Trevor: A Novella by James Lecesne

Trevor: A Novella by James Lecesne

Completion Date: November 6, 2012
Reason for Reading: Review Copy provided by Random House Canada.

Trevor is an exuberant, sociable, and witty thirteen year old. So how come, when he takes that nerve-wrecking turn toward his locker at school, does he feel scared and alone? Shunned by his friends, misunderstood by his parents, and harrassed at school for being different, Trevor goes from wondering what color glitter to choose for his Lady Gaga costume at Halloween, to wondering why some feelings "are so intense it makes you just want to lay down and die rather than go on feeling it," and making an attempt on his life. Trevor mixes humor and realism in an urgent look at what it is like to feel alienated from everything around you. And more importantly, what critical ties can step in at the most unlikely moment, to save you from despair, and give you reason to go on living.

Trevor is an update of the film version of the story, directed by Peggy Rajski, which won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short in 1994. The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning youth. As the recent attention to youth suicides has received increased media attention, and Dan Savage's IT GETS BETTER campaign has gone viral around the world, the public is finally beginning to face hard facts. Thirty-three percent of suicides among teenagers involve LGBTQ youth, one-third of all LGBT kids report having attempted suicide, and nine out of ten report overt harassment at school. Trevor is an effort to make those kids feel loved and supported, so they will find the strength to go on living.

In my effort to stick with short reads until I can jump-start my reading, I pulled this novella down off my stacks. When I was reading about it I saw: 'A compelling young adult novella of love, lose, and Lady Gaga, for anyone who has ever been shunned for being different'. Sounds interesting, huh? I think it was my curiosity on how Lady Gaga fit into the mix that really lead to me requesting a copy. Then, the book arrived and I sort of didn't remember why I requested it. And, I am not reading anyway so it sort of sat on my shelf. The other day I was doing some rearranging and saw that this was the story that inspired the 'Trevor Project'. I didn't know what the 'Trevor Project' was. I decided that I had to find out.

Trevor is a 13-year-old boy who is not like the other kids at school. He is dramatic, loves Lady Gaga, and might be gay. That sets him apart from the other students at school. He tries to fit in despite it all and even has moments where he is truly happy, but then the bullying starts. They say above that 33 percent of teen suicides are LGBT kids. No wonder! If they are treated even slightly like the kid in this book I can imagine thinking that not returning to school would be a good idea. Of course this lead to me thinking back on my own school experiences. I remember kids being mean, but I don't really remember kids being bullied to this degree. Was I just not paying attention? Are kids meaner nowadays? I always sort of danced to my own drum so it is possible I was just not aware of it.

I really liked Trevor. Lecesne makes him fly off the page. He captures his personality so well and you really feel for him as things go from bad to worse. The book is only a novella, so there is not a lot of room for development. If Lecesne can make you care about his character in such few pages, you know he is right on track. And, Lecesne cares in general. The Trevor Project is a hotline for LGBT teens that need someone to talk to. And it isn't even always teens that fit into those categories. It is teens that are feeling down and on the verge of taking dreadful actions and need someone to talk to first. I would love to think that avenues like this have kept the suicide rate down just that much more since their creation.

I found their website if anyone is curious. It is based in the United States, but I imagine the chat programs and such could be international.  A portion of the proceeds from this book goes to support The Trevor Project - so a Christmas present twice over, right? I am all ready revising my Christmas list to buy some copies as gifts. Hopefully this post will make some of you want to, too. I know many of you have teens or pre-teens and you never know... They might need something like this at some point in their young lives.

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Completion Date: June 29, 2012
Reason for Reading: Received a Review Copy.

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

In her exquisitely written fantasy debut, Rachel Hartman creates a rich, complex, and utterly original world. Seraphina's tortuous journey to self-acceptance is one readers will remember long after they've turned the final page.

I had heard some positive buzz about this book prior to its release, so when I was offered the chance to read it I knew it was a must. I have been slack with my fantasy reading the last few years and am always determined that I will remedy that. This seemed like a perfect opportunity to sneak a fantasy novel in with everything else I have been reading lately. And, I am so happy that I did. This book is easily one of my top reads of the year. If you haven't read it yet, you should!

I have always enjoyed books about dragons. I was told that the dragons in this book were a very creative idea and that people were enjoying her imagination. This intrigued me right from the start. And, I have to agree. Hartman approached what could be a bit of a tired subject with a totally different eye and created a very original world. I was impressed. I love the dragons and all the background information that she provides along the way. It seems very believable and brought the whole species to life. I cannot wait to see what is store for them in book two.

One of the things I most loved about this book is the use of 'girl power'. There are, of course, male characters but the spotlight is often on the girls. Seraphina is the main character and is often at the forefront of the action. Sometimes authors try too hard to make strong female characters and it comes across as being forced. Seraphina has had an interesting up-bringing that makes it easy to see how she became the girl she is in the novel. I never had a hard time believing her story. And, like the dragons, I cannot wait to see what becomes of her in book two. She is a very special girl and has a very interesting future ahead of her. Plus, she brings an element of music to the novel that is always fun.

The novel centres around court politics. Seraphina has decided to audition to be the assistant to the music director (maestro?) for the royal family. Her father is not happy with this decision, but Seraphina is talented and cannot remain locked up in her family forever. Her mother died when she was born and she has never been entirely accepted by her step-mother and half-siblings. She has always been a bit different. Her music teacher is a dragon after all. It is unusual for someone to have such a close relationship with a dragon, but it works well for her. She has the patience, most of the time, to understand him. It opens up many different elements to the novel and adds to the action that builds as the story progresses. The anniversary of the treaty between dragons and humans is near and this means revisiting the distrust that existed between them for generations. There were wars and humans are a bit divided on how they feel about dragons even now.

Ultimately, I think I have said enough because anything else would be a spoiler. I just think you should read the book for yourself and become a big fan like me.

My thanks to Random House Canada for my copy of the book.

MWF seeking BFF: My Yearlong Search for a New Best Friend by Rachel Bertsche

MWF seeking BFF: My Yearlong Search for a New Best Friend by Rachel Bertsche

Completion Date: January 2, 2012
Reason for Reading: Review Copy Provided by Random House Canada.

When Rachel Bertsche first moves to Chicago, she’s thrilled to finally share a zip code, let alone an apartment, with her boyfriend. But shortly after getting married, Bertsche realizes that her new life is missing one thing: friends. Sure, she has plenty of BFFs—in New York and San Francisco and Boston and Washington, D.C. Still, in her adopted hometown, there’s no one to call at the last minute for girl talk over brunch or a reality-TV marathon over a bottle of wine. Taking matters into her own hands, Bertsche develops a plan: She’ll go on fifty-two friend-dates, one per week for a year, in hopes of meeting her new Best Friend Forever. 

In her thought-provoking, uproarious memoir, Bertsche blends the story of her girl-dates (whom she meets everywhere from improv class to friend rental websites) with the latest social research to examine how difficult—and hilariously awkward—it is to make new friends as an adult. In a time when women will happily announce they need a man but are embarrassed to admit they need a BFF, Bertsche uncovers the reality that no matter how great your love life is, you’ve gotta have friends. (From Random House Canada)

This book was meant to be my last read of 2011, but things did not exactly go to plan. Instead it was my first read of 2012. I am hoping that means 2012 will have lots of non-fiction in it because I have been slacking on that lately. I am reading another non-fiction book right now, so maybe! Anyway I read this book because of Lindsey at Reeder Reads. She has had lots of good things to say about it and you can read her review of the book here. I am not so sure I would have picked the book up otherwise. My non-fiction radar tends to be more for historical works and not as many memoirs of sorts.

