riggs has his motley crew struggle through a good number of harrowing situations, and Jacob and Emma must use all the wits at their disposal to figure out a way to rescue Miss Peregrine and save the world. I appreciated that a happy ending wasn't a foregone conclusion, and the author didn't tie up all the loose ends in a neat little bow. I feel like I spent the last 1/4 of the book just holding my breath, and didn't feel safe to let it out until the very last page. And what a lovely, meaningful phrase to end the series - "We have time."

I know these books won't be for everyone, but for me the combination of storytelling and pictures worked to make this series a unique and fully engaging reading experience. I know these will be books I return to, and I'm excited to introduce my kids to Jacob, Emma, and Miss Peregrine, and watch them take this journey too. Highly recommended.

Finished - 10/25/16
Source - my shelves
MPAA rating - PG-13 for some intense, scary scenes involving children
My rating - 5/5

Book Thoughts - Three Sisters, Three Queens by Philippa Gregory

Three Sisters, Three Queens by Philippa Gregory
published 2016
556 pages

Synopsis -

As sisters they share an everlasting bond; As queens they can break each other’s hearts.

“There is only one bond that I trust: between a woman and her sisters. We never take our eyes off each other. In love and in rivalry, we always think of each other.”

When Katherine of Aragon is brought to the Tudor court as a young bride, the oldest princess, Margaret, takes her measure. With one look, each knows the other for a rival, an ally, a pawn, destined—with Margaret’s younger sister Mary—to a sisterhood unique in all the world. The three sisters will become the queens of England, Scotland, and France.


United by family loyalties and affections, the three queens find themselves set against each other. Katherine commands an army against Margaret and kills her husband James IV of Scotland. But Margaret’s boy becomes heir to the Tudor throne when Katherine loses her son. Mary steals the widowed Margaret’s proposed husband, but when Mary is widowed it is her secret marriage for love that is the envy of the others. As they experience betrayals, dangers, loss, and passion, the three sisters find that the only constant in their perilous lives is their special bond, more powerful than any man, even a king.

My thoughts -


This novel definitely tested my love of all things Tudor. I sense that Margaret of Scotland has less source material about her life available than the rest of the rowdy clan, because the author seemed to give her the same thoughts over and over again, and unfortunately for the reader, those thoughts tended to the whiny and self-absorbed. Gregory really wanted her readers to believe that Margaret was highly beloved, by her two sister-queens, and by the procession of handsome, accomplished men she called husband. Unfortunately, she didn't give us much reason to believe that, instead portraying a women whose obsession with place and precedence was nearly all she ever thought about.

I have noticed something about myself as a reader lately, however. I'm well past the point in my reading experience where I have to actually LIKE a character to sympathize with them. It's probably what makes me the only Game of Thrones fan in the entire world who doesn't despise Cersei - she's awful. I'd never deny that. She does horrible things to everyone with little remorse. But I GET why she does those things. I understand her motivation, however misplaced, and so I sympathize with her even while I recognize that her actions are unforgiveable. I had much the same reaction to many of Margaret's actions. (Not the whining. The whining was just annoying.) Margaret makes some REALLY dumb decisions. But honestly, in her place, I'm not sure I would have been any wiser than she was. So while I am able to see how misguided were some of her efforts, I can still sympathize with the actions she takes. I don't LIKE her, but I GET her.

I also felt a little mislead by the title of this book. I really thought this would be a story about three women - instead, this is totally Margaret's story, from Margaret's point of view. Katharine and Mary are players, but never in the forefront. I think a bit of time spent in their heads might have been a nice change from Margaret's incessant complaining about who got to proceed whom when entering a room.

All that said, while this is certainly not my favorite of Gregory's Tudor novels, it did have all the juicy, gossipy pseudo-soap opera-y relationship shenanigans that make Gregory one of my main comfort read authors. Don't read this thinking you will fall in love with the main character - do read it for the insanity of the royal life that you just can't get enough of. It wasn't my favorite, but it wasn't the worst thing I've ever read either.

Finished - 9/28/16
Source - South side library
MPAA rating - PG-13, like all Gregory novels, for period danger & romance
My rating - 3/5

Book Thoughts - Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
published 2015
96 pages

Synopsis -

Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs.

Knowledge comes at a cost, one that Binti is willing to pay, but her journey will not be easy. The world she seeks to enter has long warred with the Meduse, an alien race that has become the stuff of nightmares. Oomza University has wronged the Meduse, and Binti's stellar travel will bring her within their deadly reach.

If Binti hopes to survive the legacy of a war not of her making, she will need both the gifts of her people and the wisdom enshrined within the University, itself - but first she has to make it there, alive.

