Author: booknutgirls

booknutgirls http://thebooknutdotcom.wordpress.com I read. I blog. I sell books. I chauffeur my kids. What more do you need to know?

The Prince

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by Niccolo Machavelli
ages: adult
First sentence: “All states, all dominions that have had and continue to have power over men were and still are either republics or principalities.”

My husband, bless his heart, has been trying to get me to read this book (and the Communist Manifesto) for years, since he discovered that I managed to get out of college without reading it (either one, really).

I had begged him to join my online book group, mostly because there was only one lone man and all us women, and I thought Russell would help balance out the testosterone. Unfortunately, that meant when it was his turn to host a book, he picked ones that he was interested in… which meant I would actually have to crack open the cover of a work of political theory. (I could have skipped, I know, but I live with the guy: do you think I’d live it down if I did?)

So… I got through it.

It wasn’t easy; the language was dense and I found that my usual reading situation (during the kids TV time) didn’t work: I had to actually focus on the words. Which meant reading later at night, which meant that I tended to doze off while reading the book. Not exactly ideal.

That said, I can see why this is one of Hubby’s favorite books to teach: there’s a lot to discuss in it. Machiavelli was a brilliant mind, and his ideas, although ruthless by modern standards, are quite, well, practical for the time period. I’m sure, though, that I didn’t get everything I could have out of it (though, when talking to Hubby, I realized I absorbed more than I thought I did!). Which means that maybe someday, I’ll actually have to sit in a class of Hubby’s and listen to him lecture on it.

That would be fascinating.

Little House in the Big Woods

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by Laura Ingalls Wilder
ages: 8+
First sentence: “Once upon a time, sixty years ago, a little girl lived in the Big Woods of Wisconsin, in a little gray house made of logs.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

I just finished reading this to A last night; her first time meeting Laura and Mary and Ma and Pa. My… I don’t know how many times I’ve read this book. I first cracked the cover when I was about eight, and I fell in love with the Ingalls family. I admired Laura’s spunk, and the fact that she was so not-perfect. I wanted to experience what she experienced, live the life that she lived.

And so, it’s one of those books that is a must read for my girls. (Granted, so far, M and A are the only two that expressed interest. C preferred to read Wizard of Oz, so I forgave her for not being interested in Little House.)

What I noticed this time around — aside from A’s questions about life back then (playing with a pig’s bladder? Making cheese? Really?) and her constant “Is it really real?” — is the affection that Laura had for her childhood and her family. She loved her parents — her Pa especially — and it comes through loud and clear. And — this year at least, I know things get hard once they leave the big woods — she had a wonderfully idyllic childhood. Sure, they worked hard and things weren’t cushy for anyone, but they were happy. And that happiness leaps off the page.

I’m just glad for the chance to share the book with my girls. I don’t know if they’ll be as entranced with it as I was, but at least they got to experience a different sort of life, if only through a book.

On top of that, I got to share a little piece of me with them.

Library Loot #32

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As I headed out to the library, I grabbed the bag I’ve been using all summer. I’d forgotten that with the girls back in school, I’m responsible for all their reading material as well.

I’m going to need to take the bigger bag for a while.

For A/K:
The Duchess Bakes a Cake, by Virginia Kahl
Balloon on the Moon, by Dan McCann/Illus by Nathan Hale
Just in Case, by Yuyi Morales
That New Animal, by Emily Jenkins/Illus. by Pierre Pratt
Fribbity Ribbit!, by Suzanne C. Johnson/Illus. by Debbie Tilley**
Itty Bitty, by Cece Bell**
Mommy Go Away!, by Lynne Jonell and Petra Mathers
Poppy & Ella, by Jef Kaminsky
Rhyming Dust Bunnies, by Jan Thomas
Cornelius P. Mud, Are You Ready for Bed?, by Barney Saltzberg
Wow! America!, by Robert Neubecker

For C:
Actually, she informed me after school yesterday, that her teacher has the largest classroom library in the school, and she may not need me to do the choosing for her. She’ll just get what she wants at school. (That said, her teacher is a woman after my own heart!)

