August Reads in Review (2009)

My August Reads - with links to reviews, where applicable. Note that I separated my YA reviews and posted them at my alter ego's blog, Twinkletoes Reviews. I planned on keeping that review site totally private, but since I always end up discovering that I can only handle one blog at a time, it may not last (either way, I think I'll limit it to YA) and I might as well link up to the reviews Sam has written, right? Right. I am Sam. Sam I am. There's a story attached to the name, but we'll save that for another day. This is supposed to be a summary of my August reads.

Abbreviations:

YA - Young Adult
NF - Non-fiction
CT - Christian theme or elements

Ch - Children's

PR - Promotional item

HF - Historical Fiction

M - Memoir

The Missionary by Carmichael and Lambert (CT)- A missionary who has strong opinions about the government in . . . I think it's Venezuela . . . agrees to play a small role in a coups and gets himself into a boatload of trouble. I thought this one was a stretch and the missionary was too wimpy. People have to rescue him; he never figures out how to help himself and his family.

Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman (NF)- One woman's tales of her reading life. This is an extremely fun read, but I'm going to have to read it a second time and keep a vocabulary notebook. My gosh, that woman has a humongous vocabulary!!

Paper Towns by John Green (YA) - After a night of helping his neighbor friend play some pranks on people who've upset her, a teenage boy feels like it's his job to find the girl when she goes missing (based on clues from Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman, if I remember right). Green's trademark style - sharp kids with angst. Not my favorite but I do love his writing. Many thanks to Chris in New Orleans for my copy of Paper Towns!!

June Bug by Chris Fabry (CT) - When June Bug and her dad are stuck in Colorado while they wait for an RV part, she sees a missing child photo that makes her question everything her dad has ever said. This was one of the best books I've read all year, a fantastic story of love with a mystery. The ending made me sob, but it was perfect for the book. It would make a *great* movie.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by (PR) - A 63-page bit of promotional material about the new Hitchhiker's book, And Another Thing by Eoin Colfer (release date is October 12), with quotes from the Douglas Adams book, info about the new one and how Adams' wife hand-picked the author. I figured I read it; I'll count it.

Evernight by Claudia Gray (YA) - The daughter of two vampires falls in love with a vampire slayer while attending an exclusive school for vampires that has unaccountably started accepting outsiders. I really enjoyed this one, although I thought she took a bit too long getting to the vampire bit (which was mentioned on the cover, so . . . )

The Daddy Long-Legs Blues by Ornstein & Kopelke (Ch)- A daddy long-legs spider jives around town. He's cute and he doesn't look very spidery. Loved the illustrations. It's best if you sing it, actually. I put it to music and sang it to the cat. I know. I'm so weird.

All the World by Scanlon & Frazee (Ch) - A very easy-language rhyming book with gorgeous illustrations that reminded me of Virginia Lee Burton's books. This would be good for preschoolers and beginning readers as it has very simple words.

Chicken Dance by Tammi Sauer & Dan Santat (Ch) - This one is my favorite of the 3 kids' books I read in August. Two chickens enter a talent contest and find their talent lies in just being chickens. Fantastic illustrations and it's hilarious. I'm keeping this one for future grandkids. Seriously, I can't part with it.

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange (HF)- Lizzy and Mr. Darcy marry. He won't go to bed with her. They go to Europe instead of the Lake District. Told from Lizzy's perspective and with the most ridiculous ending, ever. This one was a bit of a yawn, at times, but there were some interesting historical tidbits.

Hugh and Bess by Susan Higginbotham (HF) - A medieval romance. Bess must wed Hugh, a man who is wealthy but whose father and grandfather were killed as traitors. They move from castle to castle and slowly their love grows, then . . . the plague hits. I really loved this one. It's not extremely detailed but I just loved the story.

The Woodstock Story Book by Linanne Sackett and Barry Levine (NF) - Seriously, just what it sounds like. The Woodstock event is described in verse and photographs. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. Kiddo thought the naked guy with the sheep was a hoot.

TSI: The Gabon Virus by McCusker and Larimore (CT) - A group of religious fanatics are infected with a strain of ebola and they drink poison to prevent its spread, but one boy fakes drinking and runs away. Yeeks! Pandemic alert! A team of scientists investigate a medieval plague in England in order to try to find a cure. Too many coincidences made the ending of this book too trite and perfect, but I just ignored that. It was awfully fun reading and one of my favorites.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (YA) - A toddler whose family is murdered crawls to a graveyard, where he is adopted, reared and protected by the ghosts. I liked this one a lot, although I don't quite get why it won a Newbery. The beginning is icky.