My thoughts -

This was a really interesting novella. I've tried to read Nnedi Okorafor's novels previously, and for whatever reason couldn't maintain interest long enough to make it past the first few chapters. This story, however, really hooked me in from the very beginning, and I finished the entire thing in a single afternoon.

I thought Binti's world was extremely well fleshed out for such a short work - I feel like I understand politics and beliefs that are often lost in must longer works of speculative fiction. I thought Binti as a character was fascinating, and the dilemmas she faced and worked through felt true and honest. I found the resolution to the story a bit abrupt, but am willing to give that a bit of leeway since this was a novella - obviously, the author didn't have much time for long, drawn-out scenes of hashing out problems.

I was uncertain of this author, but this story has made me a fan. I will definitely give her novels a try, and I can't wait for the next installment in Binti's world!


Finished - 6/29/16
Source - audiobook from South Side library
MPAA rating - PG-13 for some intense scences
My rating - 4/5

Book Thoughts: Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Page

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Page
published 2014
452 pages


Synopsis -

I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado - taking you with it - you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little bluebirds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still a yellow brick road - but even that's crumbling.

What happened? Dorothy.

They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm - and I'm the other girl from Kansas.

I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.

I've been trained to fight.

And I have a mission.
My thoughts -


I.......hmmmm.

I REALLY, REALLY wanted to like this book. And I didn't not like it, exactly. I found the premise to be extremely interesting, and the new characters the author introduced had a lot of potential. My problem is that by the end of the book, basically nothing that the author promised in the book description had actually happened.

That's not to say NOTHING happened. There were lots and lots of things going on, almost all the time. Every page had some new situation Amy had to extricate herself from. It just wasn't the situations I expected - this just wasn't quite the book I wanted it to be. So, probably, my bad.

But also, Amy never really became a character in her own right. She seemed like a girl who had a lot of things happen to her, but I never quite got to the point where I cared. As a character, she isn't the person I am actually interested in in this story, and as a reader that's concerning to me.

Now, as I said before, I didn't NOT like it. There were enough seeds that piqued my interest that I will be reading at least one more book in the series. I'm hoping for more depth, however, or I might never know if Dorothy does, indeed, die.

Finished - 6/25/16
Source - South Side library
MPAA rating - PG for fantasy violence
My rating - 3/5

The Re-Educaton of a Reader - The Color Purple by Alice Walker

I have loved to read for as long as I can remember. Recently, however, it has come to my attention that there are some G A P I N G holes in my literary education. For example: I have read every Austen and Bronte you can get your hands on, but somehow had never, until 4 years ago, managed to read a Charles Dickens novel in its entirety. So, with a little help from my mom, the English Teacher, and a couple of good friend, the English Majors, I am setting a course to re-educate myself by filling in some of those gaps.





The Color Purple by Alice Walker
first published 1982
295 pages
winner of the National Book Award for fiction, and the Pulitzer Prize for fiction

(recommended by an English Major)

Synopsis -

Taking place mostly in rural Georgia, the story focuses on the life of women of color in the southern United States in the 1930s, addressing numerous issues including their exceedingly low position in American social culture. The novel has been the frequent target of censors and appears on the American Library Association list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2000-2009 at number seventeen because of the sometimes explicit content, particularly in terms of violence. 

My thoughts -

I knew before I started this would be a good book. I had read two of Walker's short story collections in college, and they were some of my favorite discussions in class. So, as per usual, I just waited about 15 years before picking up her most famous work of fiction. :)

This book is an excellent work. I found the epistolary format to be especially effective at telling Celie's story in her own words. Celie's words were not easy to read - often they were devastating. Her story is sometimes brutal, but often beautiful. Despite the difficult subject matter, I flew through the pages, laughing and shaking my fist and crying and rejoicing in turn. 

While I understand why this book has been frequently challenged, I wouldn't stop a teen from reading it. I think it's an honest and forthright depiction of the way in which women were treated in our country, and it's not something we can pretend or ignore away. I would hope this novel would open up conversations about racism and sexism that are important.

I think this will be a novel that will remain with me for a very long time. I'm so glad I finally decided to read it. Highly, highly recommended.

Finished - 4/25/16

Source - South side library

MPAA rating - PG-13 for violence and sexual situations

My rating - 5/5

Book Thoughts - The Fire by Katherine Neville

The Fire by Katherine Neville
published 2008
451 pages

Synopsis -

2003, Colorado: Alexandra Solarin is summoned home to her family's ancestral Rocky Mountain hideaway for her mother's birthday. Thirty years ago, her parents, Cat Velis and Alexander Solarin, believed that they had scattered the pieces of the Montglane Service around the world, burying with them the secrets of the power that comes with possessing it. But Alexandra arrives to find that her mother is missing and that a series of strategically placed clues, followed swiftly by the unexpected arrival of a mysterious assortment of houseguests, indicates that something sinister is afoot.