For M:
Stardust: Being a Romance Within the Realms of Faerie, by Neil Gaiman/Pictures by Charles Vess*
The President’s Daughter, Ellen Emerson White*
Larklight, by Philip Reeve
Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli
Warrior Princess, by Jerry Spinelli*
M is for Magic, Neil Gaiman

For me:
Willow, by Julia Hoban
Rules, by Cynthia Lord

The roundup is either at Reading Adventures or A Striped Armchair.

*Ones that M eventually read.
**Picture books we really liked.

Dreamdark: Silksinger

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by Laini Taylor
ages: 10+
First sentence (ARC): “”The Tapestry of Creation is failing,” hissed the Djinn King.”
Release date: September 17th; review copy sent to me by the publisher.
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

I read the first book in this series a year and a half ago, and (for a variety of reasons), I decided not to reread it before delving into this sequel. When I went back and looked at my review for the first one, before sitting down to write this one, I realized two things: 1) everything I said the first time around is just as true for the second book, and 2) while you can read the second book as a stand-alone, you really should read them in order, and quite possibly one right after another. (For you “I-hate-waiting-till-a-series-is-done” types, you might want to put it off because the overall story isn’t finished.)

This story picks up one month after Blackbringer. Whisper Silksinger — the last member of a dying fairy clan of weavers and guardians to the djinn Azazel — is fleeing for her life from a group of devil monsters. She is tasked with the job of getting Azazel back to his throne in Nazneen, which — of course — is much easier said than done. Assisting her is Hirik, a Mothmage, who is in disguise because his clan is the most hated in all of fairy because of their betrayal in the Dawn Days. He is out to become the champion of Azazel because he feels a need to restore his clan’s honor.

Whisper is a slight thing, barely speaking above a whisper (hence her name), and constantly trembling in fear. Don’t let that fool you, the girl is an admirable heroine, determined and plucky and strong in ways that, while not flashy or dramatic, are still quite substantial. Hirik, too, is admirable: one of Taylor’s gifts is the ability to write both strong male and female characters who compliment each other rather than competing against one another.

For those who loved Blackbringer, Magpie Windwitch and Talon Ratherstring are also a big part of this story (yay!). They’re tasked with the waking of all the djinn, in order to help repair the Tapestry. This — of course — isn’t as easy as it sounds, either, especially after their path changes in order to find and protect Whisper. It’s the last third of the book that is the most intense; Taylor builds, and maintains, suspense brilliantly, keeping the reader turning page after page dying to know what’s going to happen next.

Even though it’s the second in a yet-to-be completed series, one thing that I really appreciate is that it wraps up the story while leaving a thread alive for the next book. A big complaint I have with many series is the “to be continued” aspect of the books, the cliff-hanger feeling at the end. There is no such feeling at the end of this book; Taylor leaves us satisfied with the story as is, and yet curious about what will happen next. Which is, in my mind, how a series is supposed to work.

It’s also hard for an author to keep the same spirit and drive that they captured in the first book going in the subsequent books of the series. This is not something Taylor suffers from: I enjoyed Silksinger as much as I remember enjoying Blackbringer, and I am excited and curious as to where Taylor is going to take the story.

And that, my friends, is a mark of a great writer.

Secret Keeper

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by Mitali Perkins
ages: 13+
First sentence: “Asha and Reet held their father’s hands through the open window.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

First and foremost, Asha and Reet are sisters.

Their dad — Baba — has lost his job in 1974 Delhi India and decides to see if he can find a job in America. Since they don’t have enough savings to send the entire family, Asha, Reet, and their mother go to live with Baba’s family in Kolkata, in West Bengal. It’s not a happy time for any of the women: the sisters are not only forced to stop attending their school in Delhi, but are increasingly pushed into more traditional roles than they were previously. And their mother — whom her in-laws have never approved of — is constantly under the influence of what the girls call her “Jailor”: a black depression that is hard to shake.

