2011

The Next Queen of Heaven

2011, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Queer /

Who knew Gregory Maguire could write a book that isn’t a riff off of a fairy tale? Not me. Good thing, TW saw The Next Queen of Heaven on the shelf.  So it’s not a fairy tale but it has plenty of fairies – the gay kind that you sort of come to expect from anything Maguire writes.

So you’ve got the gay guys. AIDS. Old Nuns. Catholics and Pentecostals sharing a parking lot. Delinquent kids. A mom who’s pretty much out of it after The Virgin Mary bops her on the head.

Funny and sad, all at the same time.

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Double Dipping Challenges

2011, Adoption Reading Challenge, Audiobooks, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Favorites, Fiction /

The only thing I knew about Betti on the High Wire was that it was a middle grade fiction book from the Cybils Shortlist. Bonus! It’s also about adoption, which means it is the first book I’ve read in Jenna’s Adoption Reading Challenge. Extra Bonus! It was good.

I reserved this one on audio and Prince J listened to it first. He wasn’t overly impressed but then again, his taste runs more toward Dexter. Elly listened to it and she liked it – except she didn’t like Lucy. Elly has very little time or patience for first graders.

Betti was Babo when she lived in a burned out circus camp with “Auntie Moo” and a bunch of “leftover kids” in a war torn country that Railsback never names. She was found wandering around the burned out camp when she was a toddler. Nobody really knows how old she is or exactly what happened to her circus parents but… odds are high, they were casualties of the war that’s raged in her country for years.

Americans come to the camp to meet the orphan children – and they generally adopt babies. Or pretty children. Not broken children like Babo, who has a broken eye and missing toes. They also don’t adopt broken children like Babo’s friend George, who is missing an arm. This is fine with Babo because she does not want to be adopted. She wants to stay in her circus camp and wait for her mother, the tallest woman in the world with a tail, and her father, the green alligator man with bumpy skin, to come back for her.

But Babo is adopted – and so is George. And they travel to the same city in the US, together but without an adult. George adapts pretty happily. Babo, who becomes Betti, does not. She wants to go home. She tries to be “bad” so the Buckworth’s will realize they made a mistake. But of course, she isn’t bad at all – and the Buckworth’s are a good family who work very hard to help her make her way.

There are the normal rough moments when Betti, whose English is good, gets confused about things like “free food at the grocery store” – or when the kids at day camp make fun of Betti (and George) —  or when both Betti and George are terrified by the fireworks on Fourth of July. And the moment when Betti realizes that her parents are dead… that’s hard.

Excellent storytelling. Excellent character development. So many children without families – in war torn countries and our own.

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Some Sing, Some Cry

2011, Books in Bed, Favorites, Feminism, Fiction, Women /

Another book that it took me a very long time to read, Some Sing, Some Cry. Chalk it up to a really rough work week, while I was sick – and it’s not the easiest book to read. It’s excellent but time moves swiftly in the book and I had a hard time letting go of one generation and giving myself up to the next. I also was a wee bit “homesick” when the storyline left Charleston – but that’s my own problem, I’m homesick all the time anyway.

I loved the characters. Loved the plot. Loved the music and the stories. Shange and Bayeza wrote it all beautifully.

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Sandman Slim

2011, Books in Bed, Fiction, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

It took me four days to read Sandman Slim and it should have taken a day, maybe a day and a half. It’s an easy read and it’s amusing and interesting enough that it should have held my attention easily. So why did it take so long? Besides being exhausted after long, full days of work – I think the lack of chapters really throws me off kilter. I’ve found I have trouble reading any book that doesn’t have chapters – and lately, I’ve read a ton of chapter-less books. It’s some horrible, evil trend that needs to die a very fast and painful death. GIVE ME SOME CHAPTERS. Or at least “PARTS”. Sheesh.

OK So Sandman Slim is a little Chris Moore-like. Very B-movie/Spaghetti Western-like. Amusing and dirty and evil all tossed together with magic, angels, demons, and other monsters. Brilliant and I am looking forward to reading the next book. But first, I need a book or two with chapters. (Ugh. Please tell me the book I just picked up has chapters…)

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The Elegance of the Hedgehog

2011, Audiobooks, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction /

I’m so glad I reserved The Elegance of the Hedgehog on audio. In written form, I’d have skimmed through the long philosophical passages and I might even have given up on the book altogether. But on audio… on audio, it was wonderful. And not just because one of the characters was a quirky combination of all three of the small children. Get this one on audio and be prepared to think deep thoughts or just chuckle at the insanity of, well, everything.

By the way, I hated the end. I didn’t want a fairy tale ending but I didn’t want THAT either but the “dry cleaner truck” was brilliant.

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Brain Jack

2011, Books in Bed, Cybil Challenge, Favorites, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Young Adult /

Brain Jack is a creepy, cool book. Creepy because who wants a computer taking over your head or super hackers taking over your computer? Cool because computers can take over your head and hackers can do really amazing things.

The best part was when “Ursula” killed all of the spam in the world. I cheered out loud.  It would almost be worth it… almost.

Great book from the Cybils YA SciFi/Fantasy shortlist.

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The Orchid Affair

1 Comment / 2011, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Women /

I loved Lauren Willig’s Christmas book, The Mischief of the Mistletoe, that I was a little bit afraid to read The Orchid Affair. It came so soon after the awesome Turnip book that I thought it might not hold up. Hah. I loved it. I love Laura Grey. I think she might be one of my favorite spies. Certainly one of my top three. And once again, Willig has me moaning because I have to wait another year for the next book.