 1822, Albania: Thirty years after the French Revolution, when the chess service was unearthed, all of Europe hovers on the brink of the War of Greek Independence. Ali Pasha, the most powerful ruler in the Ottoman Empire, has angered the sultan and is about to be attacked by Turkish forces. Now he sends the only person he can rely upon-his young daughter, Haidee--on a dangerous mission to smuggle a valuable relic out of Albania, through the mountains and over the sea, to the hands of the one man who might be able to save it.

My thoughts -

Well, this was a disappointment. Actually, it kinda wasn't, given that I'd seen a whole list of reviews telling me this book just did not live up to its predecessor. Sadly, I agree.

I've seen several reviews that say the novel started strong, and then lost steam in the middle. I disagree. I feel like this novel was a convoluted mess from the very beginning. "Mystery" characters that weren't very mysterious, "secret" conversations that (surprise, surprise) weren't very secret, and an entire secondary plot that was basically abandoned halfway through the book.

It just seems like Neville didn't have enough to say - like she needed a 500 page novel, but she really only had enough story for a 300 page novel, so she just added a bunch of poorly wrought confusion and hoped the reader wouldn't notice. Interestingly, there are places where the novel is genuinely intriguing and even a bit thrilling - it just isn't sustained nearly long enough to be an overall enjoyable reading experience.

My advice - pretend this one never even happened. The Eight is still a fantastic novel, and stands on it's own quite nicely. Just let it be the end of the story. You won't regret it.

Finished - 2/20/16

Source - my shelves, #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks

MPAA rating - PG-13 for some violence and scary situations

My rating - 2/5

Book Thoughts - The Eight by Katherine Neville

The Eight by Katherine Neville
first published 1988
598 pages

Synopsis -

Computer expert Cat Velis is heading for a job to Algeria. Before she goes, a mysterious fortune teller warns her of danger, and an antique dealer asks her to search for pieces to a valuable chess set that has been missing for years...In the South of France in 1790 two convent girls hide valuable pieces of a chess set all over the world, because the game that can be played with them is too powerful....

My thoughts -

This novel is considered the originator of the "historical-scavenger-hunt-thriller"-type novel that Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code and Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian have made famous. Having read both those novels, I was interested to see how the first in the genre would hold up after 25+ years. I'm please to say it holds up quite well indeed.

For me, Dan Brown's novels always feel a little too surface-y, as if they are written for the movie they will eventually become but lack a bit of the substance I really crave in a good novel. Elizabeth Kostova, on the other hand, was SO dense. There were just SO MANY WORDS, and I felt like the plot needed some more action to keep me completely engaged. The Eight was the perfect balance of both worlds - complex plotting with enough thrills to keep me right on the edge of my seat and wanting more.

The Eight uses a lot of ingredients that have been successfully incorporated many times since in popular books and movies - Freemasonry, alchemy, the mysterious Middle East. Because these tropes have become so popular as plot devices, the possibility of them feeling stale is high. I felt like this novel was able to stand on its own well, despite the passing of years, because of Neville's expert weaving together of all these familiar strands into a story both exciting and fresh.

Neville's two main heroines, Cat and Mireille, were intelligent and dauntless, and following their dangerous and heroic exploits was complete and utter fun. I genuinely felt anxious on more than one occasion, because I was that involved in their stories. Because this novel has been the inspiration for so much that followed, some of the plot twists were easier to predict, but there were still plenty of surprises along the way.

I'm extremely glad this novel found it's way into my hands. I enjoyed every minute, and would not hesitate to recommend it.  

Finished - 2/14/16

Source - my shelves #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks

MPAA rating - R for violence, scary situations, adult situations

My rating - 5/5

Book Thoughts - Star Wars: Lost Stars by Claudia Gray

Star Wars: Lost Stars by Claudia Gray
published 2015
audiobook

Synopsis -

The reign of the Galactic Empire has reached the Outer Rim of Jelucan, where aristocratic Thane Kyrell and rural villager Ciena Ree bond over their love of flying. Enrolling at the Imperial Academy is nothing less than a dream come true for both of them. But Thane sours on the dream when he sees firsthand the horrific tactics the Empire uses to maintain its ironclad rule.

Bitter and disillusioned, he joins the fledging Rebellion--putting Ciena in an unbearable position between her loyalty to the Empire and her love for the man she's known since childhood.

Now on opposite sides of the war, will these friends turned foes ever find a way to be together, or will duty tear them--and the galaxy--apart?

