Shiver, Linger & Forever (the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy), by Maggie Stiefvater

Normally I do not go in for werewolf love stories, but these books were actually quite a fun read.  Grace lives right next to the woods, and for years she has watched and heard the wolves that roam the trees.  There is one particular wolf which Grace sees from her window quite often.  

Sam has a dual life: in the cold months he is a wolf, and in the warmer summer months he lives as a human.  When Grace and Sam meet for the first time, she is sure that he and the wolf she sees are one and the same.  But how can they stay together with Sam’s inevitable transformation come wintertime?

These are best read by readers 15 and up.   They’re lighter reads, but are better written than a lot of the other similar literature out there (Stiefvater also wrote The Scorpio Races, reviewed earlier this year—an excellent read).  I recommend it as an “instead of Twilight” series.  

The Casual Vacancy, by J.K. Rowling

All right, everyone- I am one of the biggest Harry Potter fans out there, which is why I put Harry Potter completely out of mind as I read Ms. Rowling’s new literary work. 

It is a very good read.  She is, as ever, and excellent writer, and despite the harshness and dark elements of her story, she draws you into the lives of her characters as skillfully as any good storyteller. 

It seemed to start out as a social satire, but as I read further I could see that there was a definite line of thinking that the author is pushing us, as readers, to pursue. 

I highly recommend this book: I enjoyed reading it and appreciate what Ms. Rowling is capable of, no matter how far off it is from her debut series!  That being said, THIS IS NOT A CHILDREN’S BOOK.  It is really for readers 16 and up.  It is not a beach read either: the subject matter is very heavy, so be in the right mindset when you read The Casual Vacancy.

Gone to Amerikay, by Derek McCulloch, Colleen Doran, José Villarubia Remember several posts back when I wrote about Mangaman (Barry Lyga)? Well, if you enjoyed Colleen Doran’s artistry as much as I did, you will not be disappointed in Gone to Amerikay. There are three storylines that intertwine as you follow the main characters from the beginning of the tale to its end. It is just as well-written as it is well-drawn. Find it at your local comic book shop!

Remember several posts back when I wrote about Mangaman (Barry Lyga)?  Well, if you enjoyed Colleen Doran’s artistry as much as I did, you will not be disappointed in Gone to Amerikay.  There are three storylines that intertwine as you follow the main characters from the beginning of the tale to its end.  It is just as well-written as it is well-drawn.  Also, Jose Villarubia is the colorist as he was for Gone to Amerikay!  Find it at your local comic book shop!

Get Jiro! By Anthony Bourdain, Joel Rose, Langdon Foss, José Villarubia

Imagine if power was divided up among the best chefs in the area.  Get Jiro!, written by renowned chef Anthony Bourdain, envisions a future where if you are do not display the utmost loyalty to a given chef and constantly eat at his or her snazzy restaurant in what is supposed to be a future Los Angeles, your life is generally lacking.  But Jiro, a master sushi chef, is a quiet sort, who runs his restaurant out of a strip mall.  One day, the two rival chefs of the city learn of his existence and a race ensues in which they go to whatever extreme lengths necessary to get him on their respective sides…

This is a great read for readers 17 and up.  The artwork is amazing, and the concept is unlike anything I have ever heard of, which is why I picked it up in the first place.  Happy reading!

The 4th Stall, by Chris Rylander

What if a mafia was operating right out of your school bathroom?  Mac and his right-hand man Vince have a tidy operation going in the wing of the school that no one ever really frequents.  Their main objective?  Tickets to the Cubs game.  Their main problem?  It’s the one week where everyone has come to Mac with problems that might be too big for him to handle, and one of them is the school syndicate’s impending takeover by a local high school dropout.  Mac has some tough lessons to learn about biting off more than he can chew. 

I would recommend the The Fourth Stall to readers 12 and up.  The story deals with some serious situations.  What I like about it is that the main character is forced to make hard choices about what he’s doing and consider the ethical aspects of his decisions.  Boys may go in for this book more than girls, but I am always supportive of a person reading outside of his or her “comfort” zone.

Disclaimers!

All images courtesy of Google.com.

The opinions contained herein are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the opinions of Linden Tree Books (Los Altos, CA) nor the opinions of any of its employees.

