Library Loot - February 17, 2010

I thought I would share the list of the books I have out from the library... If my reading picks up, you might actually see reviews, too!

The Heart Specialist by Claire Rothman
The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley (re-loot)
The Mitfords: Letters Between Six Sisters (I actually think I am going to return this. I don't know the sisters very well and I am having an information overload. Think I need to start with maybe a biography...)
Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia

I have more to pick-up at the library. I was going too today, but the weather sucked, so I am going to get them tomorrow instead.

Madeleine L'Engle Read-Along - A Wind in the Door

Here it is the 15th, so that means announcing the second book in the Madeleine L'Engle Read-Along. I hope that there are still people reading it! I actually have all ready, so I will be posting a review of it soon. I hardly remembered the book at all, so it was almost like reading it for the very first time. I think it is my least favourite in the series, but I have to read the rest before saying for sure anymore.

It is November. When Meg comes home from school, Charles Wallace tells her he saw dragons in the twin’s vegetable garden. That night Meg, Calvin and C.W. go to the vegetable garden to meet the Teacher (Blajeny) who explains that what they are seeing isn’t a dragon at all, but a cherubim named Proginoskes. It turns out that C.W. is ill and that Blajeny and Proginoskes are there to make him well – by making him well, they will keep the balance of the universe in check and save it from the evil Echthros. Meg, Calvin and Mr. Jenkins (grade school principal) must travel inside C.W. to have this battle and save Charles’ life as well as the balance of the universe.

Leave links to reviews in the comments and feel free to use the comments as a discussion area.

Austenland by Shannon Hale

Here is a buddy review with Chris from book-a-rama. I have the first half of the discussion and she has the second. We coordinated dates, but I failed to ask her what time she was posting, so hopefully we are not too far off from each other!

Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane’s fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined.

Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen—or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It’s all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?

Chris: So first things first, did you like Austenland?

Kelly: For the most part I did. It was a little more fluffy than I normally read, but I don't think that Shannon Hale can write a bad book. I have read most of her young adult fiction, but this was my first time reading her adult fiction. I wasn't sure because it is Jane Austen fan-fiction, really, but I think that she pulled it off. The genre is getting a bit over-done for my taste, but this one was a worthwhile read. Nothing that I will have to reread, but an enjoyable experience nonetheless. What about you?

Chris: Yes, I did. This was my first Shannon Hale book. She's a very good writer. It was a fun read. I was never bored or felt that it lagged. I was even surprised by some of the twists at the end. I don't think I'll be re-reading either it but I did enjoy it while I was reading it.

Chris: What did you think of Pembrook Park? Would you like to take a vacation like that?

Kelly: I was thinking about this as I read the book and while it was fun to read about, I don't think it interests me that much. I am not very girlie in the 21st-century, so I am not very interested in the attire of that century either. It is fun to read about, but that's as far as I need to take it. That might change if the opportunity was presented to me, but for the moment I will take a pass.

Chris: An Austenland vacation would be right up my alley. It would be fun to dress up and play a part for awhile. I think it would be hard on the head, as Jane found out, trying to follow the rules and be the Austen girl when you know it's all fake. Some of the women had it down to an art though! They also spent a lot of time sitting around and playing whist. That might be a bit boring but no more so than a beach vacation.

Kelly: What did you think of the characters?

Chris: I like Jane even though at the beginning she annoyed me a bit. The men were interesting. I really didn't know how that was going to play out. I was a bit disappointed with Mr Nobley at the end. I thought "Miss Charming" was hilarious and was surprised by Amelia. The one thing that bothered me though was Mrs Wattlesbrook. What was her problem with Jane? Okay, so Jane's not rich but she's still getting paid.

Kelly: Yeah, the treatment of Jane by Mrs. Wattlesbrook was annoying. Maybe that is why she has such a humourous name? So you can hate her, but laugh at her at the same time. Amelia surprised me, too! That was one of the best-written characters in a novel, I think. I didn't expect what happened at all. I didn't really like Jane by times, but she grew on me by the end.