My thoughts -

I can say with certainty that a year ago I never would have considered reading this book. But Disney is definitely upping the game of the Star Wars franchise, and after enjoying The Force Awakens so much that I saw in theaters twice (!), when I noticed my husband had used an Audible credit for this book I decided to give it a try.

Friends, this was a LOT of fun. I don't think you necessarily have to be particularly well-versed in Star Wars lore to enjoy it - the characters stand completely on their own, and while there are references to people and events from previous movies, this book has its own timeline and major events that are contained within the novel. This is just a very enjoyable sci-fi space opera, with two main characters I could root for throughout.

Thane and Ciena are wonderfully charismatic, and while it's clear from the start what trajectory their relationship will take, the author does a superb job of placing just enough road blocks in their way to keep the ride enjoyable. I so appreciated that neither character was dependent or subordinate to the other - each had their own clearly defined set of beliefs and values, and neither was willing to sacrifice them for each other. 

This was exciting and action packed, but the author didn't resort to a cookie-cutter happy ending for any of her characters, which was a refreshing change from many YA novels in this vein. I would happily read a series of books about these characters - I'd love to see where their paths take them.

The audiobook narration was good, but the producers did use a LOT of sound effects and music, which I am not particularly a fan of - just read me the book, thankyouverymuch. But that's a small quibble in an otherwise very enjoyable experience.

If sci-fi is your thing, check this one out. If you are a Star Wars fan, DEFINITELY check this out. This has made me extremely interested in reading more of the novels in the Star Wars universe, and that is certainly not something I would have said before starting. 

Finished - 2/13/16

Source - my own audible library #RMODB

MPAA rating - PG-13 for some violence, adult situations

My rating - 4/5

Book Thoughts - Bambi by Felix Salten

Bambi: A Life in the Woods by Felix Salten
192 pages
first published 1923

Synopsis -

Bambi's life in the woods begins happily. There are forest animals to play with -- Friend Hare, the chattery squirrel, the noisy screech owl, and Bambi's twin cousins, frail Gobo and beautiful Faline. 

But winter comes, and Bambi learns that the woods hold danger -- and things he doesn't understand. The first snowfall makes food hard to find. Bambi's father, a handsome stag, roams the forest, but leaves Bambi and his mother alone. 

Then there is Man. He comes to the forest with weapons that can wound an animal. He does terrible things to Gobo, to Bambi's mother, and even to Bambi. But He can't keep Bambi from growing into a handsome stag himself, and becoming...the Prince of the Forest.

My thoughts -

One of the first piles of books I'm planning to tackle in my year of #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks is the every-growing, nearly mountainous pile of books I've acquired with the thought that "I'll read this to the kids some day". Some of them are Newbery winners, some are remnants from my own childhood, some are just titles that sounded good at the time. Nevertheless, there are a LOT of them, and I'd like to do a little previewing before I start stumbling blindly into bedtime, and find myself stuck with a story I can't stand....

First on my pile was Bambi. This particular copy was from a set given to me as a kid - tan and red hardbacks, all animal stories, with a box for the set that is long gone. I am about 98% sure I never actually read this one growing up, so with only the Disney story in my head I will admit I was pleasantly surprised.

Salten's tale of the forest is much darker and richer than the cartoon version. The animals still talk, but their interactions seem strangely appropriate, as if the author has been given the ability to sense what it actually going on in their minds. This is an unforgiving world, and the weak and hurt do not fair well. It is also a beautiful world, with captivating descriptions of Bambi's word and the creatures who inhabit his forest.

I'm not sure I expected a novel about a deer to be a page-turner, but it was. I found myself eager to return to its pages, and feel emotionally invested in the story from the first chapter. I also felt a genuine amount of tension as I read, which is not a feeling I generally get from chapter book fiction. 

I'm really glad I decided to read this, and will definitely keep it on the shelves to read to the kids. I might wait for a bit - I'm not sure I'm ready for them to hear a book with quite this much death, even if it is about a deer. But this is an excellent novel, and I do recommend it for your little person library.

Finished - 1/30/16

Source - my shelves!

MPAA rating - PG - this has some scary stuff!
My rating - 4/5

Book Thoughts - The Irresistible Blueberry Bookshop and Cafe' by Mary Simses

The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop and Cafe' by Mary Simses
341 pages
published 2013

Synopsis -

A high-powered Manhattan attorney finds love, purpose, and the promise of a simpler life in her grandmother's hometown. 
Ellen Branford is going to fulfill her grandmother's dying wish--to find the hometown boy she once loved, and give him her last letter. Ellen leaves Manhattan and her Kennedy-esque fiance for Beacon, Maine. What should be a one-day trip is quickly complicated when she almost drowns in the chilly bay and is saved by a local carpenter. The rescue turns Ellen into something of a local celebrity, which may or may not help her unravel the past her grandmother labored to keep hidden. As she learns about her grandmother and herself, it becomes clear that a 24-hour visit to Beacon may never be enough. THE IRRESISTIBLE BLUEBERRY BAKESHOP & CAFE is a warm and delicious debut about the power of a simpler life.