Anyway, I am very happy I read this book because I could entirely relate to it. In the book Rachel has moved to a different city and has lost her close-knit group of friends in close proximity. To aid in this she sets out to go on 52 friend dates in the hopes she will find a BFF in the mix. I applaud her effort. She goes all out to try and find a social life in an entirely different city. She has her husband, but there are just some things you need a really close friend for. Her husband even entirely supports her effort to go out and seek new friends because he understands that she needs it. She shares statistics about how people that have a large social network tend to live longer. And, women need friendship in a different way than men. I have noticed that one without it being pointed out to me.

I have to say that I enjoyed this book. Rachel has a very fun writing style and is very readable. It was great to read about her experiences and she knew to keep it short when it wasn't all that important to the overall experience. I think many women can appreciate what she is trying to do in this book because there are lots that do not have the social network they desire. It is hard to have, though, unless you are willing to admit you need it. I think this book is worth reading and I am glad that I had the chance to. Plus, she is a blogger and it is always important to support fellow bloggers. I hope if you have a chance you will give this book a read.

If you are interested you can read an excerpt from the book on the Random House web site here. My thanks to Random House Canada for providing my copy of the book.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Completion Date: September 10, 2011

Reason for Reading: R.I.P. VI Challenge

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

I have decided to torture myself and attempt to review two books that I loved in a row. I am not sure how much justice I really did to The Way of Kings, but here I am again wanting to gush and cheer about another wonderful book. Seriously, I loved this book. It will be on my best of list for the end of the year. If you are living under a rock and are not caught up in the fever surrounding this book, come out from under the rock and get a copy! It was all sorts of wonderful and deserves lots and lots of enthusiastic praise! I knew from the first moment I heard about this book that I was going to have to read it, so I was very excited when I received a review copy from Random House Canada. If I am particularly excited about a book I like to read it a bit ahead of the masses.

I have found over the years that I really enjoy books that have a circus setting. There is something magical about circuses and it appeals to me. This book has a magic circus, which I loved the idea of, so I knew I was going to enjoy reading all about it. Firstly, I would love to visit the circus mentioned in this book. I think I could easily become one of the people that is captivated by it and follows it around the world. The glimpses into the exhibits captured my imagination and made me want to hear everything I could about them. It would be one of my greatest delights to see them in person. Secondly, Morgenstern writes really well and captures this world in such vivid detail. I loved it! It isn't just about the circus, but also about the late 19th to early 20th century that this book takes place in. She captures the time period really well.

For those wondering just what they are getting themselves into with this book, picture this: A famous magician finds out that he has a daughter when she is dropped on his doorstep. He quickly discovers that she has amazing powers as a magician in her own rights. It turns out that her father used to teach students to train in a complex game setting. When he cultivates his daughters' abilities a bit, he decides that the time is here for another challenge. He calls in a mysterious man to train someone to be competition for his daughter. When they get to be a certain age, this fantastic circus is created for them and they use their powers to manipulate the elements. They do things not only to the performers themselves, but they also create awe-inspiring tents and performances. Celia Bowen, the magicians daughter, performs with the circus, while her competition, Marco, is the assistant of the man who owns the circus. The rules of the game are never really explained to them and they go through most of their lives not even knowing who they are competing against. When they do find out, though, the circus becomes about much more than just a game.

This book is just so vibrant. I loved sitting down with each time and couldn't wait to visit with the characters again and again. They all come alive and my description above is just the basic story -there is so much more going on. I strongly recommend this book!

This book counts for the R.I.P. Challenge VI.

Thanks to Random House Canada for sending me a copy of this book!

Next to Love by Ellen Feldman

Next to Love by Ellen Feldman

Completion Date: August 11, 2011

Reason for Reading: Received review copy from Random House via NetGalley.

"War . . . next to love, has most captured the world's imagination."-Eric Partridge, British lexicographer, 1914

A story of love, war, loss, and the scars they leave, Next to Love follows the lives of three young women and their men during the years of World War II and its aftermath, beginning with the men going off to war and ending a generation later, when their children are on the cusp of their own adulthood.

Set in a small town in Massachusetts, the novel follows three childhood friends, Babe, Millie, and Grace, whose lives are unmoored when their men are called to duty. And yet the changes that are thrust upon them move them in directions they never dreamed possible-while their husbands and boyfriends are enduring their own transformations. In the decades that follow, the three friends lose their innocence, struggle to raise their children, and find meaning and love in unexpected places. And as they change, so does America-from a country in which people know their place in the social hierarchy to a world in which feminism, the Civil Rights movement, and technological innovations present new possibilities-and uncertainties. And yet Babe, Millie, and Grace remain bonded by their past, even as their children grow up and away and a new society rises from the ashes of the war.

Beautifully crafted and unforgettable, Next to Love depicts the enduring power of love and friendship, and illuminates a transformational moment in American history.

I tend to read all over the place, but there are a few trends in my reading. I enjoy books connected with World War 1 or World War 2. There is just something about those time periods that appeal to me. I enjoy reading about their lifestyles, the sacrifice, and the repercussions of countries at war. It is not a pleasant time in our history, but it has had lasting effects on the world that we live in today. I think that is why I love history as a whole. I enjoy watching the country evolve and pin-pointing changes throughout history.

I had been seeing reviews of this book here and there and it sounded right up my alley. This is a book about 3 women on the Homefront and what it was like for them during and after the Second World War. That is not a subject I see a lot of books about; so I was interested to see how Feldman pulled it off. I cannot even imagine what it was like to either be off fighting during the wars or what it was like for those that were left behind. These women had to fend for themselves and never entirely know if their loved ones would make it back alive. And, if they did, they would be drastically changed from the men they originally said good-bye to.

What I really enjoyed about this book, though, was it went many years beyond the war and showed just how lasting its effects could be. I found that all really fascinating, to be honest. It was something I have thought a lot about. My grandfather fought in World War 2 and I didn't come around until many years later and you could still tell the war stuck with him. He refused to talk about it except to say how disheartened he was by the aftermath. He used to say it sickened him how the men he knew came home and drowned their sorrows in alcohol because they knew no other way to cope. There were packages to give money to returning soldiers, as is shown several times in this book, but there was not always the support. These men came home different people and it was up to them and their loved ones to adapt. It was not always easy.

This novel follows Babe, Millie, and Grace. When their men go off to fight in the war, they are still very young. The before time was a time of innocence, but as the novel progresses and the war drags on you say a drastic change in them. It only gets worse when some of the men don't make it home at all and those that do have been changed drastically. When the war ends these women essentially have to start their lives over all over again. They always remain friends because of their bonds as young children, but it is apparent that things will never be the same. There are many moments where they do not understand each other at all.

Babe feels lost because she never has children of her own, despite wanting some, so has to find other ways to occupy her time. There are moments where she feels like as her husband is getting better, she is getting worse. It is through her that was experience the events of the Civil Rights and Feminist Movements. Through Millie we experience what it is like to be married to a Jewish man after the war has ended. The Americans fought against those that wanted to eradicate the entire religion, but when the ashes settle they do not always treat them very fairly considering they helped win them their freedom. Grace is struggling just to get by from day to day. She feels lost in this new world and doesn't always make the best choices.

Overall, I found this book was a great exploration of what it was like living during and after World War 2. My only major issue was that the author felt she needed to make sex such a big part of the story. I think the book would have been just as effective if she hadn't concentrated on this quite so much. The book was still written well enough that I enjoyed reading it, though, and I look forward to diving into Feldman's backlist. I guess what I am trying to say is that even though I didn't love this book, I still recommend it.

This book counts for the Historical Fiction Challenge.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Completion Date: July 11, 2011
Reason for Reading: Jessica, from Random House Canada, said: "The Hunger Games meets Oryx and Crake. A dystopian novel you won’t be able to put down." Needless to say, I was intrigued!

