Twilight of Avalon

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by Anna Elliott
ages: adult
First sentence: “So I say to call the visions into the scrying bowl.”
Support your local bookstore: buy it there!

When the lovely Kailana and I discovered we were both reading this book, we thought it would be fun to do a buddy review. Below are some questions she asked me about the book (as well as a couple I asked her, that I wanted to answer myself!)… Enjoy!

Twilight of Avalon takes two ancient myths — Arthur and Tristan and Isolde — and fuses them together into one story. The story picks up after Arthur was betrayed by his bastard son, Mordred, who also happens to be Isolde’s father. Isolde was made high queen, married to King Constantine, but seven short years after their crowning, Constantine is dead and Isolde fears for her own life. Especially since she knows that Constantine was murdered by Lord Marche, who is scheming for the high kingship himself. It’s only through her own wits, abilities, and the help of a half-Saxon prisoner named Trystan, that she’s able to escape and find a way to prove to the court the truth about Lord Marche.

What lead you to pick up this book? Will you be reading the rest of the trilogy?
I was sent it by the author (or a publicist; I can’t remember), but it was Trish’s review gave me the push I needed to pick it up. And yes, I will be reading the rest of the trilogy.

Do you have a favorite character?
I think I like Isolde best: she’s strong without being overly modern, and yet she had doubts and fears and insecurities. Though, it may just be that she was one of the few female characters in the book, and I needed someone to relate to.

What was your favorite scene?
Hmmm… it’s been a while since I’ve read it (bad memory…), but I think the scenes that stand out in my mind are the ones where Isolde is being a healer. I especially liked the one near the end when she’s helping Heneric recover from some serious wounds. Very touching.

What do you think of the mixing of fantasy and historical fiction? Was it believable?
I read in the material that was sent with the book that the author was going for a Mary Stewart feel — not exactly magic, but more than realistic. And I think, while it’s not as fluid as Stewart’s books, it works well. When you’re dealing with something as far removed from us as mid-6th century Britain, it’s easy to view it as fantasy. Which is perfectly okay with me!

What are your thoughts on the cover and the title?
Hmmm… first reaction: too Marion Zimmer Bradley. Which means I went in with a bit more feminist-mysticism expectations, which really isn’t what I thought the book is about.

What did you think of the “romance”?
Um… I expected something more. Truthfully, from the jacket flap, and the cover and the title, I really thought that there’d be some sort of hot and heavy romance… and there wasn’t. It was a more political book than I was expecting, and while I think Trystan and Isolde work well together, there really wasn’t much chemistry there. Maybe in the next book…

Library Loot #35

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Ah, the ebb and flow of library usage: some weeks the big bag doesn’t even hold all the books. Other weeks, you come away with a teeny-tiny amount because you know if you bring home more books, then you won’t have any more room on the dresser.

And because your daughter just bought Catching Fire, and you know exactly what you’re reading next.

For A/K:
Deep in the Jungle, by Dan Yaccarino
Possum Come A-Knockin’, by Nancy Van Laan/Illus. by George Booth
Booming Bella, by Carol Ann Williams/Illus. by Tatjana Mai-Wyss**
Chester’s Back!, by Melanie Watt**
My Forever Dress, by Harriet Ziefert/Illus. by Liz Murphy
Yours Truly, Louisa, by Simon Puttock/Illus. by Jo Kiddie
Hurry Up and Slow Down, by Layn Marlow**
Say “Ahhh!”: Dora Goes to the Doctor (Dora the Explorer)

For C:
Freaky Monday, by Mary Rodgers and Heather Hach

For M:
Nothing but Ghosts, by Beth Kephart*

For me:
My Life in Pink & Green, by Lisa Greenwald
Great Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe (Enriched Classics) — so I walk into the library, and discover that this year’s Big Read is Edgar Allen Poe. I figured what the heck: I haven’t read Poe in years, and it’d be perfect for RIP IV!

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

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

The Beef Princess of Practical County

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by Michelle Houts
ages: 9-12
First sentence: “The arena glowed in the summer night.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

One of the most told stories in fiction is the one where a kid — boy or girl — has something to prove (to theirself or others), and overcomes odds (no matter how small) and trials in order to achieve what they set out to do. This story — about a girl on a northern Indiana cattle farm — is really no different. Libby Ryan wants to prove — to herself and her dad — that she can she can raise and show steers as well as her older brother did. She has to overcome her insecurities, figure out how to raise the two steers she’s chosen, learn how to show the steer properly, and — most of all — learn how to let go.