My thoughts -

My daughter has started getting excited about picking out books for me to read - she really likes picking just about anything, and for the past couple of years picking out a book to give me at Christmas has been great fun. This year's choice - The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop and Cafe'. 

So let's be honest - she picks books based solely on the cover, with somewhat mixed results. I can't really fault her - she can't read yet, and who doesn't see a pretty cover and get a bit drawn in? She does seem to tend toward romance, which isn't normally a genre I choose for myself, so that has been a bit of a nice change to my reading habits. Additionally, you might notice that THIS cover compares this particular book to "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" - ummmmm, no.

This book was sweet and fairly predictable, with the only major surprise coming on behalf of the main character's grandmother 3/4 of the way through the novel. I don't always need to "like" the main character of a book, but in a romance novel it helps - if I don't like you, why do I care if you wind up happy? The biggest problem here, for me, was how long it took me to find Ellen anything but annoying. Her self-centeredness in every possibly situation made me wonder why anyone put up with her, frankly, and it wasn't until her (possibly even more self-centered) fiance' and mother showed up that she started to seem sympathetic in comparison. 

That said, I was genuinely interested in finding out the secrets of her Grandmother's life - in fact, I would have loved much more of her grandmother's story. Reading how much she loved her Gran made me see the first glimpses of a woman I could root for, so I was thankful for those moments.

The best part of this book? It came from my OWN shelves, so it's the first book in my year of #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks. YAY for staying on task!!

Finished - 1/16/15
Source - my shelves (via my daughter)
MPAA rating - PG-13, mostly just because you don't want your daughter to pick up any of Ellen's snottyness
My rating - 3/5

Book Thoughts - The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
published 2012
386 pages

Synopsis -

Alaska, 1920: a brutal place to homestead and especially tough for recent arrivals Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are drifting apart--he breaking under the weight of the work of the farm, she crumbling from loneliness and despair. In a moment of levity during the season's first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning, the snow child is gone--but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees. This little girl, who calls herself Faina, seems to be a child of the woods. She hunts with a red fox at her side, skims lightly across the snow, and somehow survives alone in the Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and Mabel struggle to understand this child who could have stepped from the pages of a fairy tale, they come to love her as their own daughter. But in this beautiful, violent place things are rarely as they appear, and what they eventually learn about Faina will transform all of them.

My thoughts -

I think this might have just been the perfect book to read as my first of 2016. This is a gorgeous novel, full of snow and cold and the type of story that is perfect for curling up under and blanket and letting yourself get lost. 

I've seen this book described as magical by several friends, and I think that word is perfect. In particular, the juxtaposition between the harshness of life in Alaska in 1920, and the ethereal, fairy-like girl who appears in Jack and Mable's life with no explanation or origin, and then disappears as quickly. I was captivated by the setting, the characters, and the inevitable heartbreak throughout the entire book.

“We never know what is going to happen, do we? Life is always throwing us this way and that. That’s where the adventure is. Not knowing where you’ll end up or how you’ll fare. It’s all a mystery, and when we say any different, we’re just lying to ourselves. Tell me, when have you felt most alive?”

This was a wonderful novel - one I can see myself reading again. Do yourself a favor and get a copy, and spend some time this winter getting to know The Snow Child.

Finished - 1/3/16
Source - South side library
My rating - 5/5

Book Thoughts - Doomsday Book by Connie Willis

Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
first published 1992
578 pages

Synopsis -


For Kivrin, preparing an on-site study of one of the deadliest eras in humanity's history was as simple as receiving inoculations against the diseases of the fourteenth century and inventing an alibi for a woman traveling alone. For her instructors in the twenty-first century, it meant painstaking calculations and careful monitoring of the rendezvous location where Kivrin would be received.

But a crisis strangely linking past and future strands Kivrin in a bygone age as her fellows try desperately to rescue her. In a time of superstition and fear, Kivrin--barely of age herself--finds she has become an unlikely angel of hope during one of history's darkest hours.

My thoughts -

Am I the only person around here who has a list of books somewhere - likely floating around in your head - called, "Books I AM Going To Read Someday Because I've Heard They Are Great", but that you almost never actually get around to reading? It's funny how each time I manage to read one of the books from that list, it winds up being, in fact, GREAT! Why don't I just read them all right now? One of the great mysteries of the universe.