Christianish by Mark Steele (NF/CT) - This is a book about how Christians have gotten kind of arrogant and created their own rules which aren't necessarily what the Bible says we're supposed to do. The author is a Christian humorist, so the anecdotes are hilarious but he lost me a little in the theology. I had to concentrate. In general, I really liked this book.

New Tricks by David Rosenfelt - An Andy Carpenter mystery. When a wealthy man is murdered, Andy has to determine who gets custody of the dead man's dog. Then, one of those people gets blown up and the dog becomes the clue to untangling the mystery. The usual Andy Carpenter - funny and not too complex.

Don't Shoot! We're Republicans! by Jack Owens (NF/M) - The memoir of an FBI agent, now retired, who began working for the FBI in the 1960s and was on the first federal S.W.A.T. team, spied a little during the Cold War, stormed a prison, helped catch a serial child killer. Ooooh, this one was good. And, the author has a great sense of humor. Another favorite.

Darling Jim by Christian Moerk - A dark crime novel set in Ireland. I liked the writing but the story is dark and twisted (not my personal favorite; I'm into sweetness and light). However, I loved the Irish setting, thought the writing was lovely and I'm anxious to see what the author comes up with next.

Secret Society by Tom Dolby (YA) - A young adult novel about 3 teenagers who are inducted into a secret society in which extraordinarily wealthy people open doors for their young members and keep the wealth going. But, you can't turn down membership and woe betide the young members who don't fit in. This one was a serious let-down. I've loaned my ARC to a teenager, so we'll see if I'm just too old for it.

Godmother by Carolyn Turgeon - subtitled "The Secret Cinderella Story" (I think; I already sent my copy to Nymeth), the vast majority of this book is the magical tale of an elderly woman who was Cinderella's fairy godmother but was cast to Earth after she screwed up. She works in an antiquarian bookstore and thinks she's found a way to atone for her mistake. But, the ending takes the entire premise and changes everything. The ending was awful!!! I loved the rest of the book, so I'm mentally rewriting the ending.

The Eternal Smile by Gene Luen Yang - A graphic novel with three separate stories, by the author of American Born Chinese (which I loved). You can never tell what this guy has up his sleeve. There's a man who lives in a fantasy world and imagines himself a prince, a frog who stars in a reality show, and a meek office worker who answers a spam from a "Nigerian prince". All have really interesting twist endings. I didn't like the first one, though.

Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman (YA) - A fluffy young adult novel about two friends, one of whom decides she wants to find her Mr. Darcy after reading Pride and Prejudice and comes up with a scheme to find true love by crashing a dance at an exclusive boys' school. There was a bit of strange repetitive lingo that threw me (I've never heard a teenager say "crisp" instead of "cool") but I loved everything else about this book. It's funny and sweet and silly. Thanks to Care for sending me Enthusiasm!!

Visions of America by Joseph Sohm (NF/Photography) - A picture book by a photographer whose passion was the yearning to photograph "democracy". I had a little trouble with his concept and I don't think his text was always accurate, but the photos are phenomenal. It is one whopper of a book - huge and heavy. The layout's a little cluttery but . . . the photos. Seriously. Wonderful. I could learn a ton from that guy, if he'd just drop by to give me a few hints.

Whoa! I counted 23 books. Of course, that includes three children's books, a graphic novel and a promotional book (which came with a towel that says, "Don't Panic!", hahaha) but still . . . even without those, I read 18 books. No wonder I need to lose weight. 5469 pages. Diet time, for sure.

July Reads in Review (2009)

My July Reads are a wee bit late, as usual. Links are provided to full reviews, if applicable.

Abbreviations:

YA - Young Adult

NF - Non-fiction

CT - Christian theme or elements

Cousin Kate by Georgette Heyer - A gothic romance with a really creepy family and the typical bouncy heroine. Not my favorite; it was a little uneven. But, I always like Heyer.

Valley of the Shadow by Tom Pawlik (CT)- A totally thrilling book about a man whose soul ends up in a place called the Interworld (between life and heaven or hell) and remembers the other people who were with him, when he comes out of his coma. Leaps back and forth between Interworld, where this guy is being chased by creepy black demon things, and the real world, where one man is trying to save several people from hell. Kiddo and I both loved this one.

The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand - When a husband and wife (one couple in a group of 4 couples who called themselves "The Castaways" because they all "washed up" in Nantucket) drown, a tangle of lies, affairs and the truth about their deaths is revealed.