It’s more Asha’s story than Reet’s; Reet in many ways felt inaccesible to me as a reader: she’s the perfect model of a traditional Indian woman, and although she’s sympathetic, she’s just not all that interesting. Asha, on the other hand, is a fascinating mix between the need to be traditional and please her family, and her desires — in part fueled by the feminist movement in the US — to be her own woman. It’s Asha’s secrets we are privy to, and care about, as well as her desires: whether it’s her desire to be a psychologist (unheard of at this time in India) or to play tennis and cricket, or — more importantly — her growing fondness for the boy next door. And the decisions she makes, as well as the secrets she ends up keeping, are unexpected and yet make perfect sense.

Perkins has written a compelling tale that works on so many levels: it’s a love story, it’s a story of sisters, it’s a story of tension between old and young, it’s a story of second chances. And, because of this, it’s a story will be treasured.

Troubadour

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by Mary Hoffman
ages: 12+
First sentence: “A small group of monks was making its way down to the river crossing.”
Review copy sent to me by publisher.

I generally like historical fiction. I generally like the pre-Renaissance time period. I generally like stories set in France. I sometimes like unrequited love. I generally like girls who know their own minds and set out to do what they want in spite of the odds.

But, even though this book had all those elements, it just didn’t do anything for me. In fact, it did so little that I abandoned it a third of the way in.

Perhaps it was me; it is August, I’m a bit distracted in my life right now, and I’m not focusing terribly well on complex books. Fluff is about my speed…

But, it also could be the book: there’s so much that Hoffman’s trying to bite off here. Not only is it a sweeping work of historical fiction, but there’s freedom of religion conflict, portraits of troubadour life, Medieval French politics… perhaps it was a bit much for a single story. That, and the narrator kept flipping between Elinor — our heroine who leaves her noble life for that of a troubadour so she won’t have to marry the man her father picked out; Bertran — the troubadour Elinor loves who is also a follower of the religious sect the Cathars whom the Catholic Church persecuted; and Pope Innocent II. It was a bit much for me.

And, perhaps the story would have picked up as it went along. I didn’t have the patience or fortitude to stick it out, though. And, perhaps that means I’ll be missing out on an excellent historical novel.

But then, maybe not.

Book to Movie Friday: Julie and Julia

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I expected a nice, light chick flick when I got a group of foodie-minded friends together to see this last weekend.

What I got was half of a brilliant movie. The other half was fun– more fun than I expected — but not nearly as brilliant.

The half that I adored was the Julia Child half. Based on My Life in France, it took the best parts of the book — the beginning, when she was discovering France and French cooking — and played them for all that they were worth. Meryl Streep did a fantastic job channeling Julia, but it was more than that. Stanley Tucci was absolutely perfect as Paul Child, and you could feel the affection between the two of them as a couple. I was a tad bit disappointed that they didn’t do more of my favorite bits from the book — I liked her classes at Le Cordon Bleu, and her experiences with the Gourmandes — but what they did do was absolutely perfect. They got the Valentine’s cards in; they captured Julia’s determination and scientific approach.

And if the movie had just been about Julia Child, I would have loved it.

But, they needed — maybe because too much Julia Child would have been too much? — to juxtapose that with something more modern, and who better than Julie Powell? It’s not that I didn’t like Julie and Julia; I did well enough. And there were moments of her story that I did like, too (specifically the lobster). But, she came off as real needy in the movie; an attention-seeker, where everything was building up to a particular moment: the moment when the World noticed that she was a Writer. Sure, Julia Child was an inspiration, and a project, but she was also a stepping stone to something Bigger. Something Julie.

I’m not sure if that’s what she meant to portray when she wrote the book, but that’s really how it came off in the movie. And that soured the joy that was the Julia Child sections.

Verdict: see the movie! Read My Life in France, too. The other book’s optional.

When You Reach Me

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by Rebecca Stead
ages: 10+
First sentence: “So Mom got the postcard today.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

I knew — knew — that I had to read this book back in April, when Betsy wrote about it. (Go take a moment to go read it, if you already haven’t. It’s one of the ones that leaves me in awe of Betsy’s writing ability. Then come back, and be kind to my review.)