Chris: Stephanie (Written Word) just told me that Shannon Hale is writing a sequel. Do you have any interest in that? Or did the book end where you expected it to?

Kelly: A sequel? I don't really understand what the purpose of a sequel would be. I think that the book ended fine. There is not really much else that needs to be elaborated on... I'll probably still read it eventually because I read everything by her, but I don't really see the point of it. What do you think about it? What did you think about the ending in general? Did you like it?

Chris: I'd probably read it but, like you, I'm not sure what else there is to add to the story. I don't know how I feel about the end. There was a lot of build up- which guy will she choose?- but there was something a bit off. I think the guy seemed a little needy. I don't know how to explain my feelings on it without giving too much away.

Head on over to her blog to read the second half of the review!

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Father is missing! His top secret job as a physicist for the government has taken him away--but where?--and how? Meg and her younger brother, Charles Wallace, set out with their friend Calvin on an exciting adventure through time and space to search for him. With the help of the mysterious Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which, the youngsters learn to expect the unexpected as they move in the fifth dimension known as the "tesseract".

With this award-winning story, Madeline L'Engle has captivated millions of readers throughout the world. Her universal themes of courage, perseverance, and love are interwoven with imagination and suspense. A Wrinkle in Time, published in 1962, won the distinguished Newbery Medal for children's literature in 1963.

This is a perfect example of why the blogging community is such a wonderful thing. When I read this book for the first time I didn't know anyone else that had read it. I couldn't even find the rest of the books in the series easily! Thankfully there was Barnes & Noble. I bought almost all of L'Engle's novels fro the States this way. This was before Canada had joined in on the online shopping, so my options were limited. Then, I went to a Barnes & Noble when I was in Texas and they had a whole section of books by her! So, um, I had a very heavy suitcase coming home... Fast forward to the present day and I have actually met people that have read L'Engle before. Not only that, but a group of us are reading her together. I really wanted that when I read her the first time around, so it thrills me that it is a possibility now.

Anyways, so it was a few years ago that I read this book the last time. I bought a four-in-one edition and reread it then. I am always nervous that I will hate the book when I reread it, so I try not to reread it too often. It was one of my very first science-fiction novels, though, so I think that for the memories alone I will always consider it one of my favourite books. I know that I notice things now when I read it that I wasn't really aware of when I read it all those years ago for the first time. I am much more aware of the religious aspects, for example. When I read it as a kid I knew religion played a part, but I guess I didn't pay a lot of attention to it.

Meg is still one of my favourite characters. I still don't entirely get all the science involved in the book. Charles Wallace is still cute. The three ladies still amuse me. Calvin is still a really good male character. I still find the books a tad bit old-fashioned at times, but I found that when I read the book for the first time. I find that with all of her books, though. Many of her famous ones were written during a different period of time than the one we are living in now. What else can I say but that I am glad that I had the chance to read this book with others and I look forward to reading the rest of the series!

A Wind in the Door

It is February, so that means it is time for the second book in my Madeleine L'Engle read-along. Yay! I still have to post the review of A Wrinkle in Time, but that's nothing new for me! I also need to collect all the reviews that people have posted so that other people can read them... January was a hectic and stressful month. I apologize for being a slacker!

In the meantime, it is time to read A Wind in the Door. I actually have read it all ready and I hardly remembered it at all! It's not that I didn't like it, but I think it is my least favourite in the series. I look forward to hearing what other people have to say about it. Enjoy!

January Wrap-up 2010

I feel like I was just writing my wrap-up post for January 2009! Where does time go? I remember when I was a child time seemed to crawl by, but nowadays I feel like things go by much too fast. January was not a spectacular reading month. I read 20 books, but most of them were graphic novels.