Initially, it seems like a fairly trite story, and in some ways it is: part of the conflict is some cardboard cut-out baddies in the form of three uber-shallow Darling sisters. There were times when the Darlings seemed to serve little or no purpose, except to show that prissy girls shouldn’t be in the cattle showing racket.

That said, it’s a good cow book. Michelle Houts has a genuine affection for the country and the people who work the land, as well as for the animals, and it shows. The animals are not just background or plot devices, but actual characters: living, breathing entities, with personalities that you, as a reader, come to understand and cheer for. The language she uses to describe the cows — “beautiful eyes, framed so perfectly by those long, wispy lashes” and “cheerful enthusiasm” and “playfully wrapped his long, rough tongue around my hand”– shows that Houts not only knows cows, but has a genuine affection for them.

If it sounds like a book only 4H people would love, it isn’t. Yeah, it’s about ranching and farming and small towns (and maybe I liked it because I have all of that in some form or other in my history), it’s also because it is about accomplishing something difficult and learning how to do the hard things in life.

Which is something everyone can relate to.

Babymouse: Dragonslayer

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by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm
ages: 8+
First sentence… oops… didn’t write it down (you’ll see why in a minute)
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

Today, I took M across town to Barnes and Noble so she could spend a giftcard she got for her birthday. And while she was killing time figuring out which book to get (or how many), I searched out the newest Babymouse. Figured I could read it by the time M finished her shopping… (Cut me some slack, I didn’t buy the book, so this is totally from memory.)

Say it with me, people: Babymouse totally rocks!

Babymouse’s challenge this time: math.

She flunks a math test, and as retribution (or, rather, extra credit), she is forced to join the mathletes and participate in the upcoming Math Olympics in order to win the Golden Slide Rule. Can she do it? (Of course she can!)

There is so much to like about this one, like the other; from all the fantasy novel references — my favorite: Another Long Book About an Orphan Who Defeats the Dark Side (book one of twelve) — to the math references; to the silly bat (who “talks” upside down) and the total math geek teasing (but they’re good at skateboarding!). And, of course, Babymouse is as winning, and the narrator as snarky as ever.

This one is probably more accessible than Babymouse: the Musical, if only because more people are aware of fantasy novels (I caught, Eragon, Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe, and Lord of the Rings references…) than musicals. And, I have to admit, that while I laughed most at the LOTR (Fellowship of the Slide Rule) pages, this passage totally and completely killed me:

Teacher (who looks like a lion): “You’re late because your locker is a portal into another world where time runs at a different rate and a witch tried to turn you to stone?”
Babymouse: “How did you know?”
Teacher: “It happens to the best of us. Also, the fur coat was a dead giveaway.”

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Babymouse totally rocks.

Library Habits Meme

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Okay, enough of YA angst… moving on to a meme I saw at Bookworm 4 Life (since I’m in the middle of two books, and I don’t think they’ll be done before tomorrow…):

1.If you don’t frequent your local library, why not?
Why wouldn’t one frequent your local library? Really?

2. If you do visit the library, how often do you go?
Once a week. Usually on the same day, too. (Tuesdays in the summer, Wednesdays in the fall and winter — so we can go to storytime.)

3. Do you have a favorite section that you always head to first, or do you just randomly peruse the shelves?
I head towards the kids section first, since I usually go with the kids. I peruse the new books, and then hit the other shelves looking for books in there. From there, we hit the movies, and then the teen section. Any other books I pick up are ones I’ve put on hold.

4. How many books are you allowed to check out at one time? Do you take advantage of this?
I’m actually not sure how many books I can have out at one time. I do know there’s a limit on DVDs/VHSs (eight), but as for books… I don’t know. Currently, I have 30 books and 6 movies out.

5. How long are you allowed to have the books checked out?
Four weeks.

6. How many times are you allowed to renew your check-outs, if at all?
Only one time, and only if there’s not a hold on it (I’m sure I’ve killed many people’s renewals by putting holds on books…). Sigh. But it’s for another two weeks, so you can have the book up to 6 weeks.