During My Nervous Breakdown I Want to Have a Biographer Present by Brandon S. Gorrell - Quirky poetry.

Through the Fire by Shawn Grady (CT)- When a firefighter makes a mistake that causes a rookie's injury, he's suspended. He travels to Mexico because his love life is also falling apart, but then he's called back to work because of a string of arsons. Part romance, part mystery, a little literary with a Christian theme. I loved this because of the fire scenes (the author's a real firefighter/paramedic). There's a part at the beginning that's a little slow, but it picks up.

Shimmer by Eric Barnes - A company built on a Ponzi scheme is on the verge of collapse. I particularly loved the dialogue in this one. The tech stuff went a little over my head, but in general this was a fun read because of the characters and their interaction.

The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children by Stormie O'Martian (NF) - a tour book that I thought was going to be so dull when I started reading, but it turned out to have some pretty good advice.

Overheard in New York by S. Morgan Friedman and Michael Malice (NF) - A book of snippets of conversation overheard in New York City (on the subway, in stores, wherever). This originated as a website. There are some funny bits, but the vast majority are kind of obnoxious. I'd hate to have a small child in NYC if a lot of people talk like that!!!

The Sword and the Flute by Mike Hamel (YA) - A young adult fantasy about . . . actually, I'm not sure what it was about. This one didn't stick with me.

The Myrtles Plantation by Frances Kermean (NF) - Ghosties!! A woman who lived in a Louisiana plantation shares stories of her paranormal experiences. I liked it, although I only believed *some* of her stories.

The Imposter's Daughter by Laurie Sandell (NF) - A graphic memoir (meaning it's told in cartoons) about Sandell's quest to find out the truth about her lying father's history, her ill-fated romance, life as an interviewer of big stars for Glamour magazine and her addiction to Ambien and alcohol. I actually liked this one more than I thought I would. Lots of naked cartoon people in it, though.

God*Stories by Andrew Wilson (NF)- A British minister/theologist's retelling and explanation of some major Bible stories, focusing on the Gospels. I absolutely loved this book because it explained some things that I never understood, before.

The Plight of the Darcy Brothers by Marsha Altman - A totally wild continuation of Altman's Pride & Prejudice spin-off that would probably make Jane roll over in her grave, but immensely entertaining. Altman is really great at keeping the light, humorous tone set by the real Jane.

Sweetwater Run by Jan Watson (CT) - The fourth book in a series set in late 19th-century Kentucky. When Dim Whitt steals back his own mule and gets arrested, his wife has to conquer her fears and learn to fend for herself. There are all sorts of things going on in this book and it was my favorite of the month. Absolutely loved this one.

Offworld by Robin Parrish (CT)- In the not-too-distant future, a crew of astronauts returning from Mars crash-land on Earth and find it completely empty. No people, no animals, no bugs. The only clue to what happened is in Houston, so they head there and find a single human . . . and then something or someone tries to stop them from finding answers. Quite a wild ride. I had a little trouble with the ending but I thought the book was very good.

That's it for July: 15 books, 4921 pages. July was a really enjoyable reading month. Next up will be my August reviews, I hope, a sneek peek post (and hopefully a review to follow) of Abide With Me, and a review of The Greatest Knight.

Vanishing by Candida Lawrence

Vanishing by Candida Lawrence

Copyright 2009

Unbridled Books - Nonfiction/Memoir

275 pages

Hmm. Ever have trouble putting your thoughts together for, like, 4 or 5 days after you finish a book? I feel that way about Vanishing. Candida Lawrence is, from what I gather, a writer who writes only essays about her life experiences. Vanishing is the fourth of her books.

So, why am I having trouble gathering my thoughts? I think because this book ran hot and cold, for me. The first couple of stories . . . I don't know how to put it other than to say that I took an immediate dislike to the writer. But, then as I continued reading I softened toward her a bit. Unlike the most recent memoir I read prior to Vanishing (Don't Shoot! We're Republicans!), I never did get the sensation that, "This is the kind of person I would love to get to know." I think the moment that I began to feel as if I was just tolerating the author might have been during the essay in which she was preparing to leave her California home as a nearby fire threatened. While trying to decide what to take with her, she considered taking her daughter's cat but leaving behind the new kittens because the cat could always have more. Then, she pondered the inevitable tears if the house were to burn with the kittens inside and changed her mind. The house didn't burn, but my opinion of the author was left in ashes.

