I thought you might be interested in the books I’ve read over the past year. Some of the books have links to purchase. The formatting is a bit wonky in places, I’ll try to straighten it out soon.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale was one of those wonderful fairytale stories.  Something about other times, other places that really lets you lose yourself and forget about modern day problems.  I had noted before that one of the things I was most impressed with in this book was the character’s growth through the story.  Ani starts out as a girl who things happen to and by the end, she has taken charge and is a girl who makes things happen.  Really, I’ve never seen such a fine example of a relatively helpless, coddled girl transform into a courageous independent one.  Excellent.  Read it!

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff was the book I picked up in England for one pound (about a dollar fifty, score!).  The voice and style really put me off at first.  The MC talks directly to the reader in an obvious “I’m talking to the reader” way, which is not common, so I had to get used to that.  And she uses that capitalizing device: “and the rest…made clucking noises and said How Awful It Was,” which is totally cool.  Once in a while.  Not on nearly every page.  It seemed a little too blatant an attempt at establishing a quirky voice.  Then there was also the fact that I had no idea when this was supposed to be taking place or what exaclty the circumstances were that she found herself in.  It’s set in modern day, but shortly after Daisy comes from New York to visit family in England trains are blown up and London is occupied.  It’s never clear who the attackers are…the closest I could figure was terrorists.  So okay, I guess that’s not the main point of the story, and it’s just to set the scene for the ensuing chaos that allows Daisy to have this life-transforming experience, but that sort of stuff bugs me.  I don’t like things to bug me when I’m reading.  That all said, I really liked the book overall.  The actual journey is fascinating; the author sure knows a lot about surviving off the land.  Wee bit of a let down at the end, but I’d still recommend it as a very original read.

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo.  I really don’t have to review this – the whole world has read it, right?  If not, they should.  It is a precious book, in that it paints a poignant picture of a girl and her life that is so real you just want to hug it.  One of Wee One’s friends said she didn’t like that the MC used bad grammar.  Wow, I thought, what sort of stuff does this girl read?  Because this is so authentic sounding, so believable, that I felt privileged to be given a glimpse into the lives of the characters.  I have to admit I was very surprised to realize that this was the same author who wrote Despereaux, which has it’s own place on a child’s shelf, but is nowhere near as amazing and perfectly written as this one.  I absolutely love the voice in Winn-Dixie.  You will, too (if you don’t already), I don’t doubt it.

If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late by Pseudonymous Bosch will appeal to middle grade readers.  I personally thought it tried a little too hard to be like Lemony Snicket in creating a mysterious narrator, and some of the devices were distracting (the chapters are in reverse order, starting with chapter thirty-three).  But the characters were well written.  If readers liked the first book, The Name of This Book is Secret, then they would no doubt not be disappointed in this installment.

Sold by Patricia McCormick is one of those hauntingly powerful novels you never forget.  The blurb: Lakshmi is a thirteen-year-old Nepalese girl from a rural village sold into prostitution in India.

I can’t do it justice…McCormick has taken such a difficult subject and created a tragic, but beautiful story.  It is an accurate portrayal of a horror that happens to 12,000 Nepalese girls each year.  McCormick’s writing is spare and precise:

I wonder if perhaps Happiness House is where the movie stars live.

I haven’t read such an achingly touching book in a long time.  Highly recommended.

My One Hundred Adventures by Polly Horvath was a pleasant surprise.  Horvath has a wonderful way of weaving story and voice into something precious and magical.  The blurb:  Twelve-year-old Jane yearns for adventures.  As the summer progresses a slew of characters bring those adventures, but eventually she learns it’s not what happens to you that matters, it’s what you learn about yourself.

I loved Jane – she is a logical, determined dreamer, someone you’d love to know.  This book has the feel of Where the Heart Is, a homey atmosphere filled with quirky individuals.  I loved this, and would recommend it for a very pleasant escape of your own.

Ida B…and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World by Katherine Hannigan is such a sweet story.  Whimsical and folksey, Ida B is the story of a homeschooled nine-year-old whose idyllic life suddenly gets turned upside down and her struggle to understand and deal with it all.

I read a review that said there was a touch of Junie B. Jones in Ida’s voice and I can see that.  When I read Junie B. I saw touches of Ramona Quimby in her voice…though they are all curious girls bewildered at what Life throws them, they each have their own take on it.  Maybe that kind of quirky little gal just really appeals to me, but whatever it is, this was a delicious little read and I definitely recommend it.

Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez.
Blurb: Teenage girls are being mysteriously attacked all over town, including at Nightshade High School, where Daisy Giordano is a junior. When Daisy discovers that a vampire may be the culprit, she can’t help but suspect head cheerleader Samantha Devereaux, who returned from summer break with a new “look.” Samantha appears a little . . . well, dead, and all the most popular kids at school are copying her style. Is looking dead just another fashion trend for Samantha, or is there something more sinister going on? To find out, Daisy joins the cheerleading squad.

What I loved about Marlene’s book is that her sense of humor is so like my own. I kept thinking of the similarities of voice while reading her flip, slightly sarcastic descriptions of high school life. You have to suspend a lot of belief with these books and they stray toward the campy side, but I thought they were great fun.

Dead is a State of Mind
Blurb: There’s a gorgeous new guy at Nightshade High: Duke Sherrad, a fortune-teller claiming to have descended from Gypsies. Even though she’s psychic herself, Daisy is skeptical of Duke’s powers. But when a teacher who was the subject of one of his predictions ends up dead, she begins to wonder if Duke is the real deal after all. Maybe if Daisy can track down the teacher’s killer, she can find out the truth. The only trouble is, all signs point to the murderer being of the furry persuasion. Is Daisy any match for a werewolf? Maybe she is . . . in more ways than she bargained for!

This was just as fun as the first, and I liked the developing relationships between her characters from book to book. Thumbs up.

The Ruby in the Red Smoke: A Sally Lockhart Mystery by Philp Pullman.
Blurb:  THE SEVEN blessings . . . ” When she first utters these words, 16-year-old Sally Lockhart doesn’t know their meaning. But when an employee of her late father hears them, he dies of fear. Thus begins Sally’s terrifying journey into the seamy underworld of Victorian London, in search of clues to her father’s mysterious death.

Dare I admit I like this Philip Pullman book waaaaay better then the Golden Compass? I LOVED this book, which is being reprinted after originally copyrighted in1985, no doubt to capitalize on his recent Dark Materials buzz. This is a fun, spunky, suspenseful mystery. Victorian London is a great setting, and Pullman creates three dimensional characters, especially for a genre book. A lot of things that happen seem conveniently contrived, but it didn’t bother me, it was like playing along with the game, and the rules say that sometimes you just happen to bump into the one person who can help you on an England roadside who will be able to provide you with a home and a job just when you need it. Everything fit like a puzzle, and I loved it. I also thought that Sally was a character who made logical deductions – she thought like I would.

I just found out while searching that this was a BBC movie shown on Masterpiece Theatre in 2007 – I have GOT to see that!

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation by M.T. Anderson
Blurb: He is a boy dressed in silks and white wigs and given the best of classical educations. Raised by a mysterious group of rational philosophers known only by numbers, the boy and his mother–a princess in exile from a faraway land–are the only people in their household assigned names. As the boy’s regal mother, Cassiopeia, entertains the house scholars with her beauty and wit, young Octavian begins to question the purpose behind his guardians’ fanatical studies. Only after he dares to open a forbidden door does he learn the hideous nature of their experiments–and his own chilling role in them.

Well, everyone has heard how great this book is. Anderson writes an engrossing story that is very moving and ingeniously told. I totally empathized with Octavian and shared in his early curiosity and innocence that eventually turned to understanding and outrage. I moved with him as he underwent this transformation – I felt it as he did.

Another thing I love is that Anderson is one of those writers that can and does write in different genres successfully, as Laurie Halse Anderson does.  Something that the industry doesn’t seem to be open to, at least not until you are a proven wildly successful author.  Even then it seems a little risky.

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
You know you’re HUGE when your name is not only on top of the cover, but WAY larger than the title.  John Green really does stories from a boy’s POV like no other.  The MC’s sidekick, Hassan, is great.  He’s like no other best friend I’ve read before – and I liked that.  Colin, the MC, and Hassan go on a road trip where Colin hopes to forget about the 19 Katherine’s who dumped him and come up with a theorem to predict the outcome of relationships.

There is so much quirk in here, I love it.  The unpredictability of what a character would say or how they would react was refreshing.  It really is a character study – and John Green does them all well.  I feel like I’m preaching to the choir here, we all know he’s great.

Triskellion by  Will Peterson
Adam and Rachel go to visit their grandmother in England after their parent’s divorce.  They are immediately made aware that the village of Triskellion is more than it appears.  The entire populaiton is in on a secret, and the kids try to discover if it has anything to do with the archaelogical artifact they discover.  This was a fun read.  I liked how the characters interacted with each other; it was a well done sibling depiction.  There is plenty of paranormal mystery to keep you turning the pages.  i also like how the author lets everything unfold and play out logically – without manipulating the story to fit into a neat lttle mold.  Alas, the ending was a bit of a let down.

The Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski
I can’t wait for the next book!  This story is full of enchantment.  It’s about a young girl named Petra who embarks on an adventure when her father returns home from the palace blind.  How can anyone resist a story with a pet tin spider, a friend who can make marbles that contain lightning, and another whose fingers extend into invisible ghosts?  I usually don’t like ambiguous time/place fantasy worlds – but this one worked for me.

 The Little Giant of Aberdeen County. What can I say? This is one of those books that blows me away, and one of the few adult books I’ve enjoyed in a long while. Tiffany Baker is a debut author, but her prose sounds like she’s been doing this forever. She’s mastered her craft. Truly is a giantess. She is “forced to face her own larger-than-life demons, redefine mercy, and consider the possibility that love cannot be ordered to size.” Baker’s characters are alive and three dimensional. Her language and colloquialisms are fresh. It’s a book that will garner a lot of attention.

This book hit home because it deals with the subject of euthanasia. My mother died a very painful and swift death from metastasized cancer, and it was only with liberal doses of morphine from a merciful doctor that she was able to be released from her disease ridden body. I appreciate Baker weaving this touchy subject into her story as deftly as the remedies Truly finds sewn into an old witch doctor’s quilt.  Highly recommended.

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer. This one has been out a while, and if you haven’t read it yet, do. I found myself thinking I needed to stock up on canned goods and wanting to turn up the heat while I read this apocalyptic-type story, and I’m not kidding. Pfeffer creates a scene so real you feel you are there. The journey that ensues after a meteor pushes the moon closer to the earth is harrowing and fascinating (Pfeffer thinks of every detail), but the lessons Miranda learns about selflessness and what is truly important in life (family) are even better.

Prince Ombra by Roderick Macleish is, wow, over 25 years old and I happened to pick it up at a used book store. This is a creative retelling of the story of good and evil. Bentley is born with a borrowed heart – the one all true heroes, including Arthur and Hercules had. He will be the next warrior to fight Prince Ombra – the evil that never dies and threatens to take over. Unfortunately, Bentley is just a boy when he is called to do it.

This book is so tense I couldn’t put it down. After the beginning there was no time when I thought, okay, this is a good time to take a break. So of course I read it all in two sittings. Highly recommended.
I read Rosemary for Remembrance (Felicity Pulman) because it is in the genre of one of my novels – medieval historical fiction. I ultimately ended up enjoying it, but felt it relied a little too much on an herbal knowledge device that the writer was always bringing into the story line, which felt a little forced to me. But I did like the overall feel for it – kind of a Brother Caedfal sort of mystery. I do have an issue with books that are written as obvious firsts in a series. Notice I say obvious – I love series – I just don’t like to be strung along with stories drawn out and issues not resolved because there needs to be something for the next book. It has to stand on its own. But Pulman must have done something right since I will check out the second in the series.

Stealing Heaven. I’ve told you my love-hate relationship with Elizabeth Scott’s books. This one was one of the better ones. I cannot, and haven’t denied she is good writer. It’s just what she writes that sometimes drives me a little cuckoo. The thing bout this book is that the answer to the MC’s dilema is so obvious you want to wring her neck midway through the book for not seeing it. Scott does not convince me that it is really too hard for the MC to see. So, meh.

Diary of a Chav by Grace Dent. It was hard to get into this book, mostly because I couldn’t understand a word in the beginning – it’s British. It’s like going to see a Shakespearean play – it takes a while to get used to the language. i.e.:
“They’re all doing my head in a bit, specially Cava-Sue ‘cos she’s picking out all the green triangles AS USUAL and leaving the toffee pennies. GREEDY BINT.” But I stuck with it and found it unique and charming.

 Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr. Awesome, of course. Her ability to create a world is uncanny. She can make something fiction feel so real. I would not be surprised if I saw a hottie faerie on the street.

Bonechiller by Graham McNamee.      One word: SCARY! McNamee does not hesitate to push the horror imagination envelope. It was deliciously scary with a satisfying ending.

Bliss by Lauren Myracle. Kay, enough with the scary. This is the kind that really gets me because it’s more evil than monster-y. It really gave me the heebie-jeebies. And Myracle is not afraid to go for the gritty details, adding another layer of squeam. The fact that it is set in ‘69-’70 is way cool. She handles the “historical” details deftly.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Read. This. Book. Again, very authentic voice – nice to read from a boy’s POV for a change. Tragic, but compelling. I think he gets a lot of the teen peer pressure/angst right.
 
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Wow, I feel so lucky to keep reading good book after good book. This is epic. Though it felt like the premise of having kids duel to the death in a futuristic world might have been done, this was done excellently. Also, Collins goes for the jugular. I couldn’t believe she’d actually show the brutality her plot would dictate, but she does – so it’s definitely for upper teen readers. This one is going to be a hit.