The Rosie Project

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by Graeme Simsion
First sentence: “
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Review copy snagged off the ARC shelves at work.
Content: A ton of f-bombs, a character who has multiple one-night stands (because he wants to have sex with women from every country of the world), a lot of alcohol consumption (granted, all the characters are in their 30s). Thematically, I could see this having older-teen appeal, but it sits in the adult fiction section at the store.

Someone at work — my boss, perhaps — described this to me as a “romantic comedy.” Nothing of substance, really, but generally enjoyable. But because of the way the characters are, I kind of came to think of this as Sheldon gets a makeover.

Don Tillman is a genetics professor at an unspecified university in Melbourne, Australia. He’s got a brilliant mind, but his life revolves around… routines designed for efficiency. He wears Gortex shirts because they work for both regular life and exercise. He has a designated meal plan — lobster every Tuesday, for example — that enables him to both 1) minimize shopping and 2) free his mind to think instead of having to focus on cooking.

Granted, his idiosyncrasies — I liked that even though in the first chapter Don gives a speech to an Aspergers conference, it’s never stated outright that he’s been diagnosed on the autism spectrum — have made it difficult for him to have a relationship. As in: he’s never had one. He’s never had a second date. At age 38, he’s decided that it’s not only his inability to figure out social situations, but also his inability to find someone he’s compatible with.  So, he initiates the Wife Project: a survey designated to weed out unacceptable potential partners.

Then Don’s best friend Gene (who’s a real jerk, on so many levels) sends Rosie in. Don initially thinks Rosie is a candidate for the Wife Project, but it turns out it’s something more. She’s looking for her biological father, and wants Don’s help. Thus begins the Father Project, to which Don happily agrees. And although Rosie is far from “acceptable” as a prospective partner, Don finds that… well… opposites attract.

So, did it live up to the book talk? In some ways, yes. It was a very sweet book. Don was likable in the same way Sheldon is: you like them, but they drive you nuts. For the record: Don is much less abrasive than Sheldon. But since that’s the extent of my experience with Aspergers, I’m not even going to venture to comment on how Simsion treats it. That said: I get the feeling we’re supposed to be laughing at Sheldon, but I never felt like we were supposed to laugh at Don. It felt more inclusive than that.

I was disappointed that it wasn’t snort-milk-out-your-nose funny. There was only one scene — when Don and Rosie take over making cocktails at an event — that made me actually laugh out loud. But I did smile a lot. And I did like the dynamic between Don and Rosie, which offset the fact that Gene is a complete jerk. (And that’s being nice.) And I did think the ending was endearing.

So, yeah: it’s worth your time.

State of the TBR Pile: January 2014

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After Cybils have ended — especially when one is on the round one panel — there is, at least for me, a little bit of burn-out. I just want to stop reading all together for a while. Maybe watch a dozen movies or so. (Actually, only three: Skyfall, Frozen, and Saving Mr. Banks.) But, eventually, the inevitable happens, and books start piling up on my nightstand again. And I’ve caught a cold, so that means my energy level is set at “lay around and read”. Maybe I can knock a few of these off this weekend. (It won’t happen, but it’s nice to think that, anyway.) There are also a ton of ARCs on this pile because my one goal this year is to keep up with what I take from the shelves at work. That may not last, mostly because I’ve been thinking about the Casson family and have been wanting to re-read those books.

S. by J. J. Abrams and Doug Dorst — because someone raved about it at work. A side note: I gave this to myself for Christmas, started it that day, and have been reading a little every night since then. I’m not even half way through. IT’S SO DENSE. Good, but MAN, I haven’t worked this hard to read a book in a long time.
Goblins, by Philip Reeve — leftover Cybils book I’m interested in.
Stolen Magic, by Stephanie Burgis — leftover Cybils book, plus I liked the first two in the series.
Ghoulish Song, by William Alexander — leftover Cybils book, plus I liked Goblin Secrets.
Landry Park, by Bethany Hagen — she’s a Kansas City author, plus it was described to me as post-apocalyptic meets Downton Abbey.
Mark of the Dragonfly, by Jaleigh Johnson — it was passed on to me via our publisher rep. It sounds right up my alley.
Grasshopper Jungle, by Andrew Smith — I’ve been calling this my “grasshoppers and sex” book. I’m curious, but…
Cress, by Marissa Meyer — because I’m invested in this series now.
Red Rising, by Pierce Brown — our rep said that we all need another dystopian novel like we need a hole in our heads, but we NEED this one. I have a high standard. We’ll see.
Jinx’s Magic, by Sage Black — because I liked Jinx. And because Charlotte liked it.
Empire of Bones, by N. D. Wilson — I liked book 2 in this series, and I have to admit that I have a mild curiosity. That said, if I don’t read it this month, it’s coming off the pile.
Allegiant, by Veronica Roth — I wasn’t terribly interested in this one, but Angie said something (I don’t remember what. And it may not have even been Angie that said it.) that made me curious, so I stuck it on hold at the library. My turn finally came.
Better Nate Than Ever, by Tim Federle — because it keeps popping up in best-of lists.