All These Things I've Done, by Gabrielle Zevin

What if we lived in a time when caffeine and anything made with caffeine was illegal contraband?  Heaven forbid-I could not live without my tea and chocolate!!!  But this is the setting for our story: a world where the crime lords smuggle caffeinated food items from place to place.  Anya Balanchine is the teenage daughter of the Russian mafia’s now-dead boss, and she is trying to live as normal a life as possible in addition to taking care of her two siblings and passing high school.  But sometimes relatives just don’t leave well enough alone, especially when she is the perceived heir to the Balanchine legacy, and she finds herself entangled in her extended family’s doings.  Throw in the interesting new boy at school whose father happens to be the new assistant District Attorney (and intent on dismantling the big caffeine criminal organizations), and you’ve got yourself a quirky, fun read!  For ages 15 and up.

Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte & Jane, by April Lindner

Okay, here is the deal: read the original Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte first before you read April Lindner’s re-imagining of the story.  I first read Jane Eyre when I was 12 years old, and I LOVED it.  It was one of those days when I was done with all my library books and needed something new to read, and had to raid my mom’s and dad’s bookcase.  I did not have any problems understanding the language or the plot, and when I read it again a few years later for English class, I understood what was going on even better the second time.  I loved it!  In my mind, it's one of the greatest love stories ever told.  Jane by April Linder takes place in the 20^th century and substitutes a rock star for Mr. Rochester (appropriate, I think, since the original Mr. Rochester is a VIP in his own right) and is pretty much the same story, but for a teenage audience (15 and up).  It’s still a fun book, though, and what I would call a “beach read”.  

The Chaos Walking trilogy, by Patrick Ness

I have yet to read the final installment, but I can assure you that The Knife of Never Letting Go and The Ask and the Answer are both incredible reads.  Patrick Ness has written a thrilling and thought-provoking science fiction trilogy that, to paraphrase his wording, raises questions about the amount of information available to us today and the ways in which it is controlled. Todd is the only boy left in his small town on a planet far away from the original Earth.  To become a man, Todd must undergo a kind of initiation ceremony, the details of which he is unaware.  What’s more, there are no women in this town, and all the men can hear each other’s thoughts 24/7.   Todd believes that the so-called “Noise” germ killed the women but only infected the men when they arrived on this planet.  He has been brought up by two men he calls his uncles, and one day, soon before he is to become a man, they tell him to take  run away to the next town and find other people, because the leader of the town has a very sinister objective in mind.  On the way, he discovers a crash-landed spaceship…and a girl, still alive.  Todd has never seen a girl before.  He knows he cannot leave her behind.  Furthermore, he cannot hear her thoughts at all…but she can hear his.  For readers 14 and up (there is violence, but it is not gratuitous).  

Bossypants, by Tina Fey

As I read Tina Fey’s memoir, I sometimes could not help wondering if I was reading a memoir about Liz Lemon as written by Tina Fey or the other way around.  It made me laugh out loud, and you can enjoy reading about the life and escapades of Tina Fey even if you are unfamiliar with the show “30 Rock” or, as I am, Saturday Night Live.  (Gasp-where have I been???  Oh, right…reading.)  Readers 16 and up will probably enjoy Bossypants most (especially if they already like Tina Fey) and be able to appreciate the humor, no matter whether you are male or female (I lent the book to my boyfriend and he really like it).  

A Song of Ice and Fire, by George R. R. Martin

I am not ashamed to admit that it takes me about 2 to 3 weeks to read each book in this epic fantasy series, because each tome is really heavy (literally and story-wise) and clock in at around 800 pages (on average)!  And George R. R. Martin has not even finished writing them. These books are excellent, and you do not have to like fantasy in order to enjoy reading them.  However, they are strictly for the 16-17 and up audience, and even then I would tread cautiously; just because I myself have been reading the books since I was 16 does not mean that everyone can or should.  These stories have everything in it, and by that I mean everything.  There are many themes and situations that may be disturbing to some readers.  The series is basically about a country on the edge of war; a usurper king has an unstable rule over the seven lands of Westeros, and plots and intrigues are rife throughout the kingdom and across the sea in the Eastern lands.  Triggering events pit people against each other even as new bonds are forged and old ones are renewed.  The story is told by various different characters, and the relationships among the different families and the histories of this world are vast and complex.  At a certain point, the reader just has to “go with it” and keep the books near at hand in order to refer to them about previous events.  Great storytelling and complex characters make for an engrossing, thrilling read!