Doomsday Book was on that list. I think it hit my radar when Raych talked about it, and then I saw someone else talking about it, and I filed it away on that Books I AM Going To Read....list, and here i am finally getting around to reading it. And WHOOOOO, boy it was good.

Doomsday Book wasn't the kind of good where each sentence is beautifully constructed, and the words flow together, and you just love the way the author has mastered her craft. Not really at all, in fact. Willis' writing is fine, but that's not why you read this book. You read this book because of the story that grabs you by your neck hairs and doesn't let go. I think what made Kivrin's story so gripping for me is that this stuff actually happened - clearly, not the time travel aspects. But once Kivrin was in the 14th century, all that horror was real. Real people lived through it. Real people were completely helpless in the face of it. It was terrifying, and it wasn't made up. I found this review on Goodreads, and I think it perfectly sums up my feelings (apologies for the language) -

"Connie Willis shows us that we do not need to look to the future for an apocalyptic setting suitable for exorcising whatever demons haunt us, testing whatever faith we may or may not have, revealing the height of humanity's capacity for compassion or the depth of its misery. We had the mid-14th Century for that.

These ain't Jesuits on a distant planet, or a man and a boy wandering down a road.

This shit really happened, people."


The juxtaposition of Kivrin's troubles in the Middle Ages and the Present-Day epidemic was also striking, because it showed a clear picture of the ways in which humanity has not, in fact, changed that much in a couple of thousand years. People were just as ignorant and cruel and apathetic in the present as we like to accuse those who lived in the Middle Ages of being, and frankly we know better and should be doing better. It was a stark, pointed reality check in the midst of an increasingly dark story.

I thought this book was great. I do agree that it dragged a bit toward the end, but I was so terrified for Kivrin that I couldn't stop reading. If sci-fi is your thing, I would definitely recommend this one. I cannot wait to read more by this author!

Finished - 11/15/15
MPAA rating - PG-13 for realistic portrayals of death and some pretty scary stuff
My rating - 4/5

Look Who's Back....Back Again...

I suppose it was inevitable. How could I possibly stay away for long? I made it almost a year, and the itch is just back. I don't know how often I will post, how long my posts will be - it's going to be pretty loosey-goosey around here, but I am sure it will be fun.

I thought about trying to recap my entire reading year so far, but that seemed like a horrible idea, honestly, so I'll just talk about something that has been a revelation to me this year - the graphic novel. I KNOW I've been aware of them - I KNOW people have talked about them - but for some reason, I hadn't really checked them out until this year. And now? I'm hooked.

I spent a bunch of time on the wonderful website Panels and got a whole STACK of recommendations. I've been fairly quickly working my way through the first issues of each, and basically falling in love with every one. There were a couple that didn't work as well for me, but all in all the recommendation staff at Panels is top-notch, and I've found a new reading love affair. Here's a few highlights -

Princeless by Jeremy Whitley & M. Goodwin

Synopsis -

Princeless is the story of Princess Adrienne, one princess who's tired of waiting to be rescued. Join Adrienne, her guardian dragon, Sparky, and their plucky friend Bedelia as they begin their own quest in this one of a kind, action packed, all-ages adventure!

My thoughts -

This was just SO much fun. I like the bending of gender stereotypes, I like that Princess Adrienne does NOT look like a normal Disney princess, I love the cast of characters and the projected arc of this story. This is a series I will definitely be adding to my personal collection.

Fables by Bill Willingham, et. all

Synopsis -

When a savage creature known only as the Adversary conquered the fabled lands of legends and fairy tales, all of the infamous inhabitants of folklore were forced into exile. Disguised among the normal citizens of modern-day New York, these magical characters have created their own peaceful and secret society within an exclusive luxury apartment building called Fabletown. But when Snow White's party-girl sister, Rose Red, is apparently murdered, it is up to Fabletown's sheriff, a reformed and pardoned Big Bad Wolf (Bigby Wolf), to determine if the killer is Bluebeard, Rose's ex-lover and notorious wife killer, or Jack, her current live-in boyfriend and former beanstalk-climber.

My thoughts -

We all know I love a good fairytale retelling, and this series retells ALL of them. Characters interact fluidly in this giant fairy tale mashup, and they are definitely not the characters you grew up with. I've read the first three volumes of the series, and while each has it's own contained story, there are hints of a larger arc that will involve the mysterious Adversary that I cannot wait to dive into more deeply. This is definitely not for kids, but adults who loved these characters growing up will be fascinated to read the ways in which their stories continue. Definitely recommended.

Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona

Synopsis -

Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City — until she's suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! When Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them, as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to bear? Kamala has no idea, either. But she's comin' for you, Jersey! 