Also… I cannot believe Serena did that. Colin can be such a whiny baby but I don’t blame him for feeling ticked off and betrayed by his sister for THAT. I’d have kicked her ass.

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The Magnificent 12: The Call

1 Comment / 2011, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

The Magnificent 12: The Call might have been the perfect book to read after Stolen. Another Cybils shortlister, it’s a middle grade scifi/fantasy that’s pretty darn funny. The only rough moment in the book was when Mack and Stefan found themselves in the Australian Outback (not the restaurant) – there was a little post-traumatic stress syndrome or something (from reading Stolen the night before.)

I cannot wait for the next book – and I’d really love a book just from The Golem’s point of view. Now that would be funny. I’m a little concerned by just how long it might take to get through this entire series. Are we going to meet one new member of the Magnifica in each book? Two? Or are we going to move a little faster now that we’ve got the basic elements of the story down?  If we’ve got to have 12 or 13 or 14 books to defeat The Evil Foe… that’s not going to work, middle schoolers won’t stick with the series through college. It’s good but it’s not that good.

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Stolen

2011, Books in Bed, Cybil Challenge, Fiction /

Figures the first Cyblis Shorlist book from the YA category I read would be Stolen. It just figures. I should have known better. I had plenty of warning. I should have read Liz B’s post before I reserved this one. Or maybe it’s good that I didn’t, I might have decided not to read it at all – even though that would mean totally blowing my own challenge. It’s that kind of book.

Liz B. sums it up nicely, it’s a Printz Honor book (and on the Cybil’s shortlist, I assume) for three reasons, — writing, setting, characterization. Both Gemma and Ty are very real, in both their strengths and weaknesses.

But is that enough? I don’t know. It’s a terrifying book because the reader, even one as old as I am, falls into the trap of if not liking Ty – at least recognizing the beauty of him and of what he wants to do out there in the middle of nowhere. The painting. His connection to the land. And that passion extends to Gemma, which is where it all goes wrong. A teen girl (or boy) reading this book might just be lulled into believing Ty’s passion towards Gemma are good – they must be because of his overwhelmingly good passionate feelings about the land.

I worry about this book, for teen readers, because I don’t believe that most of them have the maturity to see Ty for what he was – a very dangerous, abusive, criminal. And that is enough for me to warn readers away from this. I wouldn’t hand it to my teens. I’m very sure that some of them would get sucked into feeling sorry for Ty – feeling attraction for Ty – believing what he felt was LOVE and so it must be ok.

It’s not. It’s not ok.

As troubling as “Romantic Hero: Edward Cullen” is, this book goes so much further. It makes the entire “Marry me/Change me” plot seem like a happy lark through the park for women.

Please don’t let there be a sequel. I am terrified of what that might look like.

I don’t think I will ever forget these characters or this story. Sign of a great book – certainly. Without a doubt. It deserves its awards. Read it at your own risk – but definitely read it before your teenagers do.

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Four Cybils from the Children’s Shelves + a Bonus Cybil from Last Year’s Shortlist

2011, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Favorites, Fiction, Non-Fiction /

National Geographic Readers: Ants – pretty pictures but kind of boring. I imagined my brother, the ant fanatic, reading this when he was little. I think he’d have been bored though he probably would have been amused by the jokes at the top right corner of some of the pages. If you have a kid who hasn’t yet taken an interest in ants, this would be a good beginner ant book.  For those who’ve already dug into the ant pile, skip this one.

Fly Guy Meets Fly Girl – Ahhhhh, so much potential, such a let down. OK it’s not as bad as all that. I just wished for more. Just a little more personality from the flies. Or something. I’m not saying don’t read it, I’m just hoping the other books in the series go a little deeper, make me laugh a little more. So much potential.

Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa. Well. It is what it is. A little girl with a horse. The horse talks to her (and she to it) but the other animals do not seem to speak. This is what I’ve never really understood about some of these talking pet books. I’m also confused because Cocoa always starts out kind of grumpy and maybe not very smart but within a few sentences, turns around completely. It seems like if Cocoa is going to be a grump she should grumpily admit that the dog is nice, or the baby owls are cute – not to jump wholeheartedly into love when three seconds ago she was grouchy. I know, I’m an adult over-thinking a picture book. I can’t help it. I want perfection in my children’s lit. Heh.

Last, but never least, the man (and pig and elephant) who never disappear  — no matter how much I might wish they all would. I say it every year, I like Mo Willems (or I used to) but people. Please. Does he have to be on the Cybils short list every year? And is he really only writing Elephant and Piggie books? Because GAH! I’m so done with them. Or I was… until We Are In a Book. I can’t believe I’m saying this but…. Awesome. Brilliant. Willems, Piggie and Elephant (and the Cybils selection committee) have redeemed themselves this year. But please. That does not mean this series should be on the list next year.  Enough already. Except “Banana!” hahahahahaha.

One last book from the Cybils shortlist – except it is a book from last year’s shortlist. The book I reserved last July, the book that never came. The book the library website said was ON THE SHELF for six months. The book that was NOT on the shelf where it was supposed to be. (Parents in Glenview who take their kids to the library, a little clean up would be appreciated. Restack those books in the right place, please.)  I had given up hope for The Day-Glo Brothers. I also couldn’t quite bring myself to buy it. And then suddenly, there it was, on my pick up list. Yippeee! And thank goodness, it was interesting! I’ve never wondered how Day-Glo paint was invented. Have you? The guys behind the Day-Glo, great story.  It’s written for a pretty young set, and I wish it was written a little “older” – it’s missing just a little bit of depth that would have been nice.

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