1. The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye: Five Fairy Stories by A.S. Byatt (272 pgs)
2. Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere by Mike Carey & Glenn Fabry (graphic novel)
3. Dracula Adapted by Michael Mucci, Ben Caldwell, and BIll Halliar (graphic novel)
4. Black is for Beginnings by Laurie Faria Stolarz (graphic novel)
5. Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor (265 pages)
6. Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simners (256 pages)
7. A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quartet, Book 1) by Madeleine L'Engle (224 pages)
8. Austenland by Shannon Hale (196 pages)
9. Liar by Justine Larbalestier (376 pages)
10. The Baby-Sitters Club: A Graphic Novel - Kristy's Great Idea (Book 1) by Raina Telemeier (graphic novel)
11. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (199 pages)
12. Jack of Fables: Book Five - Turning Pages by Bill Willingham (graphic novel)
13. Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea by Guy Delisle (176 pages)
14. Miki Falls: Book 3 - Autumn by Mark Crilley (manga)
15. Detroit Metal City Volume 1 by Kiminori Wakasuci (manga)
16. Redwall: The Graphic Novel by Brian Jacques (graphic novel)
17. Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Death and Dementia Illustrated by Gris Grimly (graphic novel)
18. The Photographer: Into War-torn Afghanistan with Doctors Without Borders by Emmanuel Guibert (288 pages)
19. A Wind in the Door (Time Quartet, Book 2) by Madeleine L'Engle (224 pages)
20. Outlaw: The Legend of of Robin Hood by Tony Lee (graphic novel)

3rd Canadian Reading Challenge:
Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea by Guy Delisle

Japanese Reading Challenge:
This challenge wrapped up yesterday. I had hoped to read more, but my library didn't have a lot of Japanese books. I read two, though, so I am happy.
1. Obsasan by Joy Kogawa
2. Asleep by Banana Yoshimoto
I am happy that I joined in! Many thanks to Bellezza for hosting this challenge.

Women Unbound:
I have read books that could work for this challenge, but I still want to try and read non-fiction and I haven't done very well with that yet. We will see what happens. I might change my mind and include fiction if my non-fiction reading doesn't pick up.

The Christy Award Challenge:
Nothing for this one, either! I need to get cracking!

Terry Pratchett Reading Challenge:
Nothing this month, either...

Essay Reading Challenge:
Technically I have read essays, but since it is a book I am going to wait until I read the last few pages before counting them. Tune in February for that.

GLBT Reading Challenge:
Another challenge I didn't read anything for! My challenges are off to a bad start...

Flashback Reading Challenge:
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle
A Wind in the Door by Madeline L'Engle

TwentyTen Reading Challenge:
Young Adult
1. Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simners
2. Liar by Justine Larbalestier

T.B.R. **
1.
2.

Shiny & New
1. Jack of Fables: Book Five - Turning Pages by Bill Willingham
2.

Bad Blogger’s ***
1. Outlaw: The Legend of of Robin Hood by Tony Lee
2. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Charity
1.
2.

New in 2010
1.
2.

Older Than You
1.
2.

Win! Win!Who Are You Again?
1.
2.

Up to You! - Books in On-Going Series
1. Miki Falls: Book 3 - Autumn by Mark Crilley
2.

Graphic Novel Challenge:
Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere by Mike Carey & Glenn Fabry
Dracula Adapted by Michael Mucci, Ben Caldwell, and BIll Halliar
Black is for Beginnings by Laurie Faria Stolarz
The Baby-Sitters Club: A Graphic Novel - Kristy's Great Idea (Book 1) by Raina Telemeier
Jack of Fables: Book Five - Turning Pages by Bill Willingham
Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea by Guy Delisle
Redwall: The Graphic Novel by Brian Jacques
Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Death and Dementia Illustrated by Gris Grimly
The Photographer: Into War-torn Afghanistan with Doctors Without Borders by Emmanuel Guibert
Outlaw: The Legend of of Robin Hood by Tony Lee

Manga Challenge 2010:
I didn't technically join this challenge yet, but I meant to!
Miki Falls: Book 3 - Autumn by Mark Crilley (manga)
Detroit Metal City Volume 1 by Kiminori Wakasuci (manga)