7. What do you love best about your particular library?
The people!

8. What is one thing you wish your library did differently?
Right now, it’s processing books faster… they still haven’t gotten Catching Fire processed. (I’m suspicious that it’s because all the librarians are reading it first…)

9. Do you request your books via an online catalogue, or through the librarian at your branch?
Online catalog. I LOVE the online catalog.

10. Have you ever chosen a book on impulse (from the online catalogue OR the shelves) and had it turn out to be totally amazing? If so, what book was it, and why did you love it?
Hmmm… I’m sure there have been, but honestly, can’t think of one right now.

Perfect Chemistry

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by Simone Elkeles
ages: 15+
First sentence (ARC): “Everyone knows I’m perfect.”
Review copy sent to me by the publisher.
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

There are times — as Shannon Hale has very ably pointed out — where you react strongly to the book. It then becomes nearly impossible to review the book, because whatever the book is — in this case, complex, engaging and as Liz B pointed out, hot — you can’t get past your gut reaction to this.

It’s not often, but once in a while I read a book that hits too close to home. And — don’t ask me why, since it’s not like I ever dated a Mexican gang member — this one did. Especially the ending: a happy ending, from High School love? Really?! High school love doesn’t have happy endings, or at the very least, happy endings from high school love really drive me bonkers. Almost as much as love at first sight, and wasting away because of forbidden love.

I like the love stories that are more open-ended. Maybe they lived happily ever after, but then again, maybe something happened and they drifted apart.

But for whatever reason, that’s not the story that Elkeles wanted to tell.

The plot is basically Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story. On the outside, Brittany Ellis has the perfect life: rich, does well in school, perfect boyfriend. On the outside, Alex Fuentes has a crappy life: poor, struggling, and a member of a Mexican gang called the Latino Bloods. They’re like oil and water: they don’t mix. Until they end up in the same senior chemistry class and end up as lab partners (due to the way the teacher assigns partners… they wouldn’t have chosen it). Against their will, sparks (of the good kind) fly, and they find that they are drawn toward each other. Except, being together isn’t in the cards for either of them… and yet, being apart is something that’s becoming harder and harder to do.

Obviously it’s a well-written book: I wouldn’t have had such a strong reaction to it if it wasn’t. And it’s a time-honored story, as well: who doesn’t love a book about star-crossed lovers from opposite sides of the tracks? (Well, me, but that’s beside the point.) Sure, there are stereotypes — even if I don’t read many books about Latin@s, I know that not every single male is a gang member or completely worthless (this makes two in the last two months, though) — but I can understand what Elkeles was trying to achieve by making them such polar opposites.

If only it had ended better (or worse), then maybe I wouldn’t have had such a strong reaction. Then again, if it had ended the way I wanted it to end, it wouldn’t be Elkeles’ book. (Can’t go rewriting books for authors just to suit my moods now, can I?)

Just Listen

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by Sarah Dessen
ages: 13+
First sentence: “I taped the commercial back in April, before anything had happened, and promptly forgot about it.”
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

Annabel’s life is perfect. Or, at the very least, it seems that way. She’s a model, she lives in a beautiful house, and until last May, she had a popular best friend in Sophie. Then…well, let’s just say everything falls apart. Sophie is on a vendetta against Annabel, everyone is looking at her (and not in a good way) and talking about her. On top of that, her older sister is dealing with anorexia. And it’s all Annabel can do to keep all the bad stuff in and everything looking perfect on the outside.

Then she meets Owen. Owen, who has anger management issues. Owen, who is so passionate about music that he listens to things that ordinary people won’t consider to be music. Owen, who is honest — almost brutally so. Owen, who may be exactly what Annabel needs to get through everything that’s been going on in her life, if she’ll only listen.

I think this is my favorite Dessen so far. (In fact, I let K watch more than her share of TV yesterday, as I read the book in one sitting.) Yeah, there’s a lot of issues going on in here, but Dessen handles them beautifully, without being heavy-handed. Which, I suppose, is one of the reasons she’s so popular. It’s some tough subjects, but they’re always treated with compassion.

But, more than that, I absolutely loved her characters. From Owen who is just made of awesome to his friend Rolly who is so cute I just wanted to wrap him up and put him in my pocket. Annabel herself was admirable — considering all the crap that went on in her life, she managed it quite well, and very, well, realistically. At any rate, I adored them all.

