Voracious

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voraciousby Cara Nicoletti
First sentence: “Growing up in a family of butchers and food lovers, I was surrounded by the sights and sounds and smells of cooking from an early age.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Content: There’s nothing. Hand it to anyone who loves books and food. It’s in the cooking reference section of the bookstore.

The premise of this book is simple: Nicoletti, who studied English and Latin in college but whose professional life has been as a chef (and currently a butcher), has a passion for food scenes in books.  This is something she’s always enjoyed in books, especially since she grew up in a house surrounded by both books and food. So, pairing them both — first a blog, and then in this book — is a natural thing for her.

The book itself is a series of short vignettes, each about a particular book, followed by a recipe that, for her, fits each book. It’s a delightful read; she writes about experiences in her life, about where she is when she reads each book, and about what the books mean to her. I haven’t read a lot of the books (especially as Nicoletti moves into her adult years), but it didn’t seem to matter. She doesn’t go through plots and she doesn’t make you feel on the outside if you haven’t read them. This is what these particular books mean to her, and hopefully, it will resonate with you. (It did me.) And the recipes sound delicious! From donuts and cakes to soups and blinis and caviar, it all sounds delicious, and I will probably get around to making at least a few of them (hopefully). Even if I don’t, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the recipes. (Is that just me?)

An excellent read for those of us who prefer a little food with our books.

When the Sea Turned to Silver

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whentheseaby Grace Lin
First sentence: “When the sea turned to silver and the cold froze the light of the sun, Pinmei knew the Black Tortoise of Winter had arrived with his usual calmness.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Others in the series: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, Starry River of the Sky
Content: It’s a slow book, with only a little action, so it’s probably not for those readers who like a fast-paced page-turner. It’s in the middle grade (grades 3-5) section of the bookstore.

I feel I’ve run out of things to say about this sweet series based on Chinese mythology. It’s very much like the other two: an adventure of a main story, interspersed with old legends which blurs the line between “myth” and “reality” It has an element of the fantastical, with gods and magic, but it’s not overbearing, rather fitting seamlessly into the story of a granddaughter searching for her grandmother.

So, really, there isn’t anything more to say except if you haven’t experienced the delight that Lin’s tales are, you are really  missing out.

State of the TBR Pile: November 2016

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I just now realized that I didn’t do a TBR Pile last month. Wow. September and October really did get away from me. The pile hasn’t changed a whole lot in the past month or two, mostly because I haven’t had the time to read (and lately haven’t felt a lot like reading either). But, I’m still interested in all of these, so maybe I’ll actually get to them before the end of the year (which is coming much faster than I am comfortable with!).

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Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson
Geekerella by Ashley Poston
The Kidnap Plot by Dave Butler
Dreidels on the Brain by Joel ben Izzy
Proxy by Alex London
Pasedena by Sherri Smith
Life in a Fishbowl by Len Vlahos
My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier
Saving Hamlet by Molly Booth
The Hundred Lies of Lizzy Lovett by Chelsea Sedoti

What’s on your pile?

Searching for John Hughes

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searchingforby Jason Diamond
First sentence: “I wasn’t paying attention to the people waiting in line for cupcakes; I was just looking up at a night sky dotted with flurries of snow bravely falling onto rooftops and parked cars, their only purpose in this world was to make things more magical to those queued up for an authentic Magnolia Bakery experience, then they’d hit the roof of a car or the sidewalk and melt away.”
Review copy pilfered from the ARC shelves at my place of employment.
Release date: November 29, 2016
Content: Lots of swearing, lots of drinking, lots of drug use. It will be in the biography section of the bookstore.

I picked this up because of the title and cover; while I’m not a film connoisseur, I’ve enjoyed my share of John Hughes movies, and as a kid of the 1980s, I thought this might be fun.

Well.

I didn’t finish it. I couldn’t, even though I did try.

It’s Diamond’s memoir of growing up, and while he had the worst childhood ever, that’s not what did me in. (Well, it’s partially what did me in. He didn’t make his crappy childhood compelling enough. That sounds heartless, but it’s true.) I think it’s because I wanted the book to be more about his experiences with the John Hughes movies I loved and less about his crappy childhood. Sure, he did get that in there, but it wasn’t enough to outweigh the negativity.