This fast-paced YA debut novel has it all: smart, savvy characters making their way through an eerily dystopian society, with all the requisite action, adventure and romance characteristic of the genre vividly and at times, chillingly, portrayed.

In a wild and lawless future, where life is cheap and survival is hard, eighteen-year-old Saba lives with her father, her twin brother Lugh, her young sister Emmi and her pet crow Nero. Theirs is a hard and lonely life. The family resides in a secluded shed, their nearest neighbour living many miles away and the lake, their only source of water and main provider of food, gradually dying from the lack of rain. But Saba's father refuses to leave the place where he buried his beloved wife, Allis, nine years ago. Allis died giving birth to Emmi, and Saba has never forgiven her sister for their mother's death.

But while she despises Emmi, Saba adores her twin brother Lugh. Golden-haired and blue-eyed, loving and good, he seems the complete opposite to dark-haired Saba, who is full of anger and driven by a ruthless survival instinct. To Saba, Lugh is her light and she is his shadow, he is the day, she is the nighttime, he is beautiful, she is ugly, he is good, she is bad.

So Saba's small world is brutally torn apart, when a group of armed riders arrives five day's after the twin's eighteenth birthday snatch Lugh away. Saba's rage is so wild, that she manages to drive the men away, but not before they have captured Lugh and killed their father.

And here begins Saba's epic quest to rescue Lugh, during which she is tested by trials she could not have imagined, and one that takes the reader on breathtaking ride full or romance, physical adventure and unforgettably vivid characters, making this a truly sensational YA debut novel.

This book was a release for June that I was intrigued about reading, but wasn't rushing to do so. I like Dystopian novels, but I am not as big a fan as other people are. I actually forgot what it was about this book that lead me to request it in the first place! June was just a very off reading month for me and I am scrambling to get caught-up. I am very happy to read this book because I enjoyed it. I knew I probably would because it came so well recommended. I love Oryx & Crake and, although I didn't love the entire trilogy, I enjoyed The Hunger Games itself. I think that is another reason why I was hesitant to read this book. It was compared to two very well-written books and had big shoes to fill as a result.

I think dystopian books are particularly frightening at the moment because we see so many warning signs now. There is crazy weather patterns over most of the planet and Nostradamus predicted that world would be ending in December of next year. If either of these events lead to doom and gloom then it makes dystopian novels even more frightening. I would not want to live in the worlds represented in these books. This book was no exception. The thing that attracted my interest in this book was that this book could be true right now because there are many things that happen in the book that are happening in the 'real' world. One that comes to mind is that as a society, people have become addicted to a drug and those that have the drug are ruling the world and controlling the masses. I try to shy away from politics on my blog, but this made me think of this black substance called oil that is basically ruling our current culture. I might be reading too much into this aspect of the book, but that is what it made me think of.

Moving on. This is the story of Saba who has lived a very isolated lifestyle. The next thing she knows, though, strange men appear and take her twin brother away. Her father is killed as a result and her and her sister are left to fend for themselves in a world that do not even begin to understand. Saba has no idea why Lugh was taken, but she promises him that she will save him. That is the basic plot for the story. Obviously, it is a mean world out there, though, and Saba has a lot more to contend with than she originally thought. She is a strong, determined young woman. She can be suspicious, but her isolation has also left her a tad naive. She is not about to give-up without a fight, though, and for that I really enjoyed her character.

This book has all the inevitable traits of the young adult novel in this day and age, but still managed to suck me in. Young wrote characters that I really enjoyed and look forward to see more from in the future. There is romance, of course, but handled better than I hoped. The love that Saba feels for her brother is much more important, but I imagine if there is a sequel there will have to be more development of the romance. As long as there are no threesomes, obsession, and other annoyances, the romance has a lot of potential to not drive me nuts. I am mostly curious to see what Saba will do next. She is a character worth reading about and so far a very good role model for young adults reading this series... trilogy... I assume there is a sequel!

I recommend this to anyone looking for strong characters, good story-line, and a fresh take on the dystopian novel.

Thanks to Random House Canada for sending me a copy of this book!

Spell Bound (Women of the Otherworld Series, Book 12) by Kelley Armstrong

Spell Bound (Women of the Otherworld Series, Book 12) by Kelley Armstrong

Completion Date: July 25, 2011

Reason for Reading: Carry on with the series.

Savannah Levine is in terrible danger, and for once she’s powerless to help herself. At the conclusion of Waking the Witch, Savannah swore that she would give up her powers if it would help a young girl. Little did she know that someone would take her up on that promise.

And now, witch hunting assassins, necromancers, half-demons, and rogue witches all seem to be after her. The threat is not just for Savannah; every member of the Otherworld might be at risk. While most her fellow supernaturals are circling the wagons at a gathering of the council in Miami, Savannah is caught on the road, isolated from those who can protect her and unable to use her vast spell casting talent, the thing she counts on most. In a story that will change the shape of the Otherworld forever, Spell Bound gathers Elena, Clay, Paige, Lucas, Jamie, Hope, and others, who soon learn that the greatest threat to supernaturals just may come from within.

I have to start by saying this is the 12th book in the series and I have read the 11 that came before it. This is very rare for me. I am terrible with series and usually stall after only a couple books. I love this series, though, and made a concentrated effort to catch-up in it last year or the year before. There was only one book I was less than thrilled with, Dime Store Magic, but otherwise I have loved this series and always look forward to each new book. There has been talk that book thirteen will be the last one and that makes me sad.

Like Waking the Witch before it, this book was narrated by Savannah Levine. She is the 21-year-old witch that we have watched grow-up during the course of these books. She still kind of annoys me, but that's the point. She is supposed to be impulsive and strong-willed. The thing I really liked about this book was that Armstrong managed to work in many of the main characters from other books in the series. During the course of the book we see Elena, Clay, Hope, Jaime, Jeremy, Karl, Adam, Paige, Lucas, Cassandra, Aaron, and possibly other people that I am not thinking of at the moment. They all have been worked into the story in such a way that it didn't feel like the series was getting near the end and she wanted to work as many old favourites in as possible. It just seemed like a natural progression. I have grown attached to many of these characters over 12 books and continue to enjoying learning more about them.

In Waking the Witch, Savannah ends the book by finding she has lost her powers. Then the book ends. This book takes place literally right after she makes that discovery and carries on from there. This is actually like a trilogy inside a larger series. This book and the one before it had a bit of a cliff-hanger ending and could essentially be one book. That's typically how this series works anyway. There are novels about the werewolves and novels about the witches. There are other supernatural races represented but since Hope is with Karl and Jeremy is with Jaime, etc, they still fit into those two categories. I think this is why this series works so well. It has the same characters, but they are not necessarily present in each book. It keeps the series fresh.

I am pretty amazed by just how much is going on in essentially a not very long book. Savannah is dealing with her loss of powers, but there is also a war coming. A group of Supernaturals have decided that they should 'come out' to humans. Since humans outnumber them by a great deal, this is probably a bad idea. That's what Savannah and her group think, anyway. This leads to all sorts of problems and brings up events from previous books and characters that we thought we had heard the last of in really creative ways. I am looking forward to the next book to clear everything up and reveal all the secrets.

This was another great addition to one of my favourite series!

Thanks to Random House for sending me a copy of this book!

Women of the Otherworld Series:

Bitten

Stolen

Dime Store Magic

Industrial Magic

Haunted

Broken

No Humans Involved

Personal Demon

Living With the Dead

Frostbitten

Waking the Witch

Spell Bound

Wow, 12 books in the series and I have only not reviewed one of them! That's actually rather impressive for me...