I’m beginning to see why Dessen’s so popular.

My Life in Books

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Stolen shamelessly from Betsy at Fuse #8. Answer the questions, using titles I’ve read in 2009, though I decided to challenge myself and keep it to MG and YA titles. (Saw it at Becky’s, too!)

Describe yourself:
Secret Keeper (Mitali Perkins)

How do you feel?
Devilish (Maureen Johnson)

Describe where you currently live:
Paper Towns (John Green)

If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
Nim’s Island (Wendy Orr)

Your favorite form of transport:
We Are the Ship (Kadir Nelson)

Your best friend is . . . ?
Permanent Rose (Hilary McKay)

You and your friends are . . .?
Stealing Heaven (Elizabeth Scott)

What’s the weather like?
Everything Beautiful (Simmone Howell)

Favourite time of day?
The Trouble Begins at 8 (Sid Fleischman)

What is life to you?
How Not to be Popular (Jennifer Ziegler)

Your fear?
Darkwood (M.E. Breen)

What is the best advice you have to give?
Speak (Laurie Halse Anderson)

Thought for the Day?
Stop Me if You’ve Heard This One Before (David Yoo)

How I would like to die:
The Eternal Hourglass (Erica Kirov)

My soul’s present condition?
The Order of the Odd-Fish (James Kennedy)

Book to Movie Friday: Speak

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I didn’t even know this book was made into a movie, let alone a movie starring a youngish Bella (yes, I know her name is Kristen Stewart, but I look at her and say “Oh! That’s Bella!”). But, thanks to the miracles of Netflix, I discovered it, got it in the mail and watched it the other night.

On the one hand, I was wary as to how this would work as a movie, since the premise is that Melinda retreats into herself and doesn’t speak. It wouldn’t have been a very good movie if it was done entirely in voice over. As it was, there was a fair amount of voice over, but it was balanced with dialogue (more from Melinda than I expected) and I thought it worked.

As for the story, I thought the filmmakers did a decent job following the arc of the book, without giving too much away too soon. Of course I knew what happened, but Hubby (who, surprisingly, watched it with me) was impressed at the way they revealed Melinda’s rape. I’m not sure how well they caught the depression, but they used the trees quite admirably. That, and Steve Zahn was brilliant as Mr. Freeman.

It’s one of those cases, though, where the movie was good, the book was so much better. Anderson’s writing is more powerful than the movie gives the story credit for (or Bella’s acting, for that matter; she does sullen really well, but I think that may be about it). Anderson captured depression and helplessness in a way that made the reader feel depressed and helpless, and while the movie sparked some interesting discussions afterward, it didn’t involve the viewer in quite the same way.

Still, it was an interesting experience watching the story.

Verdict: the book’s better, but the movie wasn’t half-bad.

Rules

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by Cynthia Lord
ages: 9-13
First sentence: “
Support your local independent bookstore: buy it there!

Catherine’s little brother, David, has autism. Which really isn’t that bad, in Catherine’s mind. Sure, it means she has to babysit, and keep her stuff away from him, and write up rules so he can understand how the world works. But, she really does love her little brother, even while she hopes for a more “normal” life.

Then, when a girl her own age — Kristi — moves in next door, she has the chance. As it turns out, she also meets a guy — Jason — at her brother’s Occupational Therapy appointments. Jason, however, is in a wheelchair and can’t talk except for pointing at word cards on a tray attached to his chair. Catherine strikes up a friendship with him, and enjoys his company, yet she’s afraid to tell Kristi about it.

While the conflict in this book is minimal — mostly it’s just Catherine’s frustrations with her life being defined by her younger brother — it’s a really engaging book. While I have minimal experience with any sort of disabilities, I liked that she didn’t treat them as anything exceptional. Fact: Jason was in a wheelchair and couldn’t talk. It didn’t hinder his character development or the plot. Lord even managed to get across Jason’s sense of humor. Fact: David was autistic. Again, it wasn’t something that was seen as a challenge — though for Catherine it certainly was at times — but rather as just part of who David was. Lord writes in such a way that treats everything with not only humor, but also sympathy, which makes everything feel exactly right.

And all of it together made this book simply un-put-down-able.