The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop

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by Kate Saunders
ages: 8+
First sentence: “‘We’ll probably sell the place,’ Dad said, from the driver’s seat.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

I really liked Beswitched last fall, and so when I found out that Kate Saunders had a new one, I was quite interested. And the cover and title promised good things, as well.

(You know where this is going, right?)

Oz and Lily are twins — Oz is the genius, Lily has dyslexia — whose family has inherited a run-down, old chocolate shop in London. Their family up and moves there, where the kids find out that the shop, run by their great-great-uncles, was a place for magic. The chocolate (and candy) was infused with magic in order to help and entertain people (think Weasly’s Wizarding Wheezes). Except one of the brothers invented a chocolate for immortality. And another brother, Isadore, is remarkably still alive, and wants the molds so he can be immortal. (Wait: what?) With the help of a talking cat, Demerara, Oz and Lily are tasked with stopping Isadore from achieving his goal.

This one had all sorts problems. First off, the talking cat. Actually: I couldn’t get past the talking cat. I’m not a talking animals person, but sometimes I can get past that and enjoy the book. Not so with this one. I wanted to strangle the cat. I took to skipping everything the cat said and did. Then I started skipping around in the book, because without the talking cat, there’s not much left. There was something in there about Isadore being more misguided than evil (even though he kidnaps Oz), but by that point, I honestly didn’t care enough to find out why.

Chalk this one up to good premise, lousy execution.

City of Fallen Angels

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by Cassandra Clare
ages: 14+
First sentence: “‘Just coffee, please.'”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Others in the series: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass

I have to admit after finishing City of Glass, I wasn’t too sure I wanted to read this one. Clare wrapped up everything so nicely (with a bow and fireworks, too), that I figured what more was there to tell of the story?

Oh, ye of little faith.

This one picks up a few weeks after City of Glass ends, and everything seems okay. Simon is dating both Maia and Isabelle (oh silly, adorable Simon), and is trying to eke out as normal a life as possible. Magnus and Alec are dating (have I mentioned how much I adore Magnus? And I really do want to read the short story about why he’s banned in Peru). Jace and Clary are an item. But, because this book would be all sorts of boring without conflict, things start to go south.

Someone is trying to kill Simon. Jace is pulling away from Clary because of nightmares he’s having. And on top of that, Camille the vampire is back. Oh, and someone is trying to make demon babies.

This one, admittedly, is darker and more intense than the previous three. There isn’t nearly enough snark, and while Jace and Clary have some sexytimes (almost), I still wanted to smack both of them over the head. Thankfully, though, it’s not their story. Clare uses this to flesh out Simon (more Simon!) and his transition into being a vampire. It’s not pretty. She also uses it to flesh out Maia — we learn about how she became a werewolf — and Isabelle, who is no longer a stuck up fashionista. I was told it wasn’t as good as the original series, but I have to admit that I liked it as much as the other ones.

Clare’s a smart, fun writer, and she’s definitely got me hooked.

The Silver Star

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by Jeannette Walls
ages: adult (though it would be okay for a 14+ teen)
First sentence: “My sister saved my life when I was just a baby.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

I read The Glass Castle so many years ago that I didn’t have much memory of it outside of a general liking of it. So, I went into reading The Silver Star with a fairly open mind. The only real prejudice was that I heard this was a good YA crossover. Which was enough to get me to pick it up.

And, surprisingly (to me at least), I quite liked it.

Sisters Liz and Bean (whose real name is Jean) have grown up with their artist/flake of a mom, moving constantly, and dealing with her occasional disappearing acts. Then one time, she doesn’t come back. Liz and Bean manage for a while, but when people start poking their noses around, they decide to up and go across the country to visit the uncle they’ve never met in their mom’s hometown of Byler, Virginia.

Their Uncle Tinsley takes them in, but they find that living in small town Virginia is has own set of challenges. (Especially in 1970-71, which is when this takes place.) In addition to the whole new kids in town feeling, the girls find they have to deal with a lot of Small Town History. The Hollidays used to be the mill owners, and used to be Big People in Town, but have been fading over the years. The current mill manager — Mr. Maddox — is a real piece of work (that’s being nice; ominous music started in my brain about page 100), and there’s a bit of a feud between him and Tinsley. And that only intensifies when Maddox assaults Liz.