The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb by Melanie Benjamin

The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb by Melanie Benjamin

Completion Date: July 19, 2011

Reason for Reading: Received review copy from Random House Canada.

In her national bestseller Alice I Have Been, Melanie Benjamin imagined the life of the woman who inspired Alice in Wonderland. Now, in this jubilant new novel, Benjamin shines a dazzling spotlight on another fascinating female figure whose story has never fully been told: a woman who became a nineteenth century icon and inspiration—and whose most daunting limitation became her greatest strength.

“Never would I allow my size to define me. Instead, I would define it.”

She was only two-foot eight-inches tall, but her legend reaches out to us more than a century later. As a child, Mercy Lavinia “Vinnie” Bump was encouraged to live a life hidden away from the public. Instead, she reached out to the immortal impresario P. T. Barnum, married the tiny superstar General Tom Thumb in the wedding of the century, and transformed into the world’s most unexpected celebrity.

Here, in Vinnie’s singular and spirited voice, is her amazing adventure—from a showboat “freak” revue where she endured jeering mobs to her fateful meeting with the two men who would change her life: P. T. Barnum and Charles Stratton, AKA Tom Thumb. Their wedding would captivate the nation, preempt coverage of the Civil War, and usher them into the White House and the company of presidents and queens. But Vinnie’s fame would also endanger the person she prized most: her similarly-sized sister, Minnie, a gentle soul unable to escape the glare of Vinnie’s spotlight.

A barnstorming novel of the Gilded Age, and of a woman’s public triumphs and personal tragedies, The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb is the irresistible epic of a heroine who conquered the country with a heart as big as her dreams—and whose story will surely win over yours.

In a post stating new releases for the coming year, I saw mention of this book. It sounded different, so I knew I was going to have to give it a try. I had heard of Melanie Benjamin following the success of her debut novel, but this was my first time reading her. Can I just start with the gushing now? I loved this book! This is the story of Mercy Lavinia "Vinnie" Warren Bump, better known as the wife of General Tom Thumb, and her life and adventures. And what a life of adventures she had. Vinnie is a Little Person, but she never let her size hold her back. This book is amazing for what she accomplished in her life, but for the times it would have been equally as amazing if she was a woman of average height. She saw the world and did things that most women couldn't claim to have done.

I had no idea that Vinnie was a real person. I had never heard of her before, so I think Benjamin is doing her a great service by bringing attention to her once again. She loved the limelight and the attention, so I am sure even now she would be thrilled. In the notes at the back of the book, Benjamin points out that if Vinnie has been born nowadays, she would have been given growth hormone and likely been average height. Instead, she rose to fame by being a perfectly formed Little Person. She also a sister, Minnie, born with the same problem. When Vinnie married Tom Thumb (Charles Stratton), she was working for P.T. Barnum and he had a grand idea of her sister joining the show and four Little People traveling the world together. Minnie was not like her sister, but she grew up fast in this hectic lifestyle and would eventually die in childbirth.

Vinnie was a fascinating character. She was determined that her size would not define her -despite the fact she got her jobs because of her size in the first place. She thought her talent was important, too, so while the men that she worked for saw her size, she saw a crowd of people there to see her and a chance for her to shine. Her first employer was a terrible experience, but despite ups and downs she had a wonderful chance at a career with Barnum's crazy ideas. If she had never joined his show, Benjamin would probably not have even knew of her to write a book about her. He made her famous and the acquaintance of anyone that was anyone in the world she inhabited.

My enjoyment of this book is because I found Vinnie's life so interesting, but it is also because Benjamin captures everything so well. She obviously had to imagine in the details, but she did it in such a way that it seemed believable. You really could see Vinnie at the end of her life recording all that had happened to her. The world in which she inhabits really comes alive, too. Benjamin really did her research on the times and places that Vinnie encountered, but she also includes newspaper clippings to set the stage for what was happening in the larger world during these times. I thought that was a nice touch.

Overall an excellent book that will be finding a place on my best of list at the end of the year.

Thanks very much to Random House Canada for sending me this wonderful book! It counts for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Completion Date: July 10, 2011

Reason for Reading: Received a review copy of the 20th Anniversary Edition.

In Outlander, a 600-page time-travel romance, strong-willed and sensual Claire Randall leads a double life with a husband in one century, and a lover in another. Torn between fidelity and desire, she struggles to understand the pure intent of her heart. But don't let the number of pages and the Scottish dialect scare you. It's one of the fastest reads you'll have in your library.

While on her second honeymoon in the British Isles, Claire touches a boulder that hurls her back in time to the forbidden Castle Leoch with the MacKenzie clan. Not understanding the forces that brought her there, she becomes ensnared in life-threatening situations with a Scots warrior named James Fraser. But it isn't all spies and drudgery that she must endure. For amid her new surroundings and the terrors she faces, she is lured into love and passion like she's never known before.

I was lame and sore in every muscle when I woke next morning. I shuffled to the privy closet, then to the wash basin. My innards felt like churned butter. It felt as though I had been beaten with a blunt object, I reflected, then thought that that was very near the truth. The blunt object in question was visible as I came back to bed, looking now relatively harmless. Its possessor [Jamie] woke as I sat next to him, and examined me with something that looked very much like male smugness."

Gabaldon creates characters that you'll remember, laugh with, cry with, and cheer for long after you've finished the book.

Another reread! I don't reread a lot, so this is impressive. I had the chance to get the 20th Anniversary edition of this book from Random House Canada, so I decided now was the perfect time to revisit the book. I originally read the book back in 2006 and posted a review. That means it has been just over 5 years since I read the book last. I enjoyed my experience with it once again. It is not my normal sort of read to begin with, but there is enough other elements that I enjoy. I still have never read on in the series. I thought maybe after finishing the book for the second time I would feel compelled to; but I still think the first book ends satisfactory and have no burning desire to read on.

I am not even sure if there is much point saying much about this book. It has been around for 20 years and I have heard my fair share about it. I was happy to discover through my reread that while I remembered the basics of the story, there were still things that I felt like I was reading for the first time. I also had a different experience with the book this time. The first time I read it, I wasn't entirely sure what I was getting myself into. I am not a big fan of romance novels and that is pretty much what this is. I was a bit intrigued by the historical aspect, though, and the idea that there was time travel. This time, I knew that I loved it before and I was a bit worried it wouldn't hold true this time around. I am happy to report that I loved this book all over again and am excited I will have the 20th Anniversary Edition to read again in the future.

If you are one of the about 10 people that haven't read this book, you really should give it a try. It makes me wish I reread more often, but I know that will only last until I see a new book and my attention is drawn off into that direction. I still might read on in the series one day, but I am happy to have just read this book and loved it as much as I did.

My thanks to Random House Canada for sending me a copy of this book!

You can read an excerpt from this book here.

The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants: Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares

The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants: Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares

Completion Date: June 8, 2011

Reason for Reading: Finish the series.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ann Brashares comes the welcome return of the characters whose friendship became a touchstone for a generation. Now Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget have grown up, starting their lives on their own. And though the jeans they shared are long gone, the sisterhood is everlasting.

Despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn’t take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can’t seem to shed her old restlessness.

Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever—but in ways that none of them could ever have expected.

As moving and life-changing as an encounter with long-lost best friends, Sisterhood Everlasting is a powerful story about growing up, losing your way, and finding the courage to create a new one.

I am really surprised to say this, but I really wound up liking this book. I was having a bit of a hard time getting into things at the time, but this book was entirely different from what I had been reading and it worked really well. This is the fifth book in the famous Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series and is hands-down the best of the lot. The characters are older, though, so that could be part of the appeal. It was really interesting to see what happened to them in the 10 years since the 4th book took place. They think that have everything that they wanted from life, but drastic changes take place that change everything. I was a bit worried about the direction the book was going in, but it actually all worked out for me.