Scary Godmother: Comic Book Stories, by Jill Thompson

This is a truly delightful collection of stories about Hannah Marie and her friends who live on the Fright Side of her bed.  It’s perfect for boys and girls 10 and up (and their parents and/or older siblings) who enjoy funny, spooky stories that are not too scary.  The artwork is whimsical and amazing to look at; it took me a week to read this book (almost unheard of; I am usually the one who finishes a book in a few days) because I spent a lot of time appreciating the artwork and examining the beautiful detail in all the panels.  People my age and older may be more familiar with Jill Thompson’s contributions to Neil Gaiman’s Sandman universe, so if you have not yet checked out Scary Godmother, I recommend it!  Find it at your local comic book shop!

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, by Jacqueline Kelly

First of all, I have to say that I really, really hope Jacqueline Kelly writes another book about Calpurnia Tate, because I don’t think her story is yet finished.  It is 1899, and Calpurnia Tate is 11 ¾ and not your typical turn-of-the-century girl.  Calpurnia Tate is spunky and would much rather spend her time outside finding bugs and plants with her grandfather than inside learning how to sew a straight seam, cook, and do other domestic activities.  Give her credit for trying though!  She does at least attempt all of these things, with mixed results (but it makes Mother happy).  It’s a time of scientific progress and around the time that the theory of evolution is just gaining ground, and Calpurnia wants to be a part of that.  Calpurnia also narrates the story and, like Jerusha Abbott in Daddy-Long-Legs, is very witty and has a great sense of humor.  If a book makes me laugh aloud, and this one did, I usually determine it to be a good read.   Calpurnia reminds me of such favorite characters of mine as Amber Brown, Ramona, Clementine, and Scout.  This is an excellent story for ages 10 and up, and parents should enjoy it, too!

Daddy-Long-Legs, by Jean Webster

Daddy-Long-Legs is an epistolary novel (a novel told in letters or diary entries) that takes place in the early part of the 20^th century.  Now Amazon has posted a School Library Journal summary that suggests this book is for 9^th grade and up, but I disagree.  I think a 10- or an 11-year old could read it, and in fact, I have met 10- and 11-year olds that have read it.  Jerusha Abbott has a mysterious benefactor who pays for her college education, on the condition that he remains anonymous and that Jerusha write him once a month to tell him of her progress.  Since Jerusha is quite sure she saw the back of him as he left the orphanage where she grew up, she decides to nickname him Daddy-Long-Legs.  Jerusha is a spunky, intelligent girl who has a sharp sense of humor and displays wisdom beyond her years, and I absolutely loved this book.  It is an especially good read for girls and young women.  It is lighthearted but at the same time thought-provoking.

Bunheads, by Sophie Flack

This was a pretty good read about a young ballerina who wishes to rise in her company.  At the same time, she is starting to question all the time and effort she puts in, and the fact that her life truly is not her own, but given over to the dance.  As such, I have it on good word from a friend of mine who used to be a professional ballerina that this is probably not the best book to give a girl or guy who is actually a ballet dancer, or a former one.  After she looked at it, she determined that it was “too close to the real thing”.  SO, I think it is safe to say that this is a good book for those of us who love and/or would like to learn about the life offstage.  It gave me a very healthy appreciation for what these artists give of themselves in order to perfect their craft and create the magic of such favorites of mine as “Swan Lake” and “The Nutcracker”.  I suggest 15 and up as the best age at which to read this book, since the main character does deal with or encounter certain situations (e.g. eating disorders and sexuality).  

A Plethora of Good Teen Reads, Plus Some Other Ones

Following will be some brief reviews of several Young Adult books I read in the last six to eight months.  The reason they never made it to this blog is because I was busy graduating from college and taking my CPA exams (both objectives of which were successfully accomplished, hence the increased blogging time!).  I think these books are worth mentioning because they are good reads for the general 14 and up reading audience, with a few 10- and 12-up exceptions.  Find them at your local independent bookstore or your local library!

The Enchanted Wood, by Enid Blyton

This is the first Enid Blyton book I have read, and I received this book as a gift from a very special friend of mine.  Given these facts, I will alert you to the more-likely-than-not probability that this book is not available in the United States.  You may be able to find it at the library, but you will most likely have to get The Enchanted Wood from Canada, India, or the United Kingdom (try their respective Amazon sites, or better yet, try Alibris and Abebooks online, both of which specialize in rare, hard-to-find books).  