My thoughts -

This would be a great book to introduce your tween to the world of graphic novels. It's action-packed but never gratuitous, it deals frankly with issues of identity and place, and it's just a lot of good fun. It seems sometimes to be a bit "Issue-Heavy", but I think my feeling is colored by my years and years of reading experience - I suspect a young teen would miss that heavy-handedness completely. I have read the first 3 volumes, and think Wilson's characters are great and the situations actually quite realistic, as far as a superhero comic can be. I can't wait to continue with Kamala's adventures.

The Wicked + The Divine by Gillen McKelvie and Wilson Cowles

Synopsis -

Every ninety years, twelve gods incarnate as humans. They are loved. They are hated. In two years, they are dead. The team behind critical tongue-attractors like Young Avengers and PHONOGRAM reunite to create a world where gods are the ultimate pop stars and pop stars are the ultimate gods. But remember: just because you’re immortal, doesn’t mean you’re going to live forever. 

My thoughts -

This book is.....the hardest to pin down. It is by far the most adult, the most over-the-top, the hardest to follow and requires the highest levels of suspension of disbelief. Sometimes I honestly don't quite know what is going on. And yet I am completely enthralled. This idea is fascinating - it's execution sometimes a bit choppy. I've read through the first two volumes, and while I do intend to keep reading I would like to see a bit more world-building of some kind. This series does have killer cliffhangers, though, so I can't help but pick up the third volume to see what happens next! Recommended with some reservations - very adult in language and situations.

Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

Synopsis -

From bestselling writer Brian K. Vaughan, Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the worlds. Fantasy and science fiction are wed like never before in this sexy, subversive drama for adults. 


My thoughts -

For anyone who thinks a graphic novel can't hold as much drama and emotion as a tradition book, I tell you to get a copy of Saga. Holy buckets, folks. I've only read the first volume, but I am seriously TENSION FILLED about what will happen next. This is more than just a good graphic novel - it's good storytelling on every level. No wonder it won the Hugo. This is another book that is definitely adult, so reader beware. But if sci-fi is your thing, I recommend this one highly.



And those are just a few! I've discovered so much great stuff in the graphic novel genre this year - I'm excited to say I am fully onboard! I've discovered fiction, nonfiction, crime drama, fantasy, and more speculative fiction than you can possibly imagine. What an amazing collection of writing. If you haven't yet, go check it out - if you don't know where to start, head over to Panels, where you will find a whole list of ideas in a very short amount of time.

And hey, kids - I'm back!!  

Book Thoughts - Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmenn

Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmeen, illustrations by Kerascoet
published 2/25/14
96 pages

Synopsis from publisher -

Kerascoët’s and Fabien Vehlmann’s unsettling and gorgeous anti-fairy tale is a searing condemnation of our vast capacity for evil writ tiny. Join princess Aurora and her friends as they journey to civilization's heart of darkness in a bleak allegory about surviving the human experience.  The sweet faces and bright leaves of Kerascoët’s delicate watercolors serve to highlight the evil that dwells beneath Vehlmann's story as pettiness, greed, and jealousy take over.  Beautiful Darkness is a harrowing look behind the routine politeness and meaningless kindness of civilized society.

My thoughts -

I don't think anything I've read for RIP this year has felt as perfect for the challenge as this slim graphic novel. This is Lord of the Flies in a fairy-tale world, it is eerie and creepy and unsettling and challenging. This is much less about the plot and much more about the layers of horror, unwrapping before the readers' eyes. This is a gorgeous piece of art, wrapped around a completely terrifying story.

Like all good graphic novels, there is much to uncover behind the first glance, and this is the type of story than can be read many times, with the reader finding something new upon each subsequent visit to this dark world. I know I'm being vague, but part of the impact of the story, for me, was not knowing very much about what I was getting into when I started. More than anything I've read in the past couple of months, this is the book that has stayed in my mind, lingering in my thoughts, popping up in my dreams. It's good, scary stuff. Recommended for readers who can deal with dark.


Finished - 10/22/14
Source - South side library
MPAA Rating - R. This is not for young kids. Scary stuff.
My rating - 4/5


And with this, I have completed

Hooray for me! My first year to complete my RIP challenge. It feels pretty good, I have to say! And now I'm looking for recommendations for next year - what perilous reads have you enjoyed this season?

Sunday Shorts, R.I.P edition

Just a quick summary of what's been going on around here, R.I.P.-wise....


First I read

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
published 2006
406 pages

Synopsis from publisher -

Biographer Margaret Lea returns one night to her apartment above her father’s antiquarian bookshop. On her steps she finds a letter. It is a hand-written request from one of Britain’s most prolific and well-loved novelists. Vida Winter, gravely ill, wants to recount her life story before it is too late, and she wants Margaret to be the one to capture her history. The request takes Margaret by surprise — she doesn’t know the author, nor has she read any of Miss Winter’s dozens of novels.