The four friends have been close since they were babies, but things have happened in the last 10 years that has driven them apart. A lot of it is distance and not knowing how to bridge it anymore when it is only part of the group. Tibby has moved all the way to Australia, so she is not in close contact at all. She decides, though, that the four of them have to reconnect and so she sends them plane tickets to do just that. After this, nothing will ever be the same again. The first problem is that after the reunion, things have changed so much that the girls still don't know how to connect with each other. It isn't until other events happen that Tibby finally succeeds in bringing them together.

It was a touching story and yes, it was a bit of a coming-of-age story. Normally I don't like that so much, but it suited my mood at the time. These were characters that I had spent time with before, though, so it made it a story that I was all ready invested in. I think writing a book that followed up right after the fourth book never would have worked. It was a smart idea to set it in the future and then flash back to the events that happened during those years when it pertains to the story.

I quite enjoyed this book. It was a satisfying end to the series.

I received this book for review from Random House Canada.

Series:

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood

Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood

Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood

Sisterhood Everlasting

The Orphan's Tales: In the Cities of Coin and Spice by Catherynne M. Valente

The Orphan's Tales: In the Cities of Coin and Spice by Catherynne M. Valente

Completion Date: May 20, 2011

Reason for Reading: Carry on with series.

Catherynne M. Valente enchanted readers with her spellbinding In the Night Garden. Now she continues to weave her storytelling magic in a new book of Orphan’s Tales—an epic of the fantastic and the exotic, the monstrous and mysterious, that will transport you far away from the everyday….

Her name and origins are unknown, but the endless tales inked upon this orphan’s eyelids weave a spell over all who listen to her read her secret history. And who can resist the stories she tells? From the Lake of the Dead and the City of Marrow to the artists who remain behind in a ghost city of spice, here are stories of hedgehog warriors and winged skeletons, loyal leopards and sparrow calligraphers. Nothing is too fantastic, anything can happen, but you’ll never guess what comes next in these intimately linked adventures of firebirds and djinn, singing manticores, mutilated unicorns, and women made entirely of glass and gears. Graced with the magical illustrations of Michael Kaluta, In the Cities of Coins and Spice is a book of dreams and wonders unlike any you’ve ever encountered. Open it anywhere and you will fall under its spell. For here the story never ends and the magic is only beginning….

This book is a perfect example of reading series in a timely manner. I still enjoyed the book overall, but I am sure there were details that I missed because it had been so long since I read the first book. There really was no reason for the delay, either. I am pretty sure I have owned this book since it came out, so I could have read it right then. Instead, I was getting a copy of her newest book and decided I should read what's on my TBR pile by her first. I still remembered the overall story, so it wasn't an entire disaster, but in the future I plan to read both books near each other so I can see if I missed anything.

This duology has always appealed to me because it is like you are sitting around a campfire listening to a story. I have always enjoyed having stories read aloud to me, and this is written in such a way that you can hear the story in your mind like someone is reading it to you. It is a refreshing change, too. I am all for things that are different. This story makes use of other elements from stories, but in an original way that will appeal to readers. I read it at a good time because I was in the mood for something different. I feel like I have been reading the same thing over and over again lately. I felt that this was a satisfying end to the set, too. I enjoyed the ending and how the story progressed to that point. This was a story with lots of fantastical moments that worked really well overall. There was nothing that didn't fit the story even if it seemed like a strange idea. I enjoy when an author can blend things together and make them work.

Overall, this was another great book by Catherynne Valente. A young woman sits in a garden and tells a story to an upper class young man. He lives for the stories and sneaks away to hear more of them over time. To many she is considered an outsider and to be avoided, but he makes her feel like she belongs. I strongly recommend reading the other book first. This is not a series that you should read out of order. I recommend it strongly, though, and look forward to more from Valente in the future.

This book counts for the Once Upon a Time V challenge.

I received this book from Random House Canada to review.

Series:

In the Night Garden

In the Cities of Coin and Spice

Waking the Witch (Women of the Otherworld Series, Book 11) by Kelley Armstrong

The new novel in Kelley Armstrong's bestselling Women of the Otherworld series showcases the fascinating Savannah Levine, a powerful young witch with a rebellious past and a troublesome heritage.

The orphaned daughter of a sorcerer and a half-demon, Savannah is a terrifyingly powerful young witch who has never been able to resist the chance to throw her magical weight around. But at twenty-one she knows she needs to grow up and prove to her guardians, Paige and Lucas, that she can be a responsible member of their supernatural detective agency. So she jumps at the chance to fly solo, investigating the mysterious deaths of three young women in a nearby factory town, as a favour to one of the agency's associates. At first glance, the murders look garden-variety human, but on closer inspection signs point to otherworldly stakes.

Soon Savannah is in over her head. She's run off the road and nearly killed, haunted by a mystery stalker and freaked out when the brother of one of the dead women is murdered when he tries to investigate the crime. To complicate things, something weird is happening to her powers. Pitted against shamans, demons, a voodoo-inflected cult and garden-variety goons, Savannah has to fight to ensure her first case isn't her last. And she also has to ask for help, perhaps the hardest lesson she's ever had to learn.

I read this before the R.I.P. challenge started, but since it needs to be reviewed eventually I decided that this time of the year was the perfect time for it. This is the latest novel in Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series. Before I get into the book, though, I wanted to ask where this series is shelved in your local bookstore? I noticed within the last year that it has started appearing in the horror section at mine. I know the new released covers are black and maybe a little dark, but horror? They always used to be in with the regular fiction, which I never agreed with either. I think of them as fantasy. Patricia Briggs, for example, writes essentially the same type of books and she has always been in the fantasy section. I just think that Armstrong is the type of author that people that don't even read fantasy would enjoy, but putting them in the horror section is really misleading. Thoughts on this?

Now, on to the book. If you read my review of Frostbitten, which was a discussion with Marg, you will know that the witch books are not my favourite of the bunch. I am a fan of the werewolf books first and foremost, but Savannah and Paige have grown up a lot and are starting to interest me a lot more than they did. When Dime Store Magic came out, Paige was in her 20's and Savannah was just young. Now, Savannah is almost the same age as Paige was when she became her ward. Savannah is a different personality to Paige, though, and that means she acts a lot different. She has attitude, drives a motorcycle, etc. Paige is all about the her work and was always a bit calmer. It makes for an interesting contrast. This is Savannah's book, though.

As I said above, Savannah lives with Paige (and Lucas). Paige and Lucas run a successful business solving cases in the paranormal community. Savannah has been left home alone, though, while Paige and Lucas go away on a trip together. While they are away a case appears and Savannah is determined to solve it by herself and prove to Paige that she is ready to take on more responsibility. This book turns out to be a bit of a murder mystery, but paranormal in style. I feel like you really get to know Savannah in this book. She has always really been a secondary character, but now she is taking the reins and coming into her own. There are other characters in the book, but this is really all about her. Savannah is perfectly capable of holding her own, but sometimes she discovers that she needs the people around her. This book was a learning experience for her.

Once again, I loved this book. With the exception of one book, I have really enjoyed all of the books in this series. Considering this is an 11 book series and there are two short story collections; I think Armstrong is doing really well! I continue to get excited every time there is a new book in the series and even though it has been going on for a while now, I don't find that anything is getting old. I would gladly read this series for many more books to come, so hopefully they continue. There are still so many characters that I want to see more of and many more story-lines that should be developed. The next book in the series once again deals with Savannah. Considering how this book ended, I am really interested to see what is going to happen next!