Remember those classic books you read as a child, like Half Magic, Mary Poppins, and Gone-Away Lake?   This book reminds me of all of those and brought me back to those days of reading truly delightful and innocent stories by the bundle.  Joe, Beth, and Frannie have moved to the country with their parents.  It is summertime and they spend their days doing their house chores and exploring the surrounding countryside.  There they discover the Enchanted Wood, the Faraway Tree, and the folk that live there.  The Faraway Tree is especially exciting because every week or so, if you climb all the way to the top, a different land is there above the clouds (e.g. Birthday Land and the Land of Take-What-You-Want, among other whimsically named lands straight out of my childhood daydreams).  If you know a child (or an adult!) who wants to read a fantasy where nothing scary happens and everything is wonderfully magical, I sincerely recommend Enid Blyton.  As far as I know, a fraction of Blyton’s books are available in the United States, and I usually find them in independent or used bookstores.  As I mentioned before, though, consumers can acquire them via online means (also try independent bookstores’ online storefronts).

The Scorpio Races, by Maggie Stiefvater

This book is excellent.  I really liked Stiefvater’s Shiver trilogy, which was more like a darker werewolf beach read (as opposed to a lighter werewolf beach read; I mean exactly what I say), but I loved The Scorpio Races.  It is a fantasy, but unique from many other fantasies I have read over the last few years.  

The Scorpio Races takes place in this world, sometime before 1950, possibly between the World Wars, maybe before both of them.  It takes place on a small island off the coast of the United Kingdom: most likely Ireland, since Kate Connolly and Sean Kendrick are the names of the main characters.  Every year in October, the water horses start coming out of the ocean.  Those who are inclined catch and train these horses in time for the Scorpio Races in November, which draw tourists from several parts of the world.  Water horses look like regular land horses, but they are violent and carnivorous.  They will kill man and beast alike if hungry and left to their own devices.  Sean Kendrick is a four-time winner of the Scorpio Races and something of a water horse whisperer.  He works for one of the most wealthy and powerful men on the island, and wants his freedom.  Kate Connolly lives with her two brothers in their dead parents’ house, and enters the Scorpio Races with a mind to win them herself and so avoid eviction of her family.  She is the first girl to enter the Scorpio Races in the history of the island.  Both Sean and Kate embark on unforgettable journeys that cross paths with each other; they learn, among other things, what it is to love this harsh island that is their home and how to make firm decisions about their lives so that they can continue to live there.  It’s a beautifully written story and I highly recommend it; it’s really for readers 13 and older, though a mature 12-year-old could probably read it (there are some graphic depictions of the carnage instigated and left behind by the water horses).  If this book had come out when I was 12, I probably would have read it; then again, I read a lot of things at age 12 that were far advanced in writing style and content.  In any case, The Scorpio Races is a great read.

Flush, by Carl Hiaasen

I loved Hiaasen’s Hoot when I read it several years ago, and I recommend it just as much as Flush (which is not a sequel to Hoot).  Adults may be familiar with his earlier mysteries, but Hiaasen has since branched into children’s literature.  

Flush is the story of a family and how they deal with the father’s well-meaning but legally questionable attempts to make things right where they are wrong.  We meet Noah at the beginning as he is waiting to meet his father in a visitor’s room…at the local jail.  This is not an unusual occurrence, but this is the first time it is for a more weighty reason: Noah’s father has sunken a casino boat because he believes that the owner is dumping sewage into a protected area of the Florida Keys.  Unfortunately, he does not have substantial evidence that this is the case.  Noah’s father is a strong believer in doing the right thing, but he doesn’t always like to do things by the book.  It is more efficient, after all, to do things himself rather than try and get the law involved.  Noah and his sister become involved in helping prove their dad correct and have enough adventurous experiences and humorous interludes to fill a book (pun intended!).  Along the way, they learn a lot about how there are many different ways of doing the right thing and they don’t all have to end in an orange jumpsuit.  

I loved reading Flush; it’s great for kids 10 and up.  Adults may enjoy it too, and if you’re a Carl Hiaasen fan don’t hesitate to read his books for young readers!  There’s nothing wrong with grown-ups reading kids’ books: I do it every day, and meet many other adults and parents who also do so.  A good story is a good story, is what I always say.

