We Were Liars

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by E. Lockhart
First sentence: “Welcome to the beautiful Sinclair family.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Release date: May 13, 2014
Review copy snagged from the ARC shelves at my place of employment.
Content: There were multiple f-bombs and some mild swearing. It’s also a very intense book, emotionally, so be prepared for that. It will be in the Teen section (grades 9 and up) of the bookstore, but I think a mature 13-year-old could handle it.

There is a problem with writing a review for this book. It’s best if you know absolutely nothing going in. Nothing. Nada.

In fact, the back of the ARC says “If anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.”

I will tell you this. Cady is one of the Beautiful Sinclairs, an old-money family in Boston that vacations every summer on a small island near Martha’s Vineyard. Her grandfather is the patriarch of this family but her mother and her two sisters have not really lived up to the family name. Cady is also one of the four Liars: she, her cousins Johnny and Mirren, and Johnny’s mother’s boyfriend’s (Indian) nephew, Gat. Something happened two summers ago, and Cady lost her memory. No, the summer that she’s 17, she needs to figure out what happened.

I will also tell you this: read it. Just read it. Lockhart is amazing. This book is haunting and so gorgeous in its simplicity and so powerful.

I promise that’s not a lie.

10 Books With Meaning

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My parents came to visit last weekend (which is why I didn’t get a list up) and she, C, M, and I were going the rounds about Daughter of Smoke & Bone, and she mentioned that she only read books with Meaning in them. I said, kind of off-hand, that I must have low standards, because that’s not what I immediately look for in a book. But then, Hubby jumped in and mentioned that that’s the first thing I talk about when I talk about Hunger Games: how it’s a commentary on reality TV. So, I thought I’d make a list of good books that I’ve read where the Meaning in them has stood out.

1. All the Truth That’s In Me, by Julie Berry: It’s about how we can transcend adversity, and find strength within ourselves to withstand. Especially when we know we’re on the right side.

2. Between Shades of Gray, by Ruta Septys: About keeping hope in the face of dire situations, and how humans and survive — if only barely — the worst of atrocities.

3. The Giver, by Lois Lowry: C actually suggested this one. It’s about choice and freedom and what each of those mean.

4. The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery: Honestly, I don’t remember much about this, except that I liked it a lot. I’m assuming that since I wrote in my review that it was “full of Philosophy and Art and the Meaning of Life” that it has some sort of Meaning to it.

5. A Song for Summer, by Eva Ibbotson: A story about Beauty and Art and how it brings us together as people.

6. The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green: John is the King of Meaning; most of his novels are about Something. I call this the cancer book, but it’s really about living life, and not being afraid of what comes after.

7. Life of Pi, by Yann Martel: It’s been a long time since I’ve read this, but what I remember it’s about Truth and how we can know — or at least believe — what is and isn’t True.

8. The Prince Who Fell From the Sky, by John Claude Bemis: Shades of classic animal stories (“Watership Down” and “Jungle Book”) and the fierce protective nature of a mother shows for her child lend a human-ness to this story.

9. A Monster Calls, by Patrick Ness: It’s another cancer book, one in which we learn the power of stories. Which I think it a good Meaning in itself.

10. Marcelo in the Real World, by Francisco X. Stork: It’s Marcelo who is acting the questions, and exploring the meaning of life and religion. I said this: “It’s a deep book, one full of difficult questions and tough answers. And yet, as I finished it, I was surprised at the love and the hope that radiated from it, which brought tears to my eyes.”

What do you think? Any meaningful fiction books that I missed?

Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek

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by Maya Van Wagenen
First sentence:”‘School is the armpit of life,’ my best friend Kenzie once told me.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Content: Because eighth graders aren’t exactly the nicest creatures in the world, there is some language, all of it mild and very infrequent. It’s in the YA section (grades 6-12) of the bookstore, but honestly, anyone who can handle the subject matter (she does talk about taking sex ed and drug inspections and lockdowns at her school), should read this one.

The summer before she starts eighth grade, Maya Van Wagenen discovers in a box a copy of “Betty Cornell’s Guide to Teenage Popularity”, circa the 1950s  Her mom suggests, offhand, that maybe Maya should follow the advice in the book, write it down, and see what happens.

This book is the result of that year.

There aren’t the words to express my love here.  Perhaps it’s because I have a daughter just finishing eighth grade, and it’s been a rough year for her. Perhaps, it’s because I was much like how Maya started eighth grade: socially awkward, at the bottom of the social hierarchy, trying to fit in my small, conservative, Michigan middle school. (I had just moved there two years before, and still hadn’t figured out how to fit in with kids who’d known each other since kindergarten.)