If you haven't read this series, you really should! The first book is Bitten.

Thanks to Random House Canada for a review copy of this book!

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

Today I have a buddy review with Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader. I am in white and she in green... I think! I never know what colors will work!

In 1937 Shanghai—the Paris of Asia—twenty-one-year-old Pearl Chin and her younger sister, May, are having the time of their lives. Both are beautiful, modern, and carefree—until the day their father tells them that he has gambled away their wealth. To repay his debts, he must sell the girls as wives to suitors who have traveled from Los Angeles to find Chinese brides. As Japanese bombs fall on their beloved city, Pearl and May set out on the journey of a lifetime, from the Chinese countryside to the shores of America. Though inseparable best friends, the sisters also harbor petty jealousies and rivalries. Along the way they make terrible sacrifices, face impossible choices, and confront a devastating, life-changing secret, but through it all the two heroines of this astounding new novel hold fast to who they are—Shanghai girls.

When Lisa See has a new historical fiction book out I am always really really excited! I have to admit that Chinese history is not an aspect of history I know a lot about, but I feel like I am learning just a bit more every time I read one of See's novels. Her novels are works of fiction, of course, but they are set against real events with characters that are compelling. This book was another strong book by her and I am happy to hear that there is going to be a sequel. How did you find that this book was compared to See's other books?

I remember being very excited when I saw this was out too, and yet it has taken me ages to actually getting around to reading it. I have borrowed it from the library quite a few times and returned it unread. It's one of those books that I wish I had read earlier!

I actually thought this book was very different from the other historical fiction novels I have read by her. There is the same emphasis on Chinese tradition, but the story is much more modern, and I thought a lot more confronting. This was mainly because of the fact that much of the story happened in relatively modern times, being 60 or 70 years ago rather than several hundred years, and yet I am sure that there are still people around who feel the repercussions of the segregation and fear that enveloped our main characters. I found it very interesting that whilst Pearl and May lived in Shanghai, they were very influenced by Western culture, and yet, once they made it to America, Pearl in particular felt very boxed in to becoming more and more Chinese.

Do you think that the two girls had any choice in this matter?


I think that the girls are products of their up-bringing combined with their personalities. I think if things had played out differently for Pearl than she would have turned out differently, but she really changed during the problems in Shanghai. May, though, had a very different life and still wanted men to look at her and see her as a 'Beautiful Girl'. What she did while in America was all related to this in many ways. Whether or not they could have avoided how they turned out, though, is hard to say really. It would depend on what changed in their lives.

I agree with you that this book was rather different than the other two books she wrote, but that turned out to be a good thing. I really enjoyed the way that she chose to look at this time period and felt that I learned a lot as a result. I really liked both Pearl and May, so enjoyed watching their story progress. It wasn't just their story, though. You watched many of the characters in the book develop so that they were 'real' characters. I really like when an author can pull that off.

What was your favourite scene in the book?

I am not sure that I can choose a favourite scene in the book in the usual way where you choose a heart warming moment, but the scenes that have remained with me are the graphic ones. Very early in the book Pearl and May are caught up in a bombing in Shanghai, and the sense of terror, and the terrible scenes witnessed are probably what will stay with me long after finishing this novel. Similarly, the scene in the room with their mother as they are trying to get out of China was quite graphic, without really showing you anything, if that makes sense, and the section of the book where the girls were held in Angel Island. Did you find this novel overly graphic? For me, it was not overly graphic, just a sort of implied graphicness but those scenes were all very powerful. And fair's fair, you need to share your favourite scenes too!

I had to really think about my favourite scenes. This book isn't really all that heart-warming. There are few happy scenes mixed in, but generally it is a book that is rather hard to swallow at times. Lisa See did not sugar-coat the experience for anyone! This meant that days after finishing the book I am still thinking about what these two young women went through and how different it is from my own experiences. People are sexist at times, and I am a girl, but generally we live in a world where I am treated relatively well because I am at least white. I'd love to say that I feel for people and I understand what they go through, but I really don't. Unless you actually go through it yourself you cannot really understand what it was like to be Chinese in America in the early parts of the 20th-century. I learned about it somewhat from this book, and think I have a bit of an understanding, but generally it is something that I cannot even imagine. Their suffering will stick with me for a while.

Does that mean you found this book to be a depressing read?

At times it was depressing. A lot of bad things happened to them, so it was hard to not find it sad. There were nice moments, though, that balanced things out. There were times where things really were going well for the sisters and they were happy, so the readers would be happy, too. I guess I didn't think the word depressing when I finished the book. Maybe more of an overwhelming experience. It's hard to imagine the terrible things that happen to people.

What do you think it is that makes books about the immigrant experience so fascinating?

I have never read a lot about Chinese immigration to North America, so I am not sure if I can speak on that subject. Most of my reading has been about immigrants arriving in Canada through Pier 21 and I enjoy that because it is 'my' history, so to speak. I think, though, that part of the reason it is so interesting is that every experience is different. I have read books where it is a group of individual stories and it is fascinating to see the diversity in what life was like when they reached 'the new world'. I think that is why I really liked this book. You see a bunch of different characters and through them get the chance to see how each reacted to life in America. I think when it comes to immigrants coming to Canada I like to think that they were happy here because I consider Canada a great place to live, but I know that is not always the case. What do you think on the subject?

Head over to Marg's Blog to read the second half of the review!

Thanks to Random House for my review copy of this book!

The City and The City by China Mieville

New York Times bestselling author China Miéville delivers his most accomplished novel yet, an existential thriller set in a city unlike any other–real or imagined.

When a murdered woman is found in the city of Beszel, somewhere at the edge of Europe, it looks to be a routine case for Inspector Tyador Borlú of the Extreme Crime Squad. But as he investigates, the evidence points to conspiracies far stranger and more deadly than anything he could have imagined.

Borlú must travel from the decaying Beszel to the only metropolis on Earth as strange as his own. This is a border crossing like no other, a journey as psychic as it is physical, a shift in perception, a seeing of the unseen. His destination is Beszel’s equal, rival, and intimate neighbor, the rich and vibrant city of Ul Qoma. With Ul Qoman detective Qussim Dhatt, and struggling with his own transition, Borlú is enmeshed in a sordid underworld of rabid nationalists intent on destroying their neighboring city, and unificationists who dream of dissolving the two into one. As the detectives uncover the dead woman’s secrets, they begin to suspect a truth that could cost them and those they care about more than their lives.

What stands against them are murderous powers in Beszel and in Ul Qoma: and, most terrifying of all, that which lies between these two cities.

Casting shades of Kafka and Philip K. Dick, Raymond Chandler and 1984, The City & the City is a murder mystery taken to dazzling metaphysical and artistic heights.

Quote from Random House Website

I was reviewing a book yesterday that came out in July. I read that book back in July and thought that was terrible. It gets worse, though! This book came out in May and I read it before it was even released. I am only reviewing it now! Isn't that terrible? It is safe to say that I am not going to be able to do this review justice, but I really like Mieville, so I figured I should at least make an attempt! This is only the second book I have read by him, but I have enjoyed him so far. I mean the above description compares him to Kafka, Philip K. Dick, and Raymond Chandler. I'd say that is saying something, but since I have yet to read any of those three I would have to take other people's word on it.

What I really liked about this book was it was different. I generally read a lot of fantasy and science-fiction, so I like it when an author has a fresh idea. This book might not be non-fiction and it might take place in an imaginary world, but you can see traces of our own world in the story that he is telling. I think that is why I liked it so much. It was unbelievable without being all that far-fetched. Make a few changes and it could be our own worlds fate. It's not a fast read by any means. It took me a while to get into it, but that happened with his previous book too. Once you get going with Mieville, though, you are sure to be captivated. He is quickly becoming one of my favourite fantasy/sci-fi authors! I really must take the time to read his other books.

