Favorites

2 Children’s Picture Books from the Cybils Shortlist

2012, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Favorites /

Guess what – I liked them both. One took me by surprise because I started out bored, the second I enjoyed all the way through.

I Want My Hat Back, started slowly for me and I was bored. One of those books where an animal asks a different animal on each page for his hat (we’ve seen this format a zillion times) what we haven’t seen is how the animal whose hat was lost gets his hat back. I won’t spoil it for you but…. I LOVED IT. Some of y’all won’t love it because you won’t want to have to explain what happened to your small children. I, on the otherhand, found it to be refreshing and will be buying this one for Johnny Mac Pippin.

I Had a Favorite Dress was adorable. A little girl whose mom found a way to tweak the girl’s favorite dress each time she grew. Fabulous. Adorable. Great artwork.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

2 Children’s Picture Books from the Cybils Shortlist Read More »

The Underside of Joy

1 Comment / 2012, Books in Bed, Chick Lit, Favorites, Fiction, Women /

This book is a BlogHer Bookclub book but I did not officially read it for the BHBC. Just a bit of a coincidence, really.

I can’t decide if I want to rant about The Underside of Joy or rave about The Underside of Joy. Even the ranting is rally a kind of raving – because I wouldn’t be ranting about the book itself or about the author’s writing or anything else. I want to rant about these characters – particularly about men like Joe. And while ranting, I’ll of course be nice enough to point out that Joe (and men like him) are in part, products of their parents and their childhood who in turn are products of their own childhood etc.

It’s a vicious cycle. That rant would turn into men, like Joe, who are even worse than Joe and I don’t even want to go there, do I?

Nope, I don’t.

So let me just say – great book, quick read, not quite the tearjerker I expected but emotional just the same. And – it ended well.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

The Underside of Joy Read More »

I am Half-Sick of Shadows

2012, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Young Adult /

Oh Flavia. I am Half-Sick of Shadows caused me to say “Oh, Flavia” and “Poor, Flavia” a lot. And, this might be my favorite book since book one. No, wait – not might be, it is my favorite.

The interactions between Flavia and the cast of regulars felt better developed – probably because we’ve read enough of the background story and we understand the top layer of why these characters feel and think and act this way and now it’s time to dig a little deeper into their psyches.

Whatevs — I loved it. Loved the Father Christmas storyline. Loved the fireworks.

Can’t wait for the next book.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

I am Half-Sick of Shadows Read More »

The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt

2012, Books in Bed, Comics & Graphic Novels, Favorites, Feminism, Fiction /

TW and I argued over who put this one in the library bag. I’m sure I did – she’s sure she did, even though she did not bother to read it and was going to return it to the library without reading it (or without giving me a chance to read it. I rescued it from the return bin and I’m darn glad I did.  The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt was the perfect late night read last night, after finishing John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars.

The scrapbook images were fun. The scrapbook text was a lot like a diary, which made it an actual book to read. I liked it. I even liked the happily ever after ending for the Vassar feminist of the 40s.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt Read More »

The Fault in Our Stars

2012, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Young Adult /

I hate kid cancer books. Kind of like the kids in The Fault in Our Stars hate cancer books, ok maybe not like they do – since I’m not a kid with cancer, but still – hate them. I just hate them.

The only redeeming value in this one (and it’s a big redeeming value) is that John Green wrote it. That pretty much says all you need to know. And all I’m going to say since I don’t want to give any spoilers or anything remotely spoiler-ish.