But my enjoyment went beyond just being able to relate to Maya. She tackled a chapter or two of Betty’s book each month during the school year, and the chapters were divided up with her reflections of her progress. Along the way, I got to know her family (she has terrifically cool parents; my favorite side story of hers was the list of answers you’re not supposed to say when crossing through a U.S./Mexico border patrol. My favorite was “I am, but I’m not too sure about the kids in the trunk.”) and her school mates (she lives in Brownville, TX, and to say that she has a rough school, is an understatement). At first, she’s very humorous about he whole project. For instance, when she hits the dress chapter, she takes it literally, dressing like someone from the 1950s, getting stared at and teased for dressing like someone’s grandma. It’s easy to think that Betty’s guide really doesn’t fit in today’s world.

Somewhere along the way, Maya — and I, as well– discovered that Betty’s book is really still applicable, and maybe she really does have the secret to “popularity”.  I was touched by Maya’s insight, her observations, and her maturity. By the time I closed the book, I wanted to cheer for her — she’s an amazing girl, one I’d be proud to call my daughter — and to thrust this book in the hands of everyone I know, grownups and teens alike.

Wanderville

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by Wendy McClure
First sentence: “Jack didn’t notice the smoke until there was far too much of it.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Content: There’s a some bullying and a fire that kills a family member of a main character, but that’s about it. It’s short enough to be a beginning chapter book, but it might be too challenging for most 1st and 2nd graders. Definitely belongs in the middle grade (3-5th grade) section of the bookstore.

Jack lives in a walk up in New York City in 1904. Their family is poor, but making it. That is, until a fire takes both their building and the life of Jack’s older brother. Frances and her younger brother Harold are orphans and living off the charity of one of the many orphanages in the city. Both find themselves on a train headed west, as part of the efforts of the Society for Children’s Aid and Relief Office. But, as all three find out, the best intentions of adults don’t always translate into good things for kids.

Faced with being separated from her brother, and looking forced labor in the eye, Frances, Harold and Jack decide to jump off the train before they reach their final destination. They’re wandering the Kansas prairie when they find Alexander, another orphan train escapee. He’s decided to start his own town, called Wanderville, and while it doesn’t look like much (or anything, really) it’s not his own. Unfortunately they way they get supplies is by “liberating” them from the nearby town. Which, obviously, is going to lead to trouble.

I wanted to like this one. It’s got a good idea — exploring the world of the orphans from the orphan train — and it’s set here in Kansas. I was hoping that it’d be a good contribution to historical/Kansas middle grade fiction. But it’s not. Perhaps it was me, but I didn’t like the characters, and felt the text itself was too condescending and predictable. I felt that if I had a checklist I would have ticked every single cliche off.  Bully on the train? Check. Evil man exploiting the system for his own gain? Check. Rugged and slow cop? Check. Sisterly figure who always knows better than the boys? Check. Adorable 7-year-old who is Wiser Than His Years? Check.) That’s not to say that kids won’t like it. I’m sure many will.

I just didn’t.

Dreams of Gods & Monsters

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by Laini Taylor
First sentence: “Nerve thrum and screaming blood, wild and churning and chasing and devouring and terrible and terrible and terrible –“
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Others in the series: Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Days of Blood & Starlight
Content: There’s a lot of violence, and some mild swearing. Nothing as dire as the previous book, but it’s still hard to take, emotionally. It’s in the teen section (grade 9+) at the bookstore, but I would give the series to an 8th grader.

I’m at a loss where to begin. I suppose it’s with you reading the other two books before this one. While Taylor refreshed my memory (very eloquently) about the other books, you are missing a ton by not starting at the beginning of this story.

Also, by saying that even though this is a 600 page book, not much is extra. (M disagrees with me: she thinks Taylor could have cut out a couple of the subplots and the Epilogue and it would have been better.) Taylor picks up immediately after the events of Blood & Starlight and gives us the Apocalypse via angels. We’re introduced to a new character, Eliza, a PhD student in biology, who is on earth while everything in Eretz is falling apart. There’s something about her — I won’t tell you what — and even though she’s new to the book, she fits right into this elaborate and crazy world that Taylor has created.