Anyway, this was an enjoyable read. I am glad that I read it! I just wish I had reviewed it a bit more hastily so I could review it a bit better! My thanks, though, to Random House for sending me a copy!

The Blue Notebook by James A. Levine

Dear Reader:

Every now and then, we come across a novel that moves us like no other, that seems like a miracle of the imagination, and that haunts us long after the book is closed. James Levine’s The Blue Notebook is that kind of book. It is the story of Batuk, an Indian girl who is taken to Mumbai from the countryside and sold into prostitution by her father; the blue notebook is her diary, in which she recalls her early childhood, records her life on the Common Street, and makes up beautiful and fantastic tales about a silver-eyed leopard and a poor boy who fells a giant with a single gold coin.

How did Levine, a British-born doctor at the Mayo Clinic, manage to conjure the voice of a fifteen-year-old female Indian prostitute? It all began, he told me, when, as part of his medical research, he was interviewing homeless children on a street in Mumbai known as the Street of Cages, where child prostitutes work. A young woman writing in a notebook outside her cage caught Levine’s attention. The powerful image of a young prostitute engaged in the act of writing haunted him, and he himself began to write.

The Blue Notebook brings us into the life of a young woman for whom stories are not just entertainment but a means of survival. Even as the novel humanizes and addresses the devastating global issue of child prostitution, it also delivers an inspiring message about the uplifting power of words and reading–a message that is so important to hold on to, especially in difficult times. Dr. Levine is donating all his U.S. proceeds from this book to help exploited children. Batuk’s story can make a difference.

Sincerely,

Celina Spiegel
Publisher

Quote from Random House Website

I received a copy of this book back when it first came out and read it soon after. Unfortunately, it is one of many books I really wanted to review and am only now getting around to! I wish I was better with reviewing because I know I am not really doing these fantastic books justice, but at the same time I feel like I should say something! I know now that I am never going to review everything that I read this year, but I am still going to try and get through some of them.

This is a book that I honestly feel like all I can say to give it justice is that you really need to read it. I won't say that I loved the book. It's more than this book blew me away. I was impressed that a male, middle-class citizen could get inside the head of a female prostitute and tell her story so brilliantly. It is hard to get in the head of the other sex, we all know that to be true, so when authors tackle the opposite as their main characters it can be a bit hit-or-miss. This was a hit. Levine told this story of Batuk in such clarity that you could honestly feel that you were reading the diary of a 15-year-old girl who was living these experiences. It is even safe to say that it read more like non-fiction than fiction.

This book is actually pretty short. That's actually why I read it when I did. It just arrived in the mail and I wanted a short book to feel a bit accomplished. What I got was a book that will stick with me for a long time. It was fate because so many books I want to read and they wind up sitting on my TBR pile forever, but I read this one right away and I am so glad that I did! I still wish I had reviewed this a bit closer to reading it. I remember the general storyline, but I am afraid details are asking a bit much!

A very special thanks to Random House for sending me a copy of this book! I probably wouldn't have read it otherwise! (This is one of the reasons why I love review copies of books. And, the library. Both are great for getting you out of your comfort zone!)

Meg Rosoff Times Two

Just in Case by Meg Rosoff

David Case never questions his ordinary suburban life -- until one fateful day, a brush with death brings him face to face with his own mortality. Suddenly, everywhere he looks he sees catastrophe, disaster, the ruin of the human race, the demise of the planet...not to mention (to pinpoint the exact source of his anxiety) possible pain and suffering for himself.

So he changes his name, reinvents his appearance, and falls in love with the seductive Agnes Bee -- in the hope that he'll become unrecognizable to Fate and saved from his own doom. With his imaginary greyhound in tow, Justin Case struggles to maintain his new image and above all, to survive in a world where twists of fate wait for him around every corner.

Dear Ms. Rosoff,

I don't know how you do it. If people were to judge you by that book description they would think you were crazy, but I think you are brilliant! It cannot be easy to write a young adult novel disguised as a treatise on the state of the world for young adults. The description looks like a bunch of nonsense, but you brought it all together in such a way that it works. We do live in a scary world, but we choose to carry on with things as if we aren't going to be hit by a bus tomorrow. David (Justin) acts like you can trick fate into over-looking you if you reinvent yourself as an entirely different person. He is afraid of the world, so he decides to do something about it. He really does become an entirely different person, and in many ways, by becoming that different person he lives more than he did when he was just plain David Case.

I love how you can take things that have been done over and over again and make them fresh. I love how you can take weird and random ideas and make them work in the novel. I mean, an imaginary dog does not sound like Justin is right in the head, but amazingly it works! The imaginary dog is a character in the book and you cannot think of Justin without him. We all need to believe a bit in the unbelievable, and for Justin, it is a dog that no one else can see. It amazes me how people around him accept the dog even though they themselves are not able to see it. It all centres around Agnes Bee, though. She is key in Justin Case (don't you love that?) becoming who he becomes. Justin becomes too much for her, but their interactions make for some great reading.

Considering this book is on the short side, it is amazing that you manage to accomplish so much, but you have readers thinking about their own immortality. That isn't always a bad thing. Teenagers (and many adults) tend to live like they have plenty of time left, but you just never know what is going to happen next and need to start living in the moment. Another excellent book from you!

Fast Forward to 2009....

The Bride's Farewell by Meg Rosoff

On the morning of her wedding, Pell Ridley creeps out of bed in the dark, kisses her sisters goodbye and flees — determined to escape a future that offers nothing but hard work and sorrow. She takes the only thing that truly belongs to her: Jack, a white horse.

The road ahead is rich with longing, silence and secrets, and each encounter leads her closer to the untold story of her past. Then Pell meets a hunter, infuriating, mysterious and cold. Will he help her to find what she seeks?

With all the hallmarks of Meg Rosoff’s extraordinary writing, The Bride’s Farewell also breaks new ground for this author, in a nineteenth-century, Hardyesque setting. This is a moving story of love and lost things, with a core of deep, beautiful romance.

When I heard that you had a new book coming out, I had to read it! The fact that I haven't read all of your older books yet does not seem to matter for me. Plus, it has a really interesting cover and I thought it would look nice on my shelf. The pretty hardcover arrived in the mail and I read it pretty much right away. I was still on a high from your other intriguing novel, so I figured it could only get better, right? I was wrong, so very wrong! All I can think of saying is what were you thinking!

Let's be frank here. You are a wonderful writer. You know how to use words to the best of your ability. You take totally unrelated things and mix them together to make a fresh story. You horrify, but you always seem to have a point, so it all works out in the end. I have expectations, I admit that, but what did you do? I understand that authors like to break-out and do something different once in a while, but I honestly cannot even begin to understand how the person that wrote this book wrote the other books that I have loved. I read it to completion trying to figure it all out, but in the end I was just disappointed. I cannot even begin to understand what this book is about. I couldn't even write a summary because a bunch of random things happened and then it was over! I was left staring at the last page in horror because you let me down...

If this was the first book I had read by you, maybe I would let it slide. It is my third book by you, though, and I know what you are capable of. You are capable of a much better book than this one! I want to support you because you write such great books generally, but I am hesitant to even recommend this. A large part of me would like to pretend that this book doesn't even exist and concentrate on your other stuff. I haven't lost faith, though. I will still own your next book fresh off the presses, but understand that it will not with as much excitement as I had going into this book. You let me down and I am afraid that will happen again now.

I hate when I have to say negative things about an author I generally love, but I don't want people to think this is the best that you can do, because it isn't!