Two things I think Walls really got: 1970s politics, and smart kids. The former was evident not only in the race relations, which admittedly she just breezed over, but in the politics of sex crimes. While the way the town and the legal system treated Liz, I was glad Walls wasn’t tempted to modernize this. (Though I wonder how “modern” the legal system really is in this area.) It helped the authenticity and feel of the novel overall.

I also appreciated that she didn’t glorify either small towns or the South; it’s all laid out there, the good and the bad, for better or for worse. And for some people — like Liz and Bean’s mom — it is worse. But that said, family doesn’t necessarily mean blood. And in tough times, good people stick together.

It’s a quick read, and well worth the time.

The Hero’s Guide to Storming the Castle

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by Christopher Healy
ages: 8+
First sentence: “A true hero plays the flute.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Others in the series: The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom

When we last left our Fair Heroes, they had just vanquished the witch and put the Bandit King into his place. Back home, though, everything is not all roses. Liam is still engaged to Briar, but he’d rather NOT marry her. Ella and Frederic are still engaged, but he’s quite concerned about the time she spends with Liam. Gustav is hiding from Rapunzel. It seems the only people who are happy are Snow and Duncan, who is currently writing the Hero’s Guide to Being a Hero. And even the popularity of the League of Princes, after about 15 minutes of (bard) fame, is waning.

What they need is a new adventure. That comes in the form of Briar Rose, determined to Have What She Wants. Specifically: Liam. She also has this diabolical plan to conquer and rule ALL of the thirteen kingdoms, and is using the League as a means to her ends. Of course she’s not the only “bad guy”: the Bandit King is back, as King of Rauberia and there’s an even badder guy in town: the Warlord of Dar. How will the League of Princes handle this?

Well, much like they do in the first book: with of silliness, laughs, luck, and heart. Yeah, sure, this is more of the same as the first book, but why mess with a good thing? I loved the characters (A has a soft spot for Duncan), and the situations were so over-the-top it was endearing rather than off-putting. The chapter titles were ridiculous, as were the “book” quotes underneath. (My favorite? “There is no I in League of Princes.”) I loved how the girls held their own with the guys, and how everyone (even Frederic!) found their strengths and used them to help them achieve their ends. It really was a team effort, and I appreciated that. Oh, and I should give a brief but heartfelt nod to the illustrations, which really are delightful.

The story’s not done, either. While the story wrapped up (yay!), Healy left us with a bit of a cliffhanger, which only serves to make me eager for the next installment of the League of Princes.

(And, as a quick follow up to my concern: I do think that this one is something both boys and girls are reading. Which makes me very happy.)

City of Glass

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by Cassandra Clare
ages: 14+
First sentence: “The cold snap of the previous week was over; the sun was shining brightly as Clary hurried across Luke’s dusty front yard, the hood of her jacket up to keep her hair from blowing across her face.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Others in the series: City of Bones, City of Ashes

There will be spoilers for the first two books in the series. And possible for this one. So: if you haven’t read this trilogy, do. Know this: it’s smart, it’s fun, this one had awesome twists (even if I called one), and came to an acceptable conclusion.

We last left the little group recuperating after blowing up Valentine’s ship. They finally convinced the Clave that Valentine is a force to be reckoned with, especially now that he has both the Mortal Cup and the Mortal Sword. All that’s left is the glass, and he will be able to raise the angel Raziel.

As a result, Jace, the Weylands, and Clary are going to Alicante – the city of the Shadowhunters. The Weylands and Jace to meet with the Clave; Clary to find Ragnor Fell, who may have the key to waking her mother.

Of course, Jace pulls his “for your protection” move (infuriating! Seriously. Clary’s impulsive and headstrong, but STOP trying to protect her!) and leaves for Alicante without Clary. And of course, she has to be impulsive and follow. Once there, though, things get complicated. They meet a cousin of a friend of the Weylands, Sebastian, who ends up playing a major role, in spite of just being introduced. (Yes, I called this twist.)