There’s so many threads going on in this book, I couldn’t even begin summing up. And Taylor manages them all mostly deftly. She does introduce a new conflict when there’s 100 pages left, and it’s much too tidily wrapped up (or at least dismissed), but other than that, there’s so much too love. Mik is fantastic (there was one point where I was laughing and cheering; he and Zuzana MAKE the book), and Karou is incredible. In fact, that was the one thing I truly came away from this book with: the women rock. Seriously. And in so many different ways. They’re villains and tough and tender and loving and hurt and compassionate and just so, so complex. It’s fantastic.

The whole series is. The only thing I can say that was truly bad about this is that it’s over.

Audio book: Dad is Fat

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by Jim Gaffigan
read by the author
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Content: Some mild swearing (like, less than a dozen times) and it’s all about parenting, so I’m not sure how many kids would be interested. It’s in the humor section at the bookstore.

Jim Gaffigan is a comedian (whom I hadn’t heard of) and a father of five kids. In New York City. He lives in a two-bedroom apartment in a five-story walk-up. And as you can imagine, all this leads to an immense amount of hilarity, most of which he turns into comic gold. (Well, not gold, really.)

Like most comedians (and humor really), it’s really quite subjective. This one tickled my funny bone, partially because I could relate to it (one tweet I sent out: “So true: ‘When children see animals in captivity, it makes them want ice cream.’ – Jim Gaffigan), perhaps because I have nearly as many kids as he does. And partially because he’s honest about himself and his abilities as a parent. I want to sit down with him, swap horror stories, and say, “Yeah, I think I suck at this parenting gig, too.”

I’m not sure I would have liked it if I had read it, but Gaffigan is a terrific narrator of his own material (see: stand-up comedian), and I often found myself guffawing (yes, I do guffaw) along with his hilarious and often ridiculous (see: five kids in NYC) stories. As I was telling a friend of mine: there’s nothing like listening to the war stories of someone who’s got it more challenging than you to make you feel good about your life.

And this was a thoroughly diverting ego boost.

Fangirl

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by Rainbow Rowell
First sentence: “There was a boy in her room.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Content: There’s quite a few f-bombs, and some insinuations of sex. Plus a lot of underage (and overage) drinking. Also, it’s about college freshmen, a subject which I’m not sure younger readers want to read about. It’s rightly in the teen section (grades 9 and up) of the bookstore.

Cath and Wren are twins. Wren is the outgoing one, the pretty one, the fun one. And Cath stays home and writes Simon Snow (think Harry Potter) fanfiction. She’s really good at it: her stories get thousands of hits, and are widely talked about on the fanfiction sites.

But none of that is going to matter now that they’re freshmen at the University of Nebraska. Cath wanted to go the safe route by rooming with Wren. But, for Wren, that wasn’t an option. So Cath is forced to branch out. Experience things. Actually have a life.

In many ways, this is a love story to those who write fanfiction. Yes, Cath is an introvert, and no she doesn’t want to engage in what most people call “living”, but in no way does Rowel make Cath seem pathetic. She puts her in contrast to Wren, who spends weekends (and some weeknight) partying until we hours (the “normal” college experience) and lets us choose on our own. Perhaps some readers will see Cath as pathetic and without a life, but I never did. (Perhaps, too, that’s because I’m an introvert and I have a nerdy family who actually read — and write — fanfiction.)

It’s also a traditional love story. Cath’s roommate, Reagan, has a boy, Levi, kicking around. Cath thinks they’re dating, but eventually realizes that it’s really her Levi is interested in. And it’s their romance that made the book for me. Levi is so danged good and it was a pleasure watching the good guy get the girl. (So often it’s the “bad” one.) I loved the banter, I loved the push and pull, and I loved watching Levi draw Cath out of her shell, while simultaneously wholly accepting her for who she is.

The ending was a bit pat, I thought, and all the drama with her parents (dad’s a bit on the manic side; mom walked out on The 9/11, and Cath is understandably resistant to her attempts to reconnect) was a bit over-the-top. And while I appreciated that Rowell was reaching out to those who immerse themselves in a fandom, including pages and pages of Cath’s fanfiction was a little boring for me.

Even with the quibbles, though, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one.

Under the Egg

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by Laura Marx Fitzgerald
First sentence: “It was the find of the century.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Content: There some descriptions of horrible events, but nothing graphic. I think younger readers might have problems with the languages — there’s French and Latin, though translations are provided — and some of the names, but it’s in the middle grade (grades 3-5) of the bookstore, and I think it fits there.

Theodora (call her Theo) Tenpenny is the granddaughter of an artist and the daughter of an extreme introvert. She lives in what was once a grand old New York City house, but over the years has become neglected. Her grandpa Jack has kept everything reasonably in shape over the years and has managed to keep the family afloat by being mostly self-reliant. But since he was hit by a car and died (which seems overly gruesome for a guy in his mid-80s), Theo’s been in charge. And she’s struggling.