Sincerely,

Kelly

(My thanks to Random House for sending me a copy of The Bride's Farewell!)

Books in the Mail - Book Christmas

I have probably used that post title before, but it explains things so well!

Look what I got from Harper Collins Canada yesterday! I should've taken pictures...

Haunted by Barbara Haworth-Attard
Hamlet & Ophelia by John Marsden
The Day The Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan
The Wish Maker by Ali Sethi
The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade
Manhood for Amateurs by Michael Chabon
Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

And, two books from Random House Canada:

Rowed Trip: From Scotland to Syria by Oar by Colin Angus and Julie Angus
Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong

And, today I got:
The Twisted Heart by Rebecca Gowers
The Faceless Ones by Derek Landy (New Skulduggery Pleasant!)

Now, if I just had more hours in the day to read, things would be perfect! I have been waiting forever for some of those books and I can't wait to read them!

Special thanks to Deanna (Harper Collins) and Jessica (Random House) for my bookish day!

Any suggestions on what I should read first?

Haunted by Kelley Armstrong (Women of the Otherworld Series)

THE CONTINUING ADVENTURES OF THE SMART, SEXY — SUPERNATURAL — WOMEN OF THE OTHERWORLD

Eve Levine — half-demon, black witch and devoted mother — has been dead for three years. She has a great house, an interesting love life and can’t be killed again — which comes in handy when you’ve made as many enemies as Eve. Yes, the afterlife isn’t too bad — all she needs to do is find a way to communicate with her daughter, Savannah, and she’ll be happy.

But fate — or more exactly, the Fates — have other plans. Eve owes them a favor, and they’ve just called it in. An evil spirit called the Nix has escaped from hell. She feeds on chaos and death, and is very good at persuading people to kill for her. The Fates want Eve to hunt her down before she does any more damage, but the Nix is a dangerous enemy — previous hunters have been driven insane in the process. As if that’s not problem enough, the only way to stop her is with an angel’s sword. And Eve is no angel. . . .

So, after I read Living with the Dead, one of the more recent books in the series, I backtracked to read one of the older books in the series. This book is about Eve. We meet her for the first time in Dime Store Magic. Her daughter is now being raised by Paige, who is my least favourite character in this series. This means that I was pretty sure I was going to have to put up with Paige during the course of this book, but it wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be. Eve is obsessed with watching out for her daughter, Savannah. She checks up on her daily, even if she is unable to communicate with her. The only problem she has with being dead is that she cannot speak to her daughter, which she thinks is the thing she wants above anything else. Little does she know, her life in the underworld is about to get a whole bunch more interesting.

Apparently in Industrial Magic, which I haven't read yet, the Fates do a favour for Eve. This means that she owes them a favour in return at a later date. This book is when they decide call in their favour. Apparently security in the underworld isn't as secure as people would hope and an evil Nix has escaped. Apparently, this is not a recent thing, but the people that were sent to catch her before were not succesful in bringing her back in. Eve is apparently their last hope. And, wow, does Eve have some times ahead of her. The Nix is crazy. She inhabits people with violent thoughts and then gives them the final push they need to go through with their plans. She has left a lot of death and destruction in her path. The people she inhabits also very rarely get away with what they set out to do, she there have been a lot of arrests, too. This is what the Nix lives off of, though, and this is what Eve has got herself into.

Coupled with an intriguing cast of characters, Eve really delivers in this novel. You really get to know her well, and she gets to know herself. Her guide through this disaster is an angel that I think was inserted for comedic value. He is pretty useless by not being there when Eve needs him and you can't help but laugh at him several times throughout the book. There is also her love interest. He is Savannah's father, but he doesn't feel the need to check up on her nearly as much as her mother does. He just loves Eve and wants them to be together, but Eve isn't thinking about that at the moment. Especially when her involvement with the Nix brings trouble for Savannah and Eve is powerless to do anything about it. The Nix has figured out how she can bring destruction with her without having to take over a body. She will do anything to get that power, and she only has Eve to stop her.

Another really good addition to the series. I don't think I will have any trouble reading the last two in time for the new release the end of September.

The Series:
Bitten
Stolen
Dime Store Magic
Industrial Magic
Haunted
Broken
No Humans Involved
Personal Demon
Living with the Dead
Men of the Otherworld
Frostbitten - Forthcoming

Living with the Dead by Kelley Armstrong (Women of the Otherworld Series)

The men and women of the Otherworld – witches, werewolves, demons, vampires – live unseen among us. Only now a reckless killer has torn down the wall, trapping one very human woman in the supernatural crossfire.

Robyn moved to LA after her husband died to try to put some distance between herself and the life they had together. And the challenges of her job as the PR consultant to a Paris Hilton wannabe are pretty distracting. But then her celebutante is gunned down in a night club, and Robyn is suddenly the prime suspect. The two people most determined to clear her are her old friend, the half-demon tabloid reporter Hope Adams, and a homicide detective with an uncanny affinity for the dead.

Soon Robyn finds herself in the heart of a world she never even knew existed – and which she was safer knowing nothing about . . .

It is not even good to consider how out of order I am reading this series. This is book nine, but I am actually not finished reading two of the older books in the series. It all happened because I really did not like Dime Store Magic because Paige DROVE me crazy! So, I was hesitant about reading Industrial Magic, so I skipped way ahead to No Humans Involved. It has just been a jumbled reading order since then. After I finished this book, I read Haunted. That would be book 5 in the series. Yes, I have quite the reading system.

So, this is a story that centres around Hope Adams. She is actually a pretty interesting character. She does not drive me crazy and she has quite the boyfriend! Karl Marsten has been mentioned in the books before, though, don't ask me where because trying to remember which book is which is complicated when you can't read the books in order like a 'normal' person. I also just recently read the short story 'Chaotic' where Hope and Karl meet for the first time. My thought process for that was why on earth would Armstrong include what, to me, is an important part of the series in a short story? Not good marketing because I very rarely have any interest in the rest of the short stories in an anthology, so it takes me forever to buy them.

Getting back on topic. Thank god for Hope because Robyn, her best friend and another main character in the novel, has a real knack for getting herself into severe trouble. She makes one bad choice after another in this book and then, the next thing she knows, she is a murder suspect. We also know more than she does about what is going on, so maybe I wasn't as sympathetic as I should be, but she does seem to make the wrong decision every time. Mind you, if Robyn wasn't in trouble; than Karl and Hope would not have to save her. It also turns out to be a lot more complicated than that, of course. For those that don't know. Hope is a half-demon and Karl is a werewolf. It's quite the match-up. Hope feeds off chaos vibes and Karl's life is chaos. It makes it hard for her to always do what needs to be done because she gets caught up in what is going on around her. She is learning, though, but at the same time her powers are getting stronger. Hope is one of my favourite Women of the Otherworld characters, though, so I always look forward to learning more about her.

I probably should also mention the necromancer. He is a police officer who sees the ghosts of the victims he is sent to investigate (sometimes). It means that people think he is crazy because he looks like he is walking around talking to himself. Add in the fact that he has somehow ended up with a parter that is a ghost, and it makes for an interesting sequence of events. The ghost turns out to be important to the story, but for a while I think he is just there for comedic relief. This really was another great edition to the Women of the Otherworld series. Armstrong sure knows what she is doing and pulls all the different characters off well. Plus, each book tends to focus on one female parnormal character, so while it is a series it is really different everytime. My plan is to be caught up in this series by the end of September when the new book is released. Wish me luck!

On another note... I am really not a huge fan of the covers for this series. They just seem very provactive for a series about strong, female characters. Maybe that is the point, but they just seem like romance novel covers to me.

My thanks to Random House for a copy of this book! Click here to read an excerpt.