I’m going to also try and read The Year of Billy Miller and The Thing About Luck before the ALA awards announcement on January 27th. Just in case either of those win.

What’s on your pile that you’re excited about?

Fablehaven

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by Brandon Mull
First sentence: “
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Review copy sent by the publisher because this is my January book group pick at work.
Content: Some mild fantasy violence, and one intense scene. Resides happily in the middle grade (3-5th grade) section of the store, though the language may be a bit difficult for the younger end of the spectrum.

People have been telling me for YEARS that I need to read Fablehaven. That they LOVE Fablehaven. That it’s brilliant. So I jumped at the chance to pick it for my 3-5th grade book group.

Seth and Kendra are off to spend a couple of weeks at their grandparents’ house while their parents are off on a cruise. The thing is: this is the side of the family they don’t know very well (you know there’s always one). Their grandparents are reclusive, and they’ve hardly seen them. In fact, their mom had to beg and plead in order to get them to let Seth and Kendra to stay there. So no one is really expecting things to go well. This feeling is exacerbated when, upon arriving, Seth and Kendra are shuttled off to the attic and told to stay either there or in the yard.

(Complaint #1: REALLY?  I’ve heard of controlling parents, but controlling grandparents is a first. I wanted to smack Grandpa for this. “It’s for your safety.” BAH. It’s a middle grade fantasy novel. Lighten up. Also: if that’s the way he treats the creatures in Fablehaven, I’m not surprised at the way he treats his grandkids.)

The kids are complete opposites. Kendra follows everything to. the. letter while Seth is the macho end of things and completely disregards Grandpa’s rules. (Complaint #2: why is it that 11-year-old boys are often
 portrayed as brats? I don’t have a son, so I don’t know if it’s typical. But I wanted to smack. the. kid. I also wanted to shake Kendra: lighten up a little, girl.) This not only leads to the discovery that Grandpa’s house (Grandma’s “missing”; she turns up later, just in time to help save the day. Which leads to Complaint #3: while Seth did a grand job creating conflict, the kids did very little in solving it. Sure, they were there, and they helped, but they didn’t DO much of anything.) is full of fairies and mythical creatures, but also to Seth creating a whole bunch of havoc.

And the book is already half done.

(Complaint #4: It seems like authors use series books to be lazy with world building. They take half the book SETTING THINGS UP and then hurry to wrap things up — or not — in the second half. *sigh*)

I wasn’t much interested in Seth or Kendra much after the halfway point. They did some stuff, they got Grandpa into deeper hot water, they rescued Grandma, blah, blah, blah.

I just didn’t care.

Perhaps this was a victim of high expectations. Or maybe it was reading it after reading So Many Cybils books (it wouldn’t have made my shortlist!). Or maybe it was lousy world building, with obnoxious characters, excessively floral language, and an uninteresting plot.

But it could be me.

Bluffton

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My Summers With Buster
by Matt Phelan
First sentence: “Life in Muskegon, Michigan was quiet.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Content: Nothing. Nada. Not a bit. Perfectly fine for graphic novel/history buffs of all ages. Resides in the middle grade (3-5th grade) section of the bookstore.

The thing I like best about Matt Phelan — aside from his gorgeous art; it’s so very unlike anything else being drawn out there — is the way he takes historical events (like traveling around the world, or the Dust Bowl) and turns them into something… intriguing.

This time out is probably the most successful — for me, at least — of his books. It’s about the summers Buster Keaton and his family spent on Lake Michigan outside Muskegon. Now, in spite of being a Michigander (of sorts; I claim it mostly because my parents are still there), I’ve never been to that side of the state, and had no idea that Buster Keaton (!) summered on the lake.