The Book of Blood and Shadow, by Robin Wasserman

Warning: If you don't want to read a long negative book review, well, this is that.  However, if you want to find out why I don't think this book is very good, you should check my review out.  

Here’s the thing about this book: after reading it, I can gauge what reading audience will probably enjoy it.  I was looking forward to reading it because I had not read a mystery á la The Da Vinci Code in a while and the premise seemed interesting. 

It ended up being one of the worst books I read this year.  It was very disappointing; and yes, I read the whole book.  I got invested in it enough that I decided to power through and read to the end.

There are several problems with the story and the characters, and they are interrelated.  I will focus on what I think are the major ones.  From the beginning, it is established that Nora, the main character, is a high school senior and accomplished Latin translator who lives with her parents, neither of whom seem to take a significant interest in her upbringing, due mainly to the death of her older brother several years earlier.  She is a part-time volunteer research assistant at the nearby university along with one of her best friends and her boyfriend.  Her other best friend is also a high school senior.  Unfortunately, these characters were portrayed so one-dimensionally that I didn’t really get a sense of them as people; they seemed more like props to keep the story and the mystery going.  When the author did attempt to infuse some life into the characters, it felt awkward and confusing.  I did not see why I should care about any of the characters and what they were doing.  Even though one of them is murdered (this is not quite a spoiler, since Nora mentions it within the first few chapters), I got the impression that Nora was more concerned about mitigating her own implied guilt in the event rather than genuine anger and sadness about the death.  It is hard to tell what everyone’s motivations are, and nobody grows or undergoes some other kind of transformation by the end of the story.

The way the characters are able to follow the clues, so to speak, to unravel the mystery, is also unclear.  Though everyone is supposed to be really smart and knowledgeable about different languages and cultures and history, I was not convinced of it, mainly because the characters were already poorly drawn and not well developed.  It does not always make sense how the characters arrive at their conclusions and so neatly go from place to place and always find a document or a message or a key person essential to the mystery. 

Finally, there are a few significant “reveals” toward the end of the book that do not make sense in the context of this story because the author does not establish at the beginning that these kinds of events could happen in this world or that yes, there is a more than 90% possibility that these characters might actually be more than they say they are.  These “reveals” are written too hastily.  I literally groaned aloud at Starbucks (my boyfriend gave me a sympathetic look; he understands because sometimes he has to watch bad movies in order to see why good movies are so good).   

Here is why I think Twilight is a better book (and we’re not talking about writing quality; it’s strictly style and content): 1) Though Bella and Nora are both self-pitying and can be very insufferable, Bella is more fleshed out and believable as a character within a story and not as a device to move the story forward; 2) people and events within the Twilight universe make sense in the context of the universe because Stephenie Meyer establishes that these people could exist and these events could occur within this universe; and 3) Meyer constructs and paces the story consistently and logically.  True, I would go cross-eyed at Bella’s pages and pages of Edward-longing, but at least it made sense for her character.  Parts of Blood and Shadow are plain boring and unnecessary.  The author’s writing style is meandering: it seems as if the author is still trying to figure out what her writing style is by the end of the book. 

All in all, The Book of Blood and Shadow consists of a lot of pages that tell a story of not much.  I will not stop you from reading it if your curiosity wins out.  To be perfectly honest, though, there are better books out there. 

Human Body: A Book with Guts! By Dan Green; illustrated by Basher

I love Basher’s illustrations, and I think it is great that he illustrates children’s introductory science books.  I recently read this to get a brush-up on my knowledge of the human body.  I quite enjoyed it.  Each chapter builds on ideas and concepts introduced in previous chapters, and rather than organizing each chapter by organ system, it starts with the basic building blocks of life (cells and other microscopic organisms) and progresses to grouping systems that work together in subsequent chapters.  It is a fun read for kids because each organism “narrates” its own story of how it functions.  Human Body is actually part of the Basher Science Books series; Basher has also illustrated a number of board books and picture books for toddlers that present early concepts such as Opposites and Shapes.  They’re really cute, and the kids at my bookstore love them.  I highly recommend them for young reluctant readers or budding scientists 8 or 9 and up who want to read a basic science book without being overwhelmed by sophisticated details.