Or maybe it was just me; I wasn’t in the mood for a memoir about an aimless 20-something who was trying to find meaning in the movies from my childhood.

Either way, this one didn’t do it for me.

Journey’s End

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journeysendby Rachel Hawkins
First sentence: “Albert Macleish woke up early on the morning he disappeared.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Content: There’s a slight bit of crushing going on, so it may turn off those who aren’t interested in that sort of thing. Otherwise, hand it to anyone who’s interested in a quieter fantasy. It’s in the middle grade (grades 3-5) section of the bookstore.

Nolie’s parents have recently gotten divorced, and her father’s been living in northern Scotland, a scientist investigating the weird fog that hangs off the coast of the town of Journey’s End. Nolie’s headed to spend the summer with her dad, hoping for a fun Scottish adventure.

Once installed in Journey’s End, she meets Bel, the daughter of a local store owner, someone who cashes in on the tourists who come to experience the fog, which they call the Boundary, and the magical/mystical story behind it.  And then when Nolie and Bel discover that a boy who’s been dead for nearly 100 years is wandering on the beach, things get really interesting for them.

I feel like this one is almost “fantasy light”. There’s no magic, no wizards, no faeries (which I thought there would be when it started). There are some references to ghosts (and one does show up) and there is a curse and a couple of people who are very, very old, but that’s the extent of the fantasy here. It’s fantasy for those who like theirs with a dose of realism, or for those who like their books quiet. That’s not to say it’s a bad book; Hawkins has woven a splendid yarn, with conflict and tension, humor and friendship, one that kept me turning pages wondering what was going to happen next.

It’s quite a lovely book, one that I hope younger readers will enjoy as much as I did.

First Sunday Daughter Reviews: November 2016

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Happy November! I think we’re finally (!) cooling down here, and I’m finally mostly back on top of things at home and finally looking forward to the holidays. I desperately want to spend a weekend not running around or cleaning the yard or baking (which is how I’ve spent the past couple of weekends), and just READ. I say that, though, and yet when I do have the time, I find that I’m lacking the focus I need to do just that.

My kids are knee-deep in school projects and homework and concerts, but they’ve found a bit of time to read here an there.

C and E are reading this for their AP Literature and Composition class:

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They’re enjoying it, I think. C is finding it interesting to read through, since she was in the play as an extra her freshman year.

I finally convinced A to read this:

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I REALLY want her to like this one. *fingers crossed*

And K was going through my piles of books and found this one:

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So, far she’s REALLY liking it. And she’s basically convinced me that I need to read it,  as well.

What are your kids reading?

Falling Over Sideways

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fallingoversidewaysby Jordan Sonnenblick
First sentence: “I’m waiting in the wings, watching all the fathers dancing onstage.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Content: There’s no swearing, drinking, or drugs. There is some talk of crushes. It’s a pretty skinny book, too. It’s in the YA section (grades 6-8) of the bookstore, but I’d give it to a 5th grader who was interested.

Claire is managing 8th grade okay so far. Sure, she’s no longer in the same dance class as her best friends. Sure, the boy at school who’s been mean to her for two years is still there. Sure, she’s still being compared to (and found failing) her Perfect Older Brother. And, sure her science teacher is kind of crazy. But it’s all manageable.

That is, until her father has a serious stroke. And she’s the only one home. She does what she’s supposed to do: calls her mom, calls 911. But it’s left her shaken. And it’s left her dad as a shell of himself. And that means her life has changed, whether she wants it to or not.

And while it’s a tough year for Claire, there are some bright spots. Sonnenblick captures the ordinary incredibly well, finding the joy and heartbreak in the little moments. Claire has a really heartwarming growth arc, as she goes from being afraid of her father in his new condition to being his biggest champion. And she grows with her friendships as well, discovering friends where she didn’t think there were. It’s a heartwarming tale overall (even if the mom starts out as annoyingly perfect and positive), one that will not only resonate with kids whose parents have been ill, but pretty much everyone who’s struggled a bit in their life.