The kids are great. Their parents are nicely written. The stupid author, who is so NOT John Green, is well done. I loved the wish genies. IN the heart of Jesus – brilliant. And yes, I even cried a bit at the end – even though I was SURE I wouldn’t.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

The Fault in Our Stars Read More »

The Taker

2012, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Queer, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

The Taker is excellent, I’m glad I read it and didn’t just return it to the library because it wasn’t on my original TBR list. It’s not  about vampires, but about people who become immortal through alchemy.  I’ll admit the first couple of chapters had me rolling my eyes about a vampire book that doesn’t have vampires, but it’s better than that. Really interesting and I’m excited about the second book in the trilogy, coming in June. When I finished the book last night, I was left wondering a lot of things – about Adair and Lanore and Luke.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

The Taker Read More »

Addie on the Inside

2012, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Favorites, Fiction, Queer, Young Adult /

I almost didn’t read Addie on the Inside because I didn’t love The Misfits enough to really want to read any more of Howe’s books in the series. But, then again, Addie is a good strong female character so… I figured what the heck. And, I think it’s No Name Calling Week, or will be next week? Right, next week, Timely.

And now I’m glad I read it.

Told in verse – nicely done verse – it’s a super fast read and a bit of a page turner, too.

All of the normal stuff. Middle school sucks. Bullies suck. And sometimes bullies are bullies because they’re trying to survive their own kind of hell. Being queer in middle school sucks. Trying to start a Day of Silence program in middle school sucks. Dealing with annoying teachers in middle school sucks. Dealing with race issues sucks. Heck, everything about middle school pretty much sucks. Addie knows all of this but that doesn’t really make it any easier to deal with the middle school suckage (or suckers, for that matter.)

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

Addie on the Inside Read More »

Ganymeade

2012, Books in Bed, Favorites, Steampunk, Young Adult /

I couldn’t have asked for a better book, (or author), to kick off my Steampunk Challenge – Ganymeade is fabulous. I might be a little bit biased since I actually spent a good bit of my summer vacation hanging out at the Friends of the Hunley museum way back before it moved to North Charleston. (Err, actually it was way back before the Hunley was found, now that I think about it.)

A submarine is a great steampunk machine – brilliant idea and brilliant idea to have the crew of the Naamah Darling fly it/drive it/sail it.

As much as I’m looking forward to seeing Boneshaker made into a movie, I feel like Ganymeade might be even better. The Hunt for Red October meets Night of the Living Dead – steampunked? Brilliant, right? I’m also looking forward to see what happens next in Seattle.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

Ganymeade Read More »

The Apothecary

1 Comment / 2012, Books in Bed, Favorites, From the Stacks Challenge, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Young Adult /

Sassymonkey sent me an advance uncorrected galley of The Apothecary. She got it at BEA and I was thrilled to get it – even if I didn’t have time to read it when it arrived.

Now, I’m sorry I didn’t make time earlier. It was excellent. I love how awesome Janie and Jin Lo were.  Pip was a great character, too. And I liked the ending a good bit. From truth serums memory loss potions. Brilliant idea.

I can’t wait for the next book about Janie and Benjamin. I sure hope Pip (and Sarah???) are in the next book, too.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

The Apothecary Read More »

The Virgin Cure

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

Thank you @sassymonkey for sending me The Virgin Cure since it isn’t available in the US for months and months. After waiting YEARS for this book, it was totally sucking to have to wait any longer – not that it wasn’t worth waiting for, I’d just prefer we not have to wait YEARS for Ami McKay’s next book.

I loved Moth. I loved Dr. Sadie. I loved Mr. Dink. I even loved the characters we maybe weren’t supposed to love. Mrs. Wentworth was super creepy and I could have nightmares about a woman like that. Poor Mae. Poor Alice.  Poor Pear Tree, (OK maybe that’s going a little far – but seriously, great characters and setting. If I felt badly for a doggone Pear Tree, that’s got to tell you something about the book, right?)

I’d love to hear more about Moth – her days with the traveling show. I’d like to hear more about her taking in of girls and encouraging them to do great things. That was awesome. Go Moth! Heck, I’d even like to know what happened to Mae. And Cadet. And Rose. (We know what happens to Poor Alice.)  I even wonder what happened with Mr. and Mrs. Wentworth – after Moth told Mr. Wentworth what she told him… was that enough to set some evil things to happening at home? I sure hope Nestor is ok…

Oops. I am rambling, aren’t I?

Good books cause me to do that.

Posted via email from Life. Flow. Fluctuate.

The Virgin Cure Read More »