And that discovery was part of the overall charm of the book. It’s nominally about a local boy, Henry, and his dislike of being “stuck” in Muskegon (even in 1908) and how dull, ordinary, everyday it all was until the day when the vaudeville performers showed up. Henry goes out to their compound by the lake, affectionately name “Cobwebs and Rafters”, and becomes intrigued by the antics of Buster. They become friends, of a sort, pulling pranks, playing baseball, but Buster refuses to teach Henry any of his “tricks”. That doesn’t stop Henry… determined, he tries out things on his own. (And doesn’t succeed terribly well. I think this was done to emphasize just how talented Buster was.)

My only complaint is that I don’t think Phelan quite knew how to end it. Instead of being the story of one summer, it’s the story of many summers over the course of many years. Henry grows up, stays put, and opens a movie theater. I’m not quite sure what the purpose of this was. Maybe to show that Buster grew into someone famous? Perhaps. It did take away from the fun of the first summer, the joy of meeting someone new, someone unique.

It’s worth taking a look at for the art, though. And for the joy of that first summer.

The Impossible Knife of Memory

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by Laurie Halse Anderson
First sentence: “It started in detention.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Review copy snagged off the ARC shelves at my place of employment.
Content: There’s a fair amount of swearing, but no f-bombs (I’m pretty sure, anyway), and some violence (some of domestic) and drinking and drug use, some of which involve teens. For that reason, it’s in the teen (grades 9-12) section of the bookstore.

Part of me wants to get off doing the easy thing here and say, “It’s Laurie Halse Anderson’s newest book. OF COURSE YOU SHOULD READ IT.”

Because, really? That’s all you NEED to know.

But, I suppose, you would like to know the plot?  Okay…. Hayley, 17, returns to school after being on the road with her rig-driving, veteran father for the past five years. The reason they move back to his home town is that he can’t seem to keep a job anymore. And that seems to be the case, now. Her father (who had several tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan) spends his days and nights drinking and smoking pot. How could she WANT to go to school and “assimilate” when the life of someone she loves is going to hell?

Or perhaps the reason you should read this (other than it’s Laurie Halse Anderson)? Because even though Anderson writes about PTSD, she doesn’t just write about the disease. She writes about the people.  The people you come to know and love. And she doesn’t just write about the disease, she writes about the issues surrounding it, like how hard war is on both the vets and the families; and how the community, however well meaning they may be, doesn’t always understand how hard war is; and like how no matter how much you love a person, they’re not going to be able to get help until they want to get help.

And then there’s Finn. Oh, man, I fell for him. But I don’t want to make it seem like this is a love story (it’s not, even though there is kissing! In a pool!) or that he saves the day (he doesn’t, though he is a catalyst and a support).

No, you should read this because it’s the story of a father and a daughter who have lost their way, and how they find it again.

Or you could just read it because it’s Laurie Halse Anderson.

First Sunday Daughter Reviews: January 2013

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I’m calling this the Christmas Books Edition. Because you did want to know what books Santa brought for the girls. Right?

Starting from the youngest, it was K’s year to get an American girl doll. One of the reasons I like those dolls is that the historic ones (at least) come with their own set of books. K chose Caroline, set during the War of 1812, and is happily enjoying the books that came with her.

All A asked for was books. But since she got the Percy Jackson series (her own copy) for her birthday, all that was really left was her own copy of the Harry Potter series. (For the record: that makes three complete sets of books here at the Fox house: a hardback, first edition [4-7 anyway. The others are hardback, but I’m not sure they’re first edition]; paperback old edition; and paperback new edition.) She was very happy!

And C got her favorite Marie Antoinette book: Bad Queen by Carolyn Meyer. She actually put down Daughter of Smoke & Bone (which she had been reading) to read Bad Queen before the end of break, she was that happy to have it in her hands!

And M got a book as well, though it didn’t make it into the Christmas box we sent her…

It’s waiting for her when she gets back home.

What books did you get/give this year?

Happy New Year!

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And you know what that means? Cybils Shortlist Day! I’m actually quite proud of our shortlist; it was one of the easier ones to come up with. I’ve included it in full… you can check out everyone else’s list here. Then go out and enjoy a good book!