A very, very good read.

Crooked Kingdom

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crookedkingdomby Leigh Bardugo
First sentence: “Retvenko leaned against the bar and tucked his nose into his dirty shot glass.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Others in the series: Six of Crows
Content: There’s violence, and some vague talk about what Inej did in the pleasure house. Nothing graphic, though. It’s in the YA section (grades 6-8) of the bookstore.

There will be spoilers for Six of Crows. Which you really ought to read.

Kaz and his crew have one goal: get Inej back. Sure, that means going up against Van Eck, the most powerful merch in Ketterdam, but they’re invincible, right? Right?

Well… it sounds easier than it is. And, because this is Kaz we’re talking about, he’s playing a much longer game than any one of his crew knows.

And that’s me, not giving too much away. Because it’s best if you don’t know much about this one going in. Know that the whole crew is back — Jesper, Wylan, Nina, Matthais, Inej and, of course, Kaz — and that the cons played here are immensely satisfying with their twists and turns. Know that Bardugo is ruthless with her characters, which just makes me love this book more. Know that the ending is immensely satisfying.

An excellent ending to a fantastic story.

 

Monthly Round-up: October 2016

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On the one hand, I’m sitting here thinking, “I survived the fall! YAY!” On the other hand, I’m sitting here thinking, “Where on EARTH did the fall go? I’m not ready for the holidays!”

I keep telling myself, “Deep breaths. You can do this.”

And most days, I can.

Thankfully, I have a LOT of good books to keep me sane. My favorite this month, by far:

sunalsostar

The Sun is Also a Star

So, SO good.

As for the rest…

Middle grade:

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Insert Coin to Continue
The Creeping Shadow
Missy Piggle-Wiggle and the Whatever Cure
Unbound

YA:

diabolic myladyjane heartlesswhatlightundertow

The Diabolic
Heartless
My Lady Jane
What Light
Undertow

Adult:

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Redshirts

Non-fiction:

mykitchenyear
My Kitchen Year (audio)

What were your favorites this month?

Undertow

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undertowby Michael Buckley
First sentence: “You can hear them coming from blocks away, a low thrum like the plucking of a bass string.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Review copy provided by the publisher (I think).
Content: It’s violent. There is an attempt at a sex scene, but it doesn’t get off the ground. There is some domestic abuse. It’s in the YA section (grades 6-8) of the bookstore, but I’d be wary about the 6th grade end of the scale.

In this alternate not-so-distant future, there are these humanoid creatures called the Alpha, which have come out of the ocean and onto the shores near Coney Island, sending the community — and the country — into a tailspin. The Alpha aren’t exactly like humans — they have scales and different coloring, and sword-like things coming out of their arms. It’s not been an easy adjustment for the humans in Coney Island and the surrounding area. In fact, many of them haven’t adjusted at all, choosing instead to fight the “intrusion” of the Alphas on their territory.

For Lyric and her family, the appearance of the Alpha has caused some conflict, because Lyric’s mom is one of them. Sure, she’s been “passing” for 20 years, pretty sure her people abandoned her. But, since their appearance, the other Alphas that have been passing are being targeted. They’re outcasts among their people, and they’re outcasts among the humans as well. And things are getting more complicated: the government is insisting that select Alpha attend school, which just complicates matters more. Especially since Lyric is tapped for one-on-one lessons with the Alpha prince. Fathom.

I’m not doing a very good job describing this one. I suppose it sounds weird, but the thing that struck me most, especially in this political climate, was the whole immigration deal. You could substitute Alpha for any ethnic group, and you’d have a story that’s reflective of the way America currently reacts to immigrants. Sure, it’s exaggerated, but the hate and the discrimination are there. I found it all a fascinating way to deal with the whole issue. Buckley’s also being clever with the Atlantian myths and I thought that the whole Alpha-mythos building was quite unique and clever.

As for the rest of it, it’s a fairly typical YA dystopian. Buckley’s fairly brutal with his characters, which adds a level of intensity. And, sure, there’s a romance and the ending is sufficiently open-ended to make room for the sequel. It was a clever take on this genre, and definitely a fun read.