That is, until she takes her grandfather’s last words — “Look under the egg” — literally, and discovers that he’s been hiding a very old painting underneath the one of an egg that’s been hanging over their mantelpiece for years. Because she’s spent her life in her grandfather’s shadow, going to the Met and other art museums, Theo has a good eye, and realizes at once that this painting is something special. Something, perhaps, worth a lot of money.

However, as she and her new friend, Bodhi, find out, declaring a painting a lost work by a master is easy. Proving it is another matter. Especially when it turns out that this could be looted Nazi treasure.

On the one hand, there’s a lot of information to be had in this slim book. Both art history as well as WWII history play a major role in the plot. But I think that Fitzgerald handles it well, even if all the information and history might make it harder for younger readers to get into the book. But, she gave us a couple of great characters in Bodhi and Theo; they really are a team that works well together. I enjoyed the old-fashioned sleuthing to solve the mystery of the painting, and I liked how the history fit into the larger picture. I did find the ending to be a bit convenient, but even that was explained in a reasonable (if somewhat implausible) manner.

In the end, a highly enjoyable book.

The Shadowhand Covenant

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by Brian Farrey
First sentence: “It was exactly the funeral Nanni always wanted.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Others in the series: The Vengekeep Prophecies
Content: There’s some intense action-related moments, and a small amount of violence, but nothing else. It’s perfectly happy in the middle grade (3-5th grade) section of the bookstore.

When we last left our fair Grimjinx family, they were trying to leave behind thieving. Jaxter was off to the Dowager’s estate to become apprentice to her, and the rest of the family was becoming (mostly) clean. Six months later, things aren’t exactly happy. Jaxter and the Dowager are fighting and he’s seriously considering giving up the internship altogether. So, when he heads back for Nanni’s “funeral” (it’s Par-Goblin custom to throw a funeral when a thief retires), he’s pretty much sure that he’s going to try and find another line of work.

But then, he, his Ma and Da get summoned by the Shadowhand, a super-secret organization of thieves. Someone’s making them disappear. And it seems to be tied up with valuable relics that were stolen from the High Laird. And the Sarosans — a group of gypsy-like people who are against magic and the Palatinate, the group of mages who seem to be grabbing too much power.

Of course, Jaxter gets involved (though not because he wants to; his hand is kind of forced), and he uses his knowledge of plants and powers of deduction to help him — and his friends — out.

Much of what I loved about the first book in this series is back: I adore the Grimjinxes as a family. They’re fantastic. It’s not very often that you have amazing parents in middle grade, but Ma and Da are them. Sure, Farrey has to find a way to separate Jaxter from them so he can have adventures. But they’re so supportive and just plain good people (thieving aside, of course). And I still love how bookish Jaxter is. He’s not athletic, and he’s terrible at magic, but somehow he makes his book knowledge work for him.

I also liked the action in this one; Farrey has a good sense of action sequences, and there were a couple of moments when I was on the edge of my seat, wondering what’s going to happen next.

And Farrey does a series right: each of these books have their own plot, wrapping it up by the final pages, while having a slower over-arcing plot weave them together. The writing’s smart, the characters fun. It’s fantastic.

State of the TBR Pile: April 2014

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I was thinking that my TBR pile looked a lot like last month’s. But then I checked (one of the great side benefits of doing this), and nope. I actually have rotated out quite a few books for this month. We’ll see how many of these I get to, though. I keep getting sidetracked with awesome, like Laini Taylor’s Dreams of Gods and Monsters, which I’m in the middle of right now.

As for the rest of the pile:

Wanderville, by Wendy McClure (Because of the Kansas connection.)
Under Magnolia, by Frances Mayes (I meant to read this before it came out. Still. I liked some of her other books.)
The Geography of You and Me, by Jennifer E. Smith (Because I’m in the mood for romance.)
Lifesaving Lessons, by Linda Greenlaw (Because I’m going to an author event with her. I probably should read it first…)
Half Bad, by Sally Green (Really, really, really out to get to this one.()
The World’s Strongest Librarian, by (For my in person book gro)
All These Things I’ve Done, by Gabrielle Zevin (Because I’ve been meaning to for years.)
The Shadow Throne, by Jennifer E. Nelson (The last in one of my favorite series.)
Not pictured: Cruel Beauty, by Rosamund Hodge (YACker’s book this month. It’s waiting for me at the library.)

What’s on your reading pile this month?