Wonderland, by Tommy Kovac and Sonny Liew

Wonderland, by Tommy Kovac and Sonny Liew, is about what happens right after Alice has visited the White Rabbit’s cottage.  The story focuses on Mary Ann, the housemaid, and how she gets mixed up in her own Wonderland adventure.  It’s very well-written and stands up on its own: even if you are only familiar with Alice’s story and have not read the books, you will still be able to enjoy Wonderland.  That being said, you will appreciate it more if you have at least read Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.  Also, watch the animated Disney film (it’s a trip!): the illustrations are meant to look like the Disney characters, but the artwork is a style all its own and very beautiful.  It’s a laugh-out-loud read, and great for ages 8 and up (though teenagers and adults. will be quicker to understand some of the wit and humor than most children).

Jersey Tomatoes Are the Best, by Maria Padian

Jersey Tomatoes Are the Best, by Maria Padian, is a feel-good novel about two best friends who are going their separate ways for the summer.  Eva is going to a ballet summer program in New York City, while Henry (short for Henriette) is off to a prestigious tennis camp in Florida.  It’s the first time both girls have been apart for an extended period of time.  While Jersey Tomatoes is a lighter read, it does deal with some serious issues.  Each girl has an overbearing parent who seems to want nothing more than to live through his or her daughter’s talent.  While Eva is passionate about dance and Henry lives tennis, both also feel conflicted and even dislike what they’re doing at times.  They are constantly dealing with issues that are specific to what they do. In the end, the story asks these questions: What are the important things in life?  Who are you as a person?  How are you going to react if put in a given situation?  What is the right decision to make?  All in all, this is a very good read, and a healthy read, for girls 14-15 and up.  I really enjoyed reading it.  There is a lot of tennis lingo, but it does not take away from the story.  I don’t know anything about tennis and very little about ballet and I was able to follow Henry as she plays her game and Eva as she becomes alive on the dance floor.  Jersey Tomatoes Are the Best is also a good one for those who liked reading The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series.

Shadow on the Mountain, by Margi Preus

Shadow on the Mountain, by Margi Preus, is just as good as her first novel, Heart of a Samurai.  The two books are not companions to each other, but they are written in the same style and are both well-research historical fiction novels for the reader 10 years old and up.  Note that Shadow on the Mountain is not to be released until September 2012.  I highly recommend it for those of you who enjoy reading historical fiction and/or read Margi Preus’ first book.  Shadow on the Mountain is about the boy Espen who, at age 14, is running “errands” for the Norwegian Resistance during World War II.  As he grows older and his work for the movement becomes more dangerous, he learns and understands more about how the world he was born into changed so drastically and seemingly overnight.  Through the eyes of various characters in the story, we see how different their motivations are and why they choose to act the way they do.  If anything, Margi Preus shows how history is never black and white, and emphasizes the importance of critical thinking.  

Heart of a Samurai, by Margi Preus

Heart of a Samurai, by Margi Preus, is really good! It is based on a true story about Manjiro, a 13-year old boy from a fishing village in Japan who, along with four others, is shipwrecked and eventually picked up by an American whaling ship in 1841. Since this is at a time when Japan was closed to foreigners and did not welcome back Japanese people who strayed too far from Japan’s borders (whether of their own volition or not), Manjiro must make the decision of whether he will try to get home anyway or join the crew. What happens next turns into the adventure of a lifetime. Preus does an excellent job of describing the cultural differences between the East and the West and the conflict that is constantly within Manjiro, even as he takes in the wonder of seeing and experiencing things beyond his wildest dreams! The book has a glossary at the back of technical terms and some Japanese words (which was very helpful), and a bibliography of the author’s resources, for those who, like myself, wish to know more about this period of history and its lasting effects today.

The Sandman Volume 2: The Doll's House, by Neil Gaiman et al

I believe the Sandman Volume 2: The Doll’s House, by Neil Gaiman, is much darker than the first Sandman book. It is still a good read though; while I have not read many DC universe comics, I think that Gaiman’s contribution with the Sandman character gave the DC universe a different feel. The personifications of Dream, Death, et al., feel more universal because such beings appear in many tales from around the world. The Doll’s House is not for the fainthearted, and it is definitely for mature readers. I look forward to progressing with the series.

Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom, by Susin Nielsen

Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom, by Susin Nielsen, is about 12 year old Violet and her anger and sadness about her parents' divorce. Her parents don't quite understand her acting out and Violet gets in trouble a lot. Mixed in with her feelings are her love for her parents (of course); note also that much of her anger is directed toward her father, since he is the one who left. Eventually, the lesson that Violet must inevitably learn is that people are not perfect, and the only thing to be done is to make the best of a sad situation-but not before she makes her own attempts to set things right. This story is a good one to read for anyone, but will also speak in particular to preteen girls whose parents are not together anymore and are having trouble adjusting to the new living environment.

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick, by Joe Schreiber

Okay, so I was not sure what to expect when I read Joe Schreiber's Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick, but I enjoyed reading it all the same. This is a good book for a teenage boy reluctant reader (15 or 16 and up). Perry's family has been hosting a foreign exchange student during his last year of high school, and as a last gesture of kindness before she leaves to go back home, Mom makes Perry take her to the prom. However, Perry soon learns that Gobija is not quite the person she seemed to be.... It's a fast-paced read, with short chapters and lots of action. It is humorous, but it gets intense really fast.

The Sandman Volume One: Preludes and Nocturnes, by Neil Gaiman et al

Wow! I finally read Volume One of Neil Gaiman's Sandman series. How do I begin to describe it? Lord Morpheus, the King of Dreams, has been mistakenly summoned and is trapped. He bides his time, waiting for the right moment to escape and take his revenge...but it is so much more than that (after all, there are about 9 other books after this one, plus a bunch of spin-off series). I did not realize that the Sandman was actually a character created for the DC Universe: I thought he was an original creation of Mr. Gaiman's! In any case, Preludes & Nocturnes is definitely for a mature reading audience. If you like Neil Gaiman's prose or just want a good graphic novel to read, check this one out!

Manga Man, by Barry Lyga and Colleen Doran

Last week I read Manga Man, by Barry Lyga, and it's pretty funny. The premise is that there is a Rip between our 3-D world and the 2-D manga world. Ryoko ends up in our world because of the Rip, and until the ex-army scientist doctor guy who made the machine that facilitated the Rip can fix said machine, Ryoko must learn to live on Earth. It's really well drawn (illustrator is Colleen Doran) and it's a light read. If you read a lot of manga and other types of comics, you will definitely appreciate Manga Man. I was laughing as I read it.

Nightmares and Fairytales, Volume 2, by Serena Valentino

SO the definition of this graphic novel is "scarily cute", or maybe "cutely scary". Nightmares and Fairytales: Beautiful Beasts, by Serena Valentino, is about a rag doll named Annabelle. Annabelle tells stories to her current owner Gwen of her past owners, and several of those stories happen to be re-imaginings of tales such as "Beauty and the Beast" and "Little Red Riding Hood". Some stories are darker than others, so if you're into that, this is the book for you. I would say ages 13 and up is an appropriate reading audience age threshold.

The City in the Lake, by Rachel Neumeier

I haven't read a good stand-alone fantasy novel in a while. The City in the Lake, by Rachel Neumeier, is like a fairy tale, though not based on any one we are familiar with. She takes elements of fairy tales, though, and weaves them into her story. It's beautifully written, and a more sophisticated read than (dare I say it) the Harry Potter books. I would say readers 12 and up would enjoy it, if they have a more advanced reading comprehension level and want to read something a bit more complex than Percy Jackson's books (which are still fun to read).  Also check out Neumeier's The Floating Islands.

The Time-Traveling Fashionista, by Bianca Turetsky

The Time-Traveling Fashionista, by Bianca Turetsky, is perfect for any girl (or boy!) who loves fashion, old movies, and time-travel. 12-year-old Louise loves vintage fashion, and receives a special invitation to a vintage fashion sale. She finds the perfect dress and tries it on. Can you guess what happens next? For ages 12up.

Three Times Lucky, by Sheila Turnage

Three Times Lucky, by Sheila Turnage, is set in a small town in North Carolina, and gives us a brief glimpse into the life of Mo LoBeau, 11 years old and rising 6th grader. Oh, and by the way, it's a murder mystery set in the summertime. I really enjoyed reading it. I especially loved the relationships Mo has with her adoptive family, friends, and neighbours.  Mo is a crackup: she's full of spunk and a tomboy.  For ages 10 (possibly a more emotionally mature 10) to 11 and up.

Marvel Fairy Tales, by C. B. Sebulski

Marvel Fairy Tales, by C. B. Sebulski, is a collection of fairy tales and classic stories featuring well-known Marvel characters. They're all rather fun, though of course I preferred some over others. I loved the artwork; it's really neat seeing these re-imagined superheroes starring in such familiar tales as Peter Pan and Red Riding Hood.

