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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

2009, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction /

I kept meaning to read Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Soceity and I really thought I’d already reserved it once and TW had read it.

But nope, she picked it up off of the shelf and I actually read it before her.

Best book I’ve read in ages. It would have been perfect for the airport/plane but once I had read three letters and realized this tidbit, I couldn’t put it down.

Quick, easy read.

Interesting, compelling, likable characters.

A WWII storyline that didn’t bore me to tears because I’ve read so many WWII stories.

Funny but smart funny.

Go read it and if you find a reading group like this one, let me know and I’ll join it with you.

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Dexter by Design

2009, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction /

I loved the ending of Dexter by Design and as sassymonkey pointed out, that’s the exactly the opposite of how I felt about Dexter in the Dark.

I’m a wee bit troubled by the title of the next book… I thought I knew what it would be, based on the ending. But it’s not (according to wikipedia…) Hmm now I’m a little nervous that Lindsay is going to flub up the next book after doing so well with this one.

OK I’ll stop worrying, I have to wait two years for the next book. Might as well settle in and just enjoy this one – and imagining GOOD things about what the next one might be like.

(SPOILER ALERT… instead of forcing us to wait 2 years, he should really release the next book 9 months from now…)

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Princess Ben

2 Comments / 2009, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Favorites, Feminism, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Young Adult /

I couldn’t figure out why TW was so happy to read Princess Ben. And when she started talking about how excited RJ would be to read it, I was just plain skeptical. (RJ only reads vampire novels right now, unless forced to read something else…)

When TW and the kids came home from school pick up and RJ had stolen Princess Ben out from under TW… and then would not return it to her later that evening so her mother could finish it, I was more than a little shocked.

There are no vampires in Princess Ben. And it seemed like just another strong girl princess sort of book. Also, while I liked Off Season and Dairy Queen, the writing was not so compelling as to cause teenage girls (or their mothers) to fight over them.

So what was it about Princess Ben…? I have no idea, but it was good. It was compelling. It was worth fighting over. There wasn’t anything super surprising about it. This was not the first time we’ve read a Princess slays dragon and wakes the Prince with a kiss sort of book. I don’t even think it was the emotional eating Princess.

Not that I know what, exactly, causes this to be a great book – a combination of those things plus surprisingly good writing, characters you’re drawn to, and the dropped mentions of other fairy tales – all of the above?

Surely this will make the Cybil short list…

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Yay Killer Unicorns!

1 Comment / 2009, Books in Bed, Favorites, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

I was terribly nervous to read Rampant. What if it wasn’t good. What if it was really really bad. What if it was just plain disappointing. What if, what if, what if…

But it was terrific! I loved it. I love the evil unicorns. I love all of the unicorn hunters. I loved Astrid. I hated her mother, with a passion that I cannot even begin to explain. I still hate her. I will hate her forever.

Need more killer unicorns, immediately.

But… also… because I complained about Sassymonkey avoiding the virginity issue, I’m going to mention it.

I wasn’t bothered by the fact that the hunters need to be virgins. I get it. Completely. I was bothered by the number of times these hunters, girls from all over the world, griped about boys – and all boys want… and how they constantly have to deal with what boys want. Never once mentioning that girls sometimes, really would like to have sex as well. And that girls also think about having sex. It made me ill.

I blame the patriarchy for a lot of things but this was something else, this was blaming boys and men. And it was a wee bit over the top for me. OK A lot over the top for me.

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Catching Fire

1 Comment / 2009, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Favorites, Young Adult /

TW read Catching Fire first. When she got to the end she said “this ended in a really bad place.” That was an understatement.

I expected some of what happened. I did not expect most of what happened. And no, I didn’t expect it to end quite that way.

I think, besides being #TeamKatniss, I’m also #TeamPeeta.

Now how long do we have to wait until the third book is out? Because I really need to know what happens NEXT.

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Wicked Plants

2009, Books in Bed, Favorites, Non-Fiction /

I reserved Wicked Plants after seeing it in some bookstore or another. TW mentioned it because she saw it on some list or another. It was also on my Amazon wish list for awhile. And it’s terrific!

A great book to skim or pick up for a few minutes while you’re taking the dogs out to use the bathroom or waiting for the hold music to disappear prior to a conference call. It would also be a terrific book to just have on the shelf – particularly if you’re a gardener or an outdoorsy person or a trivia nut.

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King George: What was his problem?

1 Comment / 2009, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Favorites, Non-Fiction /

I stayed up til midnight last night to finish King George: What was his problem?. Please do not take this to mean it is the best book ever. It’s simply a piece of my childhood rearing its ugly head and I could not help it. Blame my father.

This is what the first history textbooks should look like. Too many kids hate history because it’s boring. History is not boring. Should not be boring. If you can’t make it un-boring with the textbooks you have, then ditch them and use a book like this instead. Or call my dad.

He’ll drive you around to every battleground in the United States and force you to listen to everything he knows about THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR (it’s bolded for a reason) and you will hate it and you will be bored but not nearly as bored as trying to read a stupid dry text book. And when you’re an adult who no longer has to think about Ft Ticonderoga or who was to blame for the whole Benedict Arnold fiasco (Gates, I’m looking at you) you will find yourself happily devouring a fun book about THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR and it will be your father’s fault.

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The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

2009, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult /

Flavia is my new favorite girl character! (Which leads me to the question, why isn’t this listed as a YA book?)

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie appeared on my reserve list thanks to someone on the BlogHer Book Club Group. I can’t remember who exactly mentioned it but someone did. It sounded good, so I reserved it.

I didn’t expect it to be quite this good, particularly since it’s a British book and I’m not a huge fan of the British mystery. Flavia just rocks and her sisters are pretty fascinating as well.

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The Angel’s Game

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

I just came home from the library, where I paid a 70 cent fine for The Angel’s Game. It was well worth it (and I do apologize to anyone in my library system who was waiting for me to return the book. I trust you’ll understand, once you read the first page. Or that you already understand because you have read The Shadow of the Wind.)

As an aside, mom… I’d love a copy of The Angel’s Game for my birthday. I know. I’ve read it. But it’s a book that needs to be OWNED. Just looking across the room at The Shadow of the Wind and knowing I can pick it up and read a line or two is… well, it’s important. I’d do the same thing with The Angel’s Game.

And OMG, I just read the Author’s Note on Amazon… there will be four! FOUR! Must own all four. (And hmmm has anyone ever thought about turning these into movies? I know those of us who love the books would probably not love the movies but… there’s potential there, don’t you think? And I think Zafon should make a millions of dollars, without having to sell his soul, and movie sales might help that.)

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