Fiction

Finished 2 Cybils that I did not love…

1 Comment / 2009, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Cybil Challenge, Don't Read This, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry /

The problem with having so many easy readers and picture books on a challenge list is that I can read a half dozen in an hour and then figuring out how to properly blog them is difficult. I’m going to give this a shot… group them by how much I liked them, or didn’t like them… as the case may be.

The Cybils finalists that I did not love were America at War (poems) and Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek (a fiction picture book.) It’s not that they were bad, I just did not LOVE them and I want to love Cybil books. 😉

The poems in America at War were fine. There were some we’d all find familiar and children should definitely be exposed to them. There were some that I’d like us all to find familiar and those were the ones I was happy to see in the book. There were others that… just bored me. And poetry about war should not bore me.

As for Abe and his friend Austin – I liked the premise. I just didn’t like the way the author told the story. While I agree that children should be introduced to the idea that “history” is only a version of what may or may not have happened… I think the whole “back up, have them crawl across the log” was ridiculous. Then the “where’s Austin” page, umm really was that necessary? I don’t know, I just didn’t like the book and when I finished it I was glad I no longer have children who might bring this home and expect me to enjoy reading it to them.

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Skeletons at the Feast

2009, Books in Bed, Fiction /

It took me three days to get through the prologue of Skeletons at the Feast and I was ready to give up – several times. (Really troubling for me since I am a Chris Bohjalian fan.) TW heard me griping about how SLOWWWWWWWW and BORINGGGGGGGGG it was, grabbed the book out of my hand and said “Oh that was really good, keep reading.” So I did.

And it was.

I was either really really tired (probably) or the prologue was just a little slow (ok a lot slow) but sticking with it was worth it. I’ve even taken back my vow to never read another Nazi Germany book again (which is what I kept saying during the prologue.)

Good characters. Bohjalian writes solid women characters and I like that and the guys weren’t too shabby either. Nice little ending, too.

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Let It Snow

1 Comment / 2008, Books in Bed, Fiction, Young Adult /

OK, sassymonkey was right. I had to read Let It Snow and not because John Green and Lauren Myracle are two of the writers. I had to read it because there’s nothing better than Waffle House, cheerleaders and a LOT of snow. OK that snow thing, I could do without that and would love a Florida version of this holiday book. You hear that Green, Myracle and Johnson – get right on that. kthnxbai.

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Cycler

2008, Books in Bed, Fiction, Queer, Young Adult /

Cycler is the weirdest YA book I’ve ever read. Weird and oddly compelling. I’m surprised at how much I’m interested in reading the sequel, particularly after the first chapter I wanted to throw the book across the room. I mean, please.

It’s a Dr Jekyl/Mrs Hyde – Teen Wolf sort of thing. Jack is seriously into the teen boy sex thing and there’s the whole bisexual issue. As Liz says it’s really trashy and it’s done just right – after you get past the first chapter and just let yourself go with it.

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Kissing Kate

2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Fiction, Queer, Young Adult /

Kissing Kate was a nice little lesbian YA book. A little too “perfect” – how many teens find exactly the kind of friend they need to help them deal with a problem like “Kate”? Not too many. Actually, I’m not too sure many adults find the perfect friend to help them deal with a problem like “Kate”.

Ah well, it’s feel good YA rather than problem YA. So, it’s all good.

And now that I’ve noticed Lauren Myracle is one of the authors in “Let it Snow”, maybe I’ll go pick that up from the library tomorrow. John Green and Lauren Myracle… must be good?

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The Miraculous Life of Edgar Mint

2008, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction /

It took me an awful long time to read The Miraculous Life of Edgar Mint and I don’t know why. It’s a pretty short book. It’s a very good book. I read a good while every night. It just seemed like it never ended – and then when it did, wah! That was NOT the ending I wanted. It wasn’t a horrible ending but still, sigh. I wanted the miraculous life to really end miraculously – but, life is miraculous even if it ends a wee bit differently than you might like it to.

Really. Very good book.

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Octavian Nothing: The Kingdom on the Waves

2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Fiction, Young Adult /

TW could not get into volume two, The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: The Kingdom on the Waves but I didn’t have a problem with it. I found it a much quicker read than the first one – the journal entries of Octavian were shorter and quicker.

I liked the new characters introduced but found the ending a little less than satisfying, particularly since it appears as though there will not be a third book.

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Change of Heart

2008, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction /

I was a little shocked to see a Picoult novel I hadn’t read just sitting on the library shelf. It made me nervous. I’m that disconnected from the library and reading that I haven’t read the latest Picoult? ugh. I need to get some library lists built and get serious about catching up! (And my 2009 challenges need to be less… challenging…)

So, I picked up Change of Heart and TW starts making Picoult jokes (like she always does) and about 3 pages into the book, I start making groaning noises. Picoult just gets more and more like a teen “problem book” with every new novel she puts out. When will it end? By 10 pages, I was making Picoult jokes. And I said to TW…

“I’d like to write Picoult a letter. I need her advice. Advice that only she can give that will drastically improve my quality of life. I’d like to know what products she uses on her hair.”

I went back to the book and about 50 pages later the woman ANSWERED MY QUESTION. I do believe she is The Messiah. I believe.

(And for those who have read this book, you’ll “get it”. Seriously. It was kind of weird to read that book and have her answer the question I really had just asked… all out of the blue and stuff. Very weird. )

Another winner from Picoult, jokes or no jokes – ridiculous problems or no ridiculous problems. Great characters. Interesting material. Fun to read even though it was hard to read.

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Airborn

1 Comment / 2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Favorites, Fiction, Printz Award Challenge, Young Adult /

When we started listening to Airborn in the car, the little kids were with us and they were confusded. Airship? They didn’t “get it”. I said “think Edge Chronicles but a little more realistic”. By the time TW and I finished today, I’m thinking it was very Edge Chronicles like. Cloud Cats sound like something you’d find in Edge Chronicles book.

It was a fun adventure book. Good girl and boy characters. Nice ending. Good Printz book that kids might actually read.

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A Northern Light

1 Comment / 2008, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Feminism, Fiction, Printz Award Challenge, Women, Young Adult /

I’m a little disappointed that I saved A Northern Light for last book (in paper, the real last book for the challenge is on audio, and in the car CD player now.) for my Printz Challenge. It was good, really good, but it didn’t leave me excited or thrilled about Printz the way some of the other really great books might have.

I struggled a bit with the story being told from two different points in time, I’m not sure it was necessary. I also think it’s one of those things that causes teens to throw up their hands and give up on a book. YA authors should not do it unless it just really really must be done. And in this case, I don’t think it needed to be done.

I liked the “word of the day”, I liked the “word of the day duels”, I liked all of the characters and for a brief moment I wanted to live somewhere with a “pickle boat” – then I regained my senses. I also liked the end, not happy – not sad – just “right”.

Good book… should have read it earlier in the challenge.

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