Shadows on the Moon, by Zoe Marriott

Shadows on the Moon, by Zoe Marriott, is a darker retelling of Cinderella set in a made-up part of Japan. Not quite a heavy read, but Suzume's story is emotionally charged. I would say 15 and up, or a mature 13/14, is the ideal age range for a reader.

Y The Last Man: Unmanned, by Brian K. Vaughan et al

I read Volume One of Y: The Last Man: Unmanned, and I have also read Volume 2: Cycles and Volume 3: One Small Step. So far, so good! The first book pretty much sets up the story and introduces us to some very important characters. I don't want to go into it too much for those who haven't read it: I myself did not really know what to expect. All I heard was that the series was and is good. Sometimes, I prefer to let the story unfold as I read.  This is definitely a series for mature readers.

Monster Volume 1, by Naoki Urasawa

This is just a picture of the first one, but this is an 18-volume manga series by Naoki Urasawa. I have finished the entire series. It's a really well-written and well-drawn mystery/thriller set in Germany, about a Japanese doctor who becomes entangled in a serial-murder case. Highly recommended!!

Habibi, by Craig Thompson

Habibi is EXCELLENT. For those of you already familiar with the graphic novel, I highly recommend this to you. If you are new to the format, this is a heavy read (literally and figuratively-the book clocks in at over 450 pages), but it's a beautifully drawn and written story about a girl surviving on her own somewhere in the Middle East. You will find yourself spending just as much time appreciating the artistry as you will reading the words.

Liberator, by Richard Harland

Liberator qualifies as steam-punk literature. It's pretty good, though I suggest reading Worldshaker first. Richard Harland is an Australian author, so the third installment may be a while in coming.  Worldshaker establishes the characters and the overarching storyline: an alternate history where the major countries of the world have taken over different parts of it.  Large populations of people from England, Russia, Japan, etc., live aboard huge juggernauts that are capable of traveling by land, sea, and air.  Col Porpentine is a member of a high-class family on Worldshaker (that is the name of the British juggernaut, complete with in-residence Queen Victoria and her consort, Prince Albert).  In the first book, he meets a Filthy (one of the lowest social class-the people who keep the juggernaut running far belowdecks), a girl named Riff, who challenges everything Col has been brought up to believe.  What follows is an adventure in which Col must decide where his loyalties lie and consider true nature of the current political and social system in which he has lived his whole life.

Ruby Red, by Kerstin Gier

Ruby Red is about a girl who has the time-traveling gene. Really good summertime read! Translated from the German, this is the first of three books (which have already been written and released in Europe). I am looking forward to the U.S. release of the second installment!

A Confusion of Princes, by Garth Nix

Garth Nix is a great author. If you like Ender's Game and/or Star Wars, or just general science fiction, this is a good one!  Also check out Mr. Nix's other books: Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen (the aforementioned three constitute a trilogy), his Seventh Tower, the Keys to the Kingdom series, and Shade's Children.

Wonder, by R. J. Palacio

Everyone must read this book. It's a great story with a universal message, and it really makes one think about how we treat others. The Golden Rule comes to mind.  Augie is a boy who was born with numerous facial deformities.  By the time he's 10 years old, he's had many surgeries and looks very different from other children his age, though he does not suffer from mental or emotional development disorders.  He's been homeschooled, but chooses to go to a regular private school for his 5th grade year, knowing that there are many issues he will have to deal with once he is there.  Wonder is a truly inspiring story about family, friendship, and the importance of treating other people with respect and kindness.

News flash: I am finally back, after sitting for and taking 4 CPA exams-3 of them passed, with one more to find out about in August!  But anyway, I have taken to posting "Mini Book Reviews" on Facebook and just now started duplicating such reviews on Goodreads.com and will now triplicate (is that a word??) on this blog.  I have learned that a book review is easier to read if it is one paragraph or less, which is not to say that longer book reviews should not be written.  Note that if I really believe a book is worth writing about at length, I will write about it at length.  My re-vamped objective with this blog is to reach people I am not connected with on Facebook or on Goodreads.com and people I may not know and will not ever know.  This is my thing: I love reading, I love giving recommendations, getting recommendations, and spreading a love of literacy and learning to all.  Happy reading!