2009

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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More Cybils

2 Comments / 2009, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Comics & Graphic Novels, Fiction, Queer, Young Adult /

Chester’s Back was a bit of a disappointment. I just don’t get that kind of humor and I’m not sure picture age kids get it either. But then again, maybe they do and I’ve just forgotten?

The Savage was too much “book” and not enough “graphic novel”. I see now why Liz could not get into it – particularly after just finishing Rapunzel’s Revenge. Too many white pages full of text and no graphics – too “savage” of a story.

Skim was excellent and I’m glad Liz read two pages and put it down. It’s too old for her. I wish RJ would read graphic novels, I think she’d like the story quite a bit.

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The last of the Cybils Easy Readers

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

I just read the last of the easy readers from the Cybils finalist list and while I liked Maybelle Goes to Tea  a lot and thought Mercy Watson Thinks Like a Pig was amusing in a dumb sort of way, I loved, loved, loved I Will Surprise My Friend!. I laughed all of the way through it.

I’m thrilled that Mo Willems won but I think he should have won for I Will Surprise My Friend instead of I Love My New Toy.
















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Rapunzel’s Revenge

3 Comments / 2009, Books in Bed, Children's Literature, Comics & Graphic Novels, Cybil Challenge, Favorites, Fiction /

Of all the graphic novels on the Cybils list, I was most interested in Rapunzel’s Revenge. I almost put off reading it ’til last because I was afraid it would interfere with my reading of the others. I was so sure it was going to be the BEST – and apparently I was right about that since it did win the Cybil.

Rapunzel’s Revenge is a great book. It’s wonderfully drawn. It has fantastic characters. It’s just “tense” enough for young kids to read without being too scared but “tough” enough for older kids to not be bored.

If all graphic novels were like this one, I’d be a total convert to the genre. And by the way, Liz loved it too.

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Skinned

2009, Books in Bed, Fiction, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Young Adult /

RJ and I were talking about books one day and for some reason or another she mentioned Skinned. I thought it was a title on the Cybils finalists list so I told her I wanted to read it. She brought me her copy and it was then that I realized it wasn’t on the list at all. So, I didn’t read it. It’s been sitting on my desk for a month.

When I finished the Percheron Saga and had no book waiting for me on the library shelf, I picked it up.

And I hated it.

I read 20 pages, put it down and bugged TW. I picked it up and read 30 more pages. Put it down and ranted about what a horrible book this was.

The next day, I read 20 more pages and wanted to call RJ to ask her why in the hell she liked this book. I read 50 more pages and told TW I did not want my brain cut up into pieces and downloaded so it could be put inside of a machine body. She questioned my decision because she apparently thinks this sounds like a good idea. She. Is. Whacked.

I read 30 more pages and went to bed.

The writing isn’t great. The characters have no redeeming qualities. None. Not one.

I finished it today and it was only in the last 30 pages that I found myself enjoying it – wondering what would happen next to these people I don’t like even a tiny bit.

All of that writing and only the last 30 pages made me glad I read the thing? Ugh. I don’t think I’ll bother with the rest of the series – unless RJ talks me into reading them.

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Goddess

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

Well. I didn’t see that coming. Or that. Or that. Or that. Or that. In fact most of Goddess was not what I expected. Or I expected bits and pieces but those bits and pieces did not at all go in the direction I expected them to go in.

I cannot decide if I loved it or hated it. Which is maybe a good thing? Or not so much since I was so much in love with both book 1 and book 2.

I would like a new series written about the “giants” and what they did off in the mountains. That would be a fun series, I think.

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Emissary

2009, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Sci Fi and Fantasy /

Every “new year” I go back through my reading list for the previous year and try and reserve books in series that we started but haven’t been able to keep up with for one reason or another. I also click into my “favorites” category and look for books written by authors who I really enjoyed the year before.

One of the series we didn’t keep up with was the Percheron Saga by Fiona McIntosh. I think the problem was that our library in Florida only had the first book and I never made the time to ILL the next book.

Well, thank goodness for our new library system (damn I love living here!) because Emissary was excellent.

It took me awhile to remember all of the characters but within the first 50 pages, I was deep into the story again and could barely put the book down. Goddesses, demons, dwarfs, odalisques, eunuchs – what’s not to love?

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