Speculative Fiction: Elementary & Middle Grade

Sage Blackwood
HarperCollins
Nominated by: Brandy Painter
Deep in the dangerous forest of the Urwald, a boy named Jinx grows up in the home of a mysterious magician. Though Jinx is no apprentice mage, magic runs deep in him. When the magician steals part of that away, Jinx, devastated and furious, runs away into the forest. With two other travelers, a boy and a girl, each suffering from magical misfortunes of their own, Jinx sets out to find the Bonemaster, the dark wizard who might be able to set them free.  From the contemplative beginning of a boy growing up in mystery, the reader is plunged into adventure and danger as the threesome confront the perils of the Urwald and the terrible truth of the Bonemaster.  Jinx is a character to love, and his story, rich in imaginative details, is one to savor.
Charlotte Taylor, Charlotte’s Library
Jonathan Stroud
Disney Hyperion
Nominated by: lwad
Set in an alternate England, where ghosts stalk to kill, a strict curfew is put on all citizens so they will not be killed and become a part of the ghost plague that has lasted 50 years. When Lucy shows signs of hearing ghosts at a young age, she is enlisted to become an agent of the Psychic Investigations. A tragic accidentleaves Lucy without work near her home and she decides to set out for London. With new colleagues and new cases, Lucy finds herself involved in a case that could make or break her career – or even end her life. A mix of horror and adventure, The Screaming Staircase is the first in a series that will engage readers until the very last page.
Kristen Harvey, The Book Monsters
Holly Webb
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Nominated by: Sheila Ruth
In a Victorian London where magic is powerful, and sorcerers and alchemists have the ear of the monarch, Rose is a young girl growing up in an orphanage.  Taken into the home of the Court’s most important alchemist, she hopes for a safe and simple life as a servant. But strange things are happening to Rose. She can make pictures appear when she tells stories, she can see the house’s magic, and she can understand her new master’s cat when he speaks. When children begin to disappear all over London, Rose realizes she may be able to unravel the mystery if she’s willing to combine her unwanted magic with the resources of her ordinary life. Rose is an enchanting tale with magic, mystery, friendship, bravery, and the power of being yourself.  It is sure to delight any reader who picks it up.
John David Anderson
Walden Pond Press
A story of super powers, dangerous villains . . .  and middle school. For Andrew Bean (a.k.a. The Sensationalist) being suspended over a swimming pool of acid is just one of the hazards of being a sidekick in training. Having hypersensitive hearing, smell, sight, touch and taste isn’t quite the same as being able to bench press a car; still, he embraces being a part of H.E.R.O., the secret organization that trains sidekicks and pairs them with full-fledged Supers as mentors. But his mentor is MIA. When an old enemy reappears in town and Andrew finds himself targeted, this Super-less sidekick will have to try and save the day.
Sidekicked decants superhero myth and legend, and melds it with the realities of middle school life from the perspective of a thirteen-year-old protagonist. Larger-than-life adventures of wildly powerful individuals touches dark side of being a superhero. Andrew’s powers may be super, but his observations and day-to-day struggles to understand the lines between good and evil are something every tween reader can identify with.
 Stephanie Whalen, Views from the Tesseract
Brandon Sanderson
Tor Teen
Nominated by: diane
Joel is a scholarship student at the Armedius Academy, one of the leading schools for training Rithmatists–an elite band of magicians who can make chalk drawings come alive. In spite of his learning and ambitions, Joel cannot make living chalkings. His classmate Melody is the daughter of a long line of Rithmatists, and though she has magical ability, she doesn’t have the drive or the talent to pass the courses.  When a string of murders by “wild” chalkings happen on campus, they become unlikely partners in both chalk magic and detection. Full of twists and turns, Sanderson draws readers into the compelling, rich, and sometimes deadly magic of the chalklings.
 Melissa Fox, Book Nut
Kathi Appelt
Atheneum
Nominated by: Bifoot Reads
Raccoon brothers J’miah and Bingo are official Sugar Man Swamp Scouts, and they know their duty: to be alert for trouble and to wake the legendary Sugar Man in case of emergencies. Never mind that no one has seen him for nearly 60 years! Nearby, 12 year-old (human) Chap Brayburn is mourning the death of his beloved grandfather Audie, and trying to figure out how to be the man of the house. When trouble comes to the swamp, J’miah, Bingo and Chap must each use all of their ingenuity and courage to save it, and themselves.
The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp is a funny, beautifully written and environmentally friendly tale of familial love and the ways in which a specific spot in nature can become ‘home’ to the heart. J’miah, Bingo and Chap explore the swamp and discover some of its dangerous and wondrous secrets, and each tries to protect it in his own way.  This vivid adventure is especially charming read aloud, when the variety of animal and human voices come alive. A great pick for fans of Kate DiCamillo and The One and Only Ivan.
Megan Frazer Blakemore
Walker Books for Young Readers
Nominated by: Cathy Potter
When Ephraim’s family moves to the Water Castle in Crystal Springs after his father has a stroke, Ephraim doesn’t expect all of his classmates to be smarter than him and know more about his family’s history.  Intrigued and desperate to help his father, he convinces Mallory, whose family has always served Ephraim’s, and Will, whose family has always feuded with Ephraim’s, to join with him and continue their ancestors’ search for the fountain of youth.
This slow-burning gem flows between the past and the present, science fiction and fantasy, concerns about family and race with questions about eternal life.  The young heroes of The Water Castle must question history and search for the truth themselves.  This engrossing adventure will appeal to the imaginations of a variety of readers, with its diverse trio of heroes and atmospheric setting.  Who could resist exploring.an old, strange castle that crackles with electricity, one filled with both danger and wonder?
Allie Jones, In Bed With Books