It has the feel of those books about precocious kids in the 1970s, books that I loved growing up: The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankenweiler, The Westing Game, Harriet the Spy, and — most of all — Wrinkle in Time. The last one, in fact, plays a major role in the novel: our main character, Miranda (named for the Miranda Rights) adores Madeline L’Engle’s classic, preferring to carry around and read her beat-up copy rather than the books with the spunky girls on the cover that her teachers put in front of her.

There is so much to love about this book. From the tight writing — as Betsy pointed out: Stead is not only amazing at capturing characters with minimal descriptions, but also at foreshadowing — to the plot itself, there is not a wrong moment in the book. For me, the best part of the whole book is puzzling out the mystery along with Miranda. It’s not a completely implausible puzzle, once one gets over the initial conceit, and it’s fascinating to see how all the pieces fall into place.

Fascinating doesn’t cut it: it’s a remarkable book all around.

Library Loot #31

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I went to check out; the librarian scanned my card and started scanning my books. I said, “A week without holds? Really?” She checked again, grinned, and said, “Nope. You’ve got a few.”

They know me. 🙂

For A/K:
Wally and Mae, by Christa Kempter/Illus by Frauke Weldin
Thank You Bear, by Greg Foley**
A Birthday Cake Is No Ordinary Cake, by Debra Frasier
A Penguin Story, by Antoinette Portis**
The House Across the Street, by Jules Feiffer
Josephine Wants to Dance, by Jackie French/Illus by Bruce Whatley**
The Plot Chickens, by Mary Jane and Horm Auch**
Oliver’s Milk Shake, by Vivian French/Illus. by Alison Bartlett

For C:
Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Patterson

For M:
Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances, by John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle*
Just Listen, by Sarah Dessen*
City of Glass (Mortal Instruments), by Cassandra Clare*
Access Denied (and other eighth grade error messages), by Denise Vega

For me:
When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead* *squee*

The roundup is either at Reading Adventures or A Striped Armchair.

*Ones that M eventually read.
**Picture books we really liked.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth

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by Carrie Ryan
ages: 12+
First sentence: “My mother used to tell me about the ocean.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

I think it was Leila and Jen who first made me decide that I needed to read a zombie book. This zombie book in particular. So, I stuck it on my library list, and waited. While I waited, it’s hit the book blogs, with mostly positive results. Because, you see, this zombie book is more than a zombie book: it’s a full-on zombie-dystopian-love story. And that makes it totally and completely Awesome.

The basic plot for those of you haven’t heard of this one yet: Mary’s village is isolated in the forest. As far as they know, everyone was killed after the Return, and they’re the only people left alive. They’re surrounded by the Unconsecrated, who are a constant threat in the lives of the villagers. Mary’s mostly happy there, except for dreams of seeing the ocean brought on by her mother’s stories. The set-up for the story is slowish; after Mary’s mother is infected, and later released into the forest, Mary spends many chapters restless in the service of the Sisterhood, the religious sect that evolved in this village. She also falls in love with a boy she’s not supposed to; he’s betrothed (and betrothal always leads to marriage) to her best friend. Once the story gets going, though — there’s a breach in the village’s fence, and the Unconsecrated attack, but Mary and a few others get away — it really gets going. Ryan does intensity incredibly well, especially since the book is anything but gory. There are moments when the action is so tense and suspenseful that it’s impossible to put the book down: you have to know what’s going to happen next.

The other thing that Ryan does exceptionally well is desire. Mary’s palpable desire for answers to her unspoken questions, for a life that is more than what the Sisterhood doles out for them in the villages. That’s not her only desire; her love for her best friend’s betrothed literally leaps off the page in a way I haven’t seen since Twilight. (Which may or may not be a good thing, depending on what you think of Twilight.)

It is true that the story, while it is mostly self-contained, peters out at the end. But, it’s also the first of a trilogy, so that can be forgiven. Besides, how could you not want to read a zombie-dystopian-love story? Really?