While I enjoyed the book overall, it wasn’t perfect. Aside from Jace being infuriating (when is he not, though?), it kind of frustrated me that Clary’s mom just showed up halfway through the book. Sure, Clary got what was needed to wake her mom from the coma, but I kind of expected something… more …. satisfying. That she just showed up at one point and started acting like Jocelyn From Before was kind of anti-climatic. I know it’s not Jocelyn’s story, but I had hoped for something more dramatic there. And I kind of felt that Clare copped out with the deaths; she killed off a minor character, rather than going for the jugular and offing someone we actually cared about. Understandable, but wimpy.

There were parts I liked, mostly toward the end. In fact, I think I liked the whole end. There was enough tension there to make things intense, and both Isabelle and Clary got to shine in their own ways. And the ending was satisfying without wrapping everything up in a neat little bow.

I’m glad I finally got around to reading these.

State of the TBR PIle 17: July 2013

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I skipped last month (and I had to remember why: the 48 Hour Book Challenge!), but my TBR pile is still all sorts of out of control. No surprise there.

The Silver Star, by Jeannette Walls (actually, this one is no longer on my pile. I read it yesterday. Review forthcoming.)
Dodger, by Terry Pratchett (my choice for one of my book groups)
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, by Laurie Viera Regler (I wanted to reread all the Jane Austen books this year.  I’ve read two. I wonder if reading this one will count?)
The Sasquatch Escape, by Suzanne Selfors (because I’ve liked all of Selfors’ other books)
The Dude and the Zen Master, by Jeff Bridges and Bernie Glassman (so the title of this one appealed to me.)
The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop, by Kate Saunders (actually, this one isn’t on my pile anymore, either….)
Wild Awake, by Hilary T. Smith (I really like the cover.)
Winger, by Andrew Smith (I read somewhere that this guy should be sitting at the “John Green table”. That’s enough for me.)
The Immortal Von B, by M. Scott Carter (a manager asked me to read this one. A couple months ago, actually. I’ve been procrastinating.)
Invisibility, by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan (I’m curious. Mostly because we got a bunch in, and it hasn’t sold. At all.)
Proxy, by Alex London (It seemed like an interesting — if dystopian; I’m getting tired of those — premise)
Cooked, by Michael Pollan (Hmmmm…. I ought to get to this sooner rather than later.)

What’s on your TBR pile?

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library

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by Christ Grabenstein
ages: 10+ (or a very bookish 9-year-old)
First sentence: “This is how Kyle Keeley got grounded for a week.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

Ever since I turned the last page of this book, part of me has just wanted to sit down and write this: “What you’d get if you crossed Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with The Westing Game and threw in a bunch of book references. Not perfect, but really good.”

That really does sum it up. But I suppose you want a plot, yes?

Mr. Lemoncello, of the title fame,  is world-renowned, slightly eccentric, game maker. (Both of the board and electronic kind). He’s one of those self-made billionaires who want to give back to the community, which in this case, is Alexandriaville, Ohio (another one of those “everywhere” states, like Kansas). The community’s library closed down 12 years ago, so some kids have gone their entire lives without a library (which really is sad). Mr. Lemoncello’s designed and paid for a new state-of-the-art (read: really cool technology integrated with the books; one of my favorite things was the floating elevator/ladder thing in the fiction section) library. And made a contest out of the grand opening.

Kyle Keeley is a seventh grader in Alexandriaville, and a huge fan of Mr. Lemoncello. So, of course he had to get in to the contest (which is only open to seventh graders). And he does, along with 11 other 12-year-olds. The contest itself is twofold: the first part is to get in. The second part — and the bulk of the book — is getting out. There is a puzzle that the contestants need to solve in order to get out, and the winner gets something… big.

This is where those comparisons I mentioned at first come in. The characters are very Charlie-esque, fitting into their stereotypes (Sierra as the Bookish Girl, Andrew as the Jerk, Charles as the Entitled One, Kyle as Charlie, and so on) in order for the story to unfold as it should. I would complain about the use of stereotypes, but it worked in this setting. I rooted for the kids I was supposed to and cheered when the ones I loathed got booted.