My Best Of 2013

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To be perfectly honest, I’m not quite sure where 2013 went. Last time I checked, it was April. But then, I started a book group at work (which is still kind of struggling), organized my birthday party, sent a daughter to India, served on another Cybils panel, went to KidlitCon, and a saw a whole bunch of authors. It was a busy year! And, in between all that, I managed to read a bunch of books.

By the Numbers:

Middle Grade Fiction: 67
YA Fiction: 53
Graphic Novels: 9
Non-Fiction: 15
Adult Fiction: 25
(Number of those that were sci-fi/fantasy books: 80)
(Number of those that were audiobooks: 19)
(Number of those that were rereads: 15)

Grand Total: 169

Abandoned: 8

Not bad, for someone who doesn’t have time. Then again, I don’t watch too much TV or movies anymore.

And now this year’s awards:

Best Adult Fiction: The Golem and the Jinni
Best YA book: The Lucy Variations
Best Middle-grade book: The Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library
Best MG Fantasy: You’ll see what we come up with on our shortlist tomorrow! 
Best YA Fantasy: Quintana of Charyn
Best Sci-Fi/Distopian: The 5th Wave
Best Graphic Novel: Boxers & Saints
Best Non-Fiction: The Telling Room
Best MG/YA Non-Fiction: Bomb
Best Romance: Just One Day/Just One Year
Best Mystery: There really wasn’t one this year.
Best Audiobook: Fragile Things


And in other categories…

Cover love: Anna Dressed in Blood
  
Don’t judge a book by its cover: The Screaming Staircase

*Swoon*: Perfect Scoundrels (HALE!)

I could have written it (but not as well): The Book of Mormon Girl

Long Title, Great Book:  Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore (Also: Google!)

Best in-person book group book: The Golem and the Jinni

Best YAckers book: The Blue Sword

Favorite reread: The Blue Sword (followed closely by Emma)

Rocking Retellings: Tiger Lily, The Madman’s Daughter, Dodger,

Third Best Cancer Book Ever: Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl

Yes, I am a Janeite: A Jane Austen Education, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Longbourn

Dickensian London, Represent!: How to Catch a Bogle, Rose, The Reluctant Assassin, Dodger, The Madman’s Daughter

Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic isn’t overdone (yet): Parched, The Rithmatist

Begs to be Read Aloud: True Blue Scouts of Sugarman Swamp

Fine. I cried: One for the Murphys, The Running Dream


Hippies at Heart: Eva of the Farm

The polar bear is real, I swear: Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made

Oh the 80s!: Eleanor & Park,  Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Tell the Wolves I’m Home

Best Unreliable Narrator: The Unchangeable Spots of Lepoards

I *heart* Musicians: The Lucy Variations, The Year of Shadows

Books I should have read AGES ago: Blankets, The Castle of Otranto

Give it up for the Awesome Heroines:  Dark Triumph, The Boneshaker, Rose Under Fire, Quintana of Charyn, Untold, Scarlet, Out of the Easy, Magic Marks the Spot, All the Truth That’s In Me, Giants Beware, The Blue Sword

Guys rock: Guys Read: Other Worlds; Winger; An Abundance of Katherines; The Beginning of Everything


Mean Girls FTW: Confessions of a Hater

Evil Incarnate: The Homecoming of Samuel Lake

Author Events I dragged the girls to: Rick Riordan, Melissa de la Cruz, Shannon Messenger, Marissa Meyer, Eoin Colfer, Claire M. Caterer, Lenore Applehans, Kahled Hosseini

Snorting milk outta my nose award: Hero’s Guide to Storming the Castle

Series I devoured: Mortal Instruments (City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls); Infernal Devices (Clockwork Angel; Clockwork Prince; Clockwork Princess), The Grisha (Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm)

Odd isn’t a strong enough word: Teen Boat!