Both women will have to confront their pasts and the weight of family secrets... and the ghosts that haunt them still.

My thoughts -

I think I'm at the point where I'm just going to admit that novels with ghosts as a plot device are not my favorite thing. This book had lots of saving graces, though, so I did enjoy it very much. But the ghost parts? Not so much. I loved the emphasis on reading and literature throughout the novel, and found Margaret as well as Miss Winter to be extremely engaging heroines. Good stuff here, even if it DOES have ghosts.

Finished - 10/15/14
Source - mom
MPAA rating - PG-13 for adult situations & possible scaryness.
My rating - 4/5


Then I read the first two stories from this collection -

A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor
published 1953


You can read a summary and some analysis of the title story here.

I intend to read the entire collection, but it is not a collection I will breeze through. These first two stories were tough, and bleak, and full of despair. In some ways they remind me of episodes of The Twilight Zone, which used to freak me out SO MUCH when I was young. These are worlds where horrible things happen, in ways that you don't expect. 

A Good Man is Hard to Find is a gut-punch of a story. It plays with emotions and perceptions, and introduces some pretty unpleasant characters without giving any of them much of a chance of redemption. I didn't particularly choose this collection to go along with RIP, but it certainly fits the bill. Lots of perilous situations in these stories!


Next I read this novel -

Advent by James Treadwell
published 2012
448 pages


Synopsis from publisher -

Once there were virtues in the stars and mermaids in the seas; but then a gift was lost, and all of that became no more than the stuff of fantasy. What if it came back? Everyone tells fifteen-year-old Gavin that the things he sees aren't really there. He hardly believes himself any more.

My thoughts -

Okay, there is A LOT going on in this novel. Elements of Arthurian legend, Faust, mermaids, Greek myth - there is a lot to keep track of, and there were moments in the novel that I could feel some of the threads slipping away from me. But I have to say that I was completely entranced by this story from the very beginning. Even when I wasn't quite sure that I was keeping track of all the fantastical bits, I was always eager to see where Gavin's story was going to take him next. I loved the writing, and I definitely plan to read the next in this series.

Finished - 10/24/15
Source - South side library
MPAA rating - PG-13 for fantasy violence
My rating - 4/5


And then I read -

Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesa Lia Block
published 2013
240 pages

Synopsis from publisher -

Her life by the sea in ruins, Pen has lost everything in the Earth Shaker that all but destroyed the city of Los Angeles. She sets out into the wasteland to search for her family, her journey guided by a tattered copy of Homer’s Odyssey. Soon she begins to realize her own abilities and strength as she faces false promises of safety, the cloned giants who feast on humans, and a madman who wishes her dead. On her voyage, Pen learns to tell stories that reflect her strange visions, while she and her fellow survivors navigate the dangers that lie in wait. In her signature style, Francesca Lia Block has created a world that is beautiful in its destruction and as frightening as it is lovely. At the helm is Pen, a strong heroine who holds hope and love in her hands and refuses to be defeated.

My thoughts -

This YA novel was a fairly loose retelling of The Odyssey, and it didn't work all that well for me. I thought the writing was lovely, but I didn't particularly care for the story as Block told it. I thought it was difficult to follow, and there were certain plot elements that seemed to be added more to have something to say about a "hot topic" issue than to really further the action of the plot. I will read more by this author, but probably not more in this sequence.

Finished - 10/25/14
Source - South side library
MPAA rating - R for violence, language, sexuality
My rating - 2/5



So this means that I have completed

for RIP this year!

Sunday Shorts

Stella Bain by Anita Shreve
published 2014
272 pages

Synopsis from publisher -

When an American woman, Stella Bain, is found suffering from severe shell shock in an exclusive garden in London, surgeon August Bridge and his wife selflessly agree to take her in.

A gesture of goodwill turns into something more as Bridge quickly develops a clinical interest in his houseguest. Stella had been working as a nurse's aide near the front, but she can't remember anything prior to four months earlier when she was found wounded on a French battlefield.

In a narrative that takes us from London to America and back again, Shreve has created an engrossing and wrenching tale about love and the meaning of memory, set against the haunting backdrop of a war that destroyed an entire generation.

My thoughts -

This was a bit of a case of being sold something that wasn't quite what I got. My expectations for the novel were one thing, but the novel itself veered off into a direction that I found did not really serve the purpose of the novel. I felt like the author was holding her readers at a distance from the story, which kept me from ever truly caring about the characters or their motivations. Beautifully written, but it left me cold.

Finished - 9/6/14
MPAA rating - PG-13 for violence of several varieties
My rating - 2/5