But the GAME. The game was clever and fun and fantastic. I tried to figure it out as I went along, but I’m not as observant as some readers, and so didn’t get it before the characters did. No matter: I enjoyed being along for the ride. And the LIBRARY — with it’s holo windows on the ceiling and it’s holographic displays– is a 21st century dream. I so want someone to build this.

And the book references were amazing. I’m sure I didn’t get them all, but the ones that I did get, I loved. It’s the perfect mix for me: bookish, fun, and whimsical.

I just hope there are kids out there who will enjoy it as much as I do.

Mama Makes Up Her Mind

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And Other Dangers of Southern Living

by Bailey White

ages: adult
First sentence: “The other day Mama made up her mind she wanted some smoked mullet.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
This one, generally speaking, has everything I want in a book: short, personal essays with Southern flavor. But, perhaps for the same problem I have with David Sedaris, I didn’t find it funny.
I  wanted to: Bailey White, first grade teacher and unmarried woman living with her eccentric mother, is a good writer, and the stories she tells were pretty outrageous. The sort of rural crazy that you really only see down South. But, while I enjoyed some of the stories the — the bit about the wildflower garden was my favorite, as was her stories about cleaning out her mother’s house — I never really laughed.
Maybe I was expecting too much, hoping for hilarious when all I got was amusing. I’m not sorry I read it, but it’s also not something I’d want to read again. 

Interworld

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by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves
ages: 11+ (It’s actually upper MG)
First sentence: “Once I got lost in my own house.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!
Review copy is a publisher complimentary copy for my bookstore 6-8th grade book group.

Joey Harker is pretty much your average every-day boring tenth grader. Nothing special. Until one day, he’s out on a field trip with his social studies class (quick aside: no 10th grader has social studies, do they??), and he finds himself in a different… world. Fighting for his life, though he has no idea what was going on.

It’s a desperate fight, and the man sent to find Joey — Jay– doesn’t fare well. However, he does explain a couple of things: the Earth is only one of millions of possible earths, all along a continuum that spans from highly scientific to highly magical. There are two entities — HEX and the Binary who are vying for domination and control of all the earths. Joey, and all the alternate versions of himself, have banded together to form Interworld: they walk between worlds and attempt to stop the nefarious powers from universe domination.

I picked this one for the book group partially because I thought the idea had merit. And I wanted to attract some boys to the group. I don’t know if the second one worked (yet), but the first one, well… let’s just say the idea was a good one. But something was lost in the execution: I didn’t connect with Joey, or I didn’t really care about the fate of the worlds. And the bad guys — HEX– were kind of laughable caricatures. And definitely posers. I didn’t care for the Old Man — the head of Interworld — and his arbitrary methods with Joey (that whole memory-erasing bit didn’t make much sense). And aside from the creative variations of  “Joey”, I didn’t particularly like Joey’s team.

And the lesson learned here? A good idea does not a good book make.

First Sunday Daughter Reviews: July 2013

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And now, for an update on the girls’ summer reading….

M must miss school…. she picked up Paradise Lost, by John Milton. She says it’s because of (you guessed it) Supernatural, but has found that she’s really enjoying it. She’s even taking notes and doing research about it. I’ve never read it, and now I kind of want to tackle the poem as well.

C read Wintergirls, and said it was very creepy and more than slightly disturbing. Mostly because she could never understand why a person would want to be anorexic after their best friend died of the same disease. As she said,”Um, NO.”

A got “brave” and read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. She was affected most by (spoilers!) Hedwig’s death, but there were a lot of feels that M had to help A process. She did finish it, devouring both movies in one afternoon. Her verdict? “It was the most horrible good book I’ve ever read.”

After finishing The Lightning Thief, K dove headlong into The Sea of Monsters (I discovered she’s having her dad read these to her, because she doesn’t want to be left out of the movie experience in August). She loved Tyson, the chariot races, and the whole ending. They’re planning on starting The Titan’s Curse tonight.

They’re also participating in the summer reading program at the library this year. K’s already read 22 books (nominally out loud to an adult), finishing her goal. A and K both had 12 chapter books as a goal, and are nearly there (though A insists that Deathly Hallows should count for two!). I’m so glad our library has a good summer reading program to help keep them reading!