Honorary Dude Award: Dude and the Zen Master, OCD, the Dude, and Me

Ghosts!: Ghost Hawk, The Screaming Staircase, Ghost Prison, Beholding Bee, The Year of Shadows, How I Became a Ghost, Anna Dressed in Blood, The Dream Thieves, The Madness Underneath, Paper Valentine

Woo-hoo, they’re back!: Perfect Scoundrels, Amulet: Prince of the Elves, The Runaway King, House of Hades, Wednesdays at the Tower


Waaaah, it’s OVER: Quintana of Charyn

Loved it, but can’t seem to sell it: Counting By 7s, The Different Girl, Just One Day/Just One Year, 

Can we have the sequel NOW?: The Screaming Staircase; The Madness Underneath; The Dream Thieves

Indulging in my desire to carry around a photo of Nathan Fillion: Deadly Heat 

It kind of called for a picture of Nathan Fillion.

Books I finished but didn’t feel the love for: Far, Far Away; Confessions of a Hater; The Lost Art of Mixing; Rebel Spirits; Blue Plate Special, What Would Barbara Do, A Tangle of Knots, Flora & Ulysses

Disappointing book by an author I respect: A Grimm Conclusion, Panic

Author everyone else loves that I discovered I liked: Maeve Binchy (Tara Road), Cassandra Clare, Rainbow Rowell (Eleanor & Park)

First-time authors I’d love to see more from: Claire M. Caterer (The Key & the Flame), Peggy Eddleman (Sky Jumpers), Kristopher Jansma (The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards), Helene Wecker (The Golem and the Jinni)

What are some of your bests this past year?

December 2013 Round-up

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Another year gone, another Cybils season ended. My panel is got together (virtually, of course) to decide/finalize our shortlists yesterday.I’m excited; I love this part of the process and we have a great shortlist! Though I think I’m going to take a bit of a break from middle grade fantasy. I have both S. and The Rosie Project on tap right now.

My favorite this month was one of the middle grade ones, but since that’d give away some of our shortlist, I’m going to pick my other favorite:

Just One Year

I’m a sucker for a romance that takes me all over the world.

As for the rest:

Middle Grade:
The Garden Princess
How to Catch a Bogle
How I Became a Ghost
The Screaming Staircase
The Lost Heir
Magic Marks the Spot 
Parched
The Real Boy
Rose
Sidekicked
Sky Jumpers
What We Found in the Sofa
and How it Saved the World
The True Blue Scouts of Sugarman Swamp
The Vengekeep Prophecies
The Wells Bequest
The Year of Shadows

YA:

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender

Adult:

Absolution by Murder
Longbourn (audio)

Stay tuned for my best of the year post tomorrow and then the Cybils shortlists on Wednesday. And then 2014! Wow. The question is: how long will it take me to remember to write ’14 as the date?

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender

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by Leslye Walton
First sentence: “To many, I was myth incarnate, the embodiment of a most superb legend, a fairy tale.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Release date: March 25, 2014
Review copy sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an IndieNext blurb.
Content: There are a few mild swear words, but lots of sex (none of it graphic), including a rape scene. It also reads more like an “adult” book than a “teen” one. I’ll probably shelve it in the Teen (grades 9 and up) section, though it might do better in the general fiction section at the bookstore.

While the title of the book suggests this book is about a girl named Ava Lavender, there is more to this story. In fact, it’s about Ava Lavender only because she’s the granddaughter of Emmaline Roux and daughter of Viviane Lavender. It’s equally their story. And it’s (to be honest) a difficult story to tell.

There’s foolish love, unrequited love, passion, and most of all a magic running through it all. It’s the magic of Like Water for Chocolate: Things happen because of the passion. Not the least of which is that Ava Lavender was born with wings. Not just little wings, either. Full-fledged, huge speckled wings. Her mother, being the person she is, doesn’t allow Ava to leave their hilltop Seattle home. But. Ava longs to be a “normal” teenager. Unfortunately, normality comes at a price.

The magic runs in other places as well: Ava’s twin, Henry, only talks when he needs to, and that’s not very often. Her grandmother sees ghosts. Her mother sense of smell is beyond extraordinary. The man down the road inspires people to confess their sins. Things like that.

The writing is… lyrical. The book… magical. And me? Well, I read it. See, magical realism and I don’t really get along terribly well. I wanted… something more to happen.  It’s not that it was a bad book; it wasn’t. It just wasn’t, well, my cup of tea.