Books in Bed

Jellicoe Road

2 Comments / 2009, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Fiction, Young Adult /

Another good Cybil YA book, Jellicoe Road but there are a couple of problems with it.

First, it’s Australian. And while I like Australian books, the more modern of them can be difficult to wrap my head around. The characters confuse me – they some times seem American and other times seem European and I need them to seem Australian, whatever that means.

Second, it’s a YA problem book, which is enough to make you crazy. And the damn problems are all related to just how stupid adults can be when it comes to raising children.

OK another problem, the confusion of the characters makes for confusion in the book which causes confusion for the reader.

Once I settled into the confusion, got my bearings a little bit – I liked the story, though it was a wee bit predictable. I liked all of the characters from the beginning – except maybe the original five (which makes sense because they are the adults who screwed up the main characters in the story…)

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2 more Cybils

1 Comment / 2009, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Comics & Graphic Novels, Cybil Challenge, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Young Adult /

I finished Duel! a few days ago but didn’t feel like blogging it by itself. It’s ok but boring. In fact, I cannot figure out how you can make a duel between Burr and Hamilton boring – but after reading this… well it’s possible. Yes indeedy.

And then there was graphic novel Three Shadows. Oy. Liz read this and she really liked it. I had high hopes. And then I read it and OY! She liked this? I mean I get why a 10 year old would like a story about a father who turns into a Golem but… man… this thing was deep. And depressing. And drawn in dark dark colors, not pretty at all. And not really a happy ending, in the sense that 10 year olds generally understand happy endings.

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A Mercy

1 Comment / 2009, Books in Bed, Fiction, Women /

I am a Toni Morrison fan. A pretty big Toni Morrison fan. I don’t re-read books very often but I’ve read Song of Solomon, Beloved and The Bluest Eye several times each. Which really just means I am sorry to say that I did not love A Mercy.

I didn’t hate it. It’s impossible for me to hate anything Morrison writes but I didn’t love it. I didn’t enjoy it. I didn’t even really like it. I am glad I read it, that’s about the best I can say for it.

I should have just re-read Song of Solomon or The Bluest Eye.

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Two more Cybils

1 Comment / 2009, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Comics & Graphic Novels, Fiction, Poetry, Young Adult /

Imaginary Menagerie – wow. The pictures are fabulous. The poetry is a little ho-hum but not bad. What TW and I wonder about is how many small children have had this book read to them and then had nightmares. Hobgoblins and Trolls and the like are scary creatures and both the images and the poetry don’t soften them up any. I’ve never read The Yellow Elephant but I’m reserving it at the library now.

A graphic novel, There’s a Wolf at the Door was not bad – Liz liked it but not as much as Rapunzel’s Revenge or Jellaby. It was a little “young”, a little lightly drawn, and the wolf’s clothes reminded me of the ringmaster at the Flea Circus we saw yesterday. I kept getting distracted by that.

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When Madeline Was Young

2009, Books in Bed, Fiction /

It’s been a long time since I read a book by Jane Hamilton and after reading When Madeline Was Young I’m trying to remember if I really liked Map of the World or Book of Ruth. Were they as ODD as When Madeline Was Young? Or as slow?

I didn’t hate this book, it was just…slow and weird. And kind of amusing since the Macivers lived in our neck of Chicagoland.

Would YOU take care of your new husband’s ex wife who had been in an accident that left her with brain damage causing her to be perpetually 7 years old? My answer is heck no.

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The Host

2 Comments / 2009, Books in Bed, Fiction, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

I swore I was not going to read The Host. I was sure I wasn’t going to read it. I never put it on the library list. I had no intention of buying it. Even if RJ showed up at the house with it, raving about “souls” instead of vampires, I was NOT going to read it.

But I read it.

TW found it on the shelf at the library and she read it first. Even as she read it, I swore I was not going to read it.

But I read it.

All 500 something pages of it. It was heavy.

It was also pretty darn good. Darn it.

I even liked the ending which I did not think I was going to like. Darn it.

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What I Was

1 Comment / 2009, Books in Bed, Fiction, Young Adult /

While I waited for Liz to pick out some graphic novels, I noticed What I Was sitting on the “new” YA fiction shelf. I dropped it into my book bag, sort of expecting it to be a sequel or a prequel to How I Live Now – a book I really liked.

TW started reading it and informed me that this was not a sequel or a prequel or in any way related to that book. Huh. OK. And then, she didn’t say much more about it…

So I picked it up without any real expectations and I was loving it. Super surprised by the “boy” love story.

And then… the end came and… I don’t want to screw this book up for anyone reading this who might be interested in the book… it’s well worth reading, it is. Meg Rosoff is an excellent writer and creates fantastic characters. I should just leave it at that. And if you want to discuss my thoughts (and TW’s as it turns out) about the book, I’m happy to engage via email… because again, I really don’t want to color anyone’s reading of the book.

Just read it and find out for yourself….

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Fool!

2009, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction /

Have I mentioned how much I love living in Chicagoland? No, seriously. No sarcasm intended. I love it. This little library of mine, it keeps handing me brand new books, never before checked out, by authors I would have had to wait months to get if I’d tried to reserve them in Florida.

Fool was waiting for me even before Sassymonkey got her copy (but not before Carfi had his signed copy from a Moore shindig in the bay area… which reminds me, dude… why didn’t you get ME a signed copy and send it to me, huh???)

When there is a new Moore novel in the house, several things happen… TW and I “fight” over who gets to read first… and whichever gets to read first laughs her ass off all the way through it, ticking off the other who was not able to read it first.

Also, it’s really hard to get the kitchen clean when a new Moore novel is in the house. And, it’s much easier to walk away from the computer for a “lunch break” or after only 13 hours online than it is when there are no new Moore books to be had.

So, anyway, I was first to read Fool and I was cautious. Lear? I mean really, King Lear? WTF? And why? And, this was either going to be amazingly awesome or really and truly horrible. I shouldn’t have worried at all.

Hil-freaking-arious.

There’s always a ghost.

Heh.

Here’s another problem with Christopher Moore novels – when you’ve read the latest, you know you’re going to have to wait far too long for the next one. The dude needs to work faster. Quit doing signings and promotions and stuff, just get back to work.

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Every Soul a Star

1 Comment / 2009, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Feminism, Fiction, Young Adult /

The best thing about good YA and middle grade fiction (and yes I cringe every time I type middle grade) is that it’s so darn easy to read while you are in the middle of work life crazyness.

It took me quite a bit longer to finish Every Soul a Star than it should have because of that work life crazyness, but it was good to collapse into bed or escape to the back of the house for a five minute break with this book.

Nice story. Good adult characters and kid characters. Quick, easy read and I am left wondering how they all managed once they left the campground. A sequel? Eclipse chasing somewhere else, maybe? Nah, probably not.

Good Cybils choice – not sure which book won in this category, probably not this one.

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The Magic Thief

1 Comment / 2009, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Fiction, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Young Adult /

I sure didn’t expect to finish The Magic Thief last night. The first 10 pages were pretty slow. The next 20 pages weren’t much more of a draw.

But, before I knew it, I only had 50 pages to go. Weird.

It’s not a compelling, page turner type of book. It’s a nice story with likable enough characters, and also hatable enough characters. It’s a super easy read. And quick, obviously since I picked it up late in the evening and finished it at 11pm.

Looking at the Cybils competition here – The Graveyard Book, it’s not better than that but kids may like it more because it’s an easier read. The Cabinet of Wonders, nope it’s not better than that either but again, it’s an easier read.

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