Second, as I read one of the final essays (it may have been the final story) I realized that all the way through the book I'd thought Jack -- a man who remained in her life, off and on, for decades -- was also her ex-husband. Nope, not so. In fact, I don't believe the ex was named until that final chapter. So, I closed the book feeling as if I had only understood a small portion of it.

Still, I wouldn't say, "Don't read this book." I personally found the author unlikeable, but that's at least in part because her morals and values are so far removed from my own. That's obviously not going to be the case for everyone. I did think her writing was a little too artistic for my taste, as well. In a memoir, I like a straightforward style and a sense of humor. Sometimes I wasn't certain what was going on, but I think it was simply a matter of not quite getting her personal style.

2.5/5 - Disappointing. Didn't like the author's personality or her writing style, although some of the individual essays were very, very interesting. In one case, I wished I could call her up and say, "Did this really happen?" because the tale was so surreal and terrifying that I almost had myself convinced it was fiction. This book has some explicit scenes and is not family friendly.

Interesting sight of the week:

When I arrived at the pool, one day, these fellows had just finished replacing a set of stadium light bulbs and were waiting for their ride, which was attached to a crane. Coolness. They actually made it into the paper, although I didn't see the newspaper photographer.

I am almost finished with The Greatest Knight and already dying to read the further adventures of William Marshal. I think I can safely say I'm a new Elizabeth Chadwick fan.

What are you reading?

Reading and dreaming and watching kids swim

I am focusing on reading The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick, right now. It's sooooo good. But, it's also very detailed and I had a tiring week so it may be a few days before I finish it. The only book I finished and didn't manage to review, this week, is Vanishing by Candida Lawrence. I'll try to review as soon as possible. I'm still a few reviews behind, but since all the others were from my personal library there's no hurry. You're not in a hurry, right?

Last night, I had a terrible nightmare. My husband and eldest son decided to swing over a 20-foot gap in a bridge, by rope. I opted not to follow them, as I'm terrified of heights. In fact, I was so frightened that I was crawling along on my stomach on the bridge. Neither husband or son got enough momentum behind their swing and the hubby lost his grip. It was a mile to the ground. As he was falling, I looked over the edge and knowing my husband was falling to his doom I shouted, "I love you!" My husband shouted back, "Sorry! I wasn't paying attention!"

There has to be some deep meaning to that nightmare. The eldest son was left hanging on his rope, looking down. Because my brain couldn't handle watching the husband go splat, I woke up. And, boy was my heart pounding. Anyway, the point of this is that I didn't want to sit around thinking about a nightmare, so I deliberately went right back to sleep and when I did, the next dream was about William Marshal and Eleanor of Aquitaine. William is the protagonist in The Greatest Knight. I have no idea what I dreamed about them, but I didn't wake up with my heart pounding and nobody was falling, so that's good.

This was a bad, bad reading week, a so-so blogging week and another terrible blog-hopping week. But, as always, I had a bit of fun at the pool. One of my favorite things to photograph is that moment when a row of swimmers are in mid-air, diving during timed 50-meter sprints.

Cool, yes? I have always loved watching the swimmers at work and play.

Hope everyone's having a fabulous weekend! I'm off to read.

Bookfool, who has fallen so far behind that she can see her own dust

Another *Giveaway* - The Smart One & The Pretty One

This post is now closed to further entries. Winners list will be posted, soon!

Oh, boy!! Another giveaway!!!

You can read a review of this book at Once Upon a Bookshelf. I have not read it and have not yet acquired a copy. Lately, I just feel like acting like a fairy godmother, sprinkling gifts upon the masses at the behest of Hatchette and the delightful Miriam Parker.

"This sparkling novel about two sisters is both witty and stylish. Even if you don't have a sister of your own, you won't be able to resist LaZebnik's charming take on modern relationships. Read it!"- Holly Peterson, bestselling author of The Manny

TO ENTER:

1. Leave your email address. This is a MUST. No email, no entry, period.

2. Answer this question: If you could choose any place in the world to visit, where would you go? If you've already been there, that's okay. I'm just curious where you'd like to go.

3. Whenever Hatchette does this, you have no choice but to think like a North American and be one. This drawing is limited to residents of the U.S. and Canada. No P.O. Boxes.

4. Spread the word and leave a link to your post or tweet for an extra entry. There will be 5 winners. Wahoo!!

The contest ends at 6 pm on September 27, 2009.

Visions of America by Joseph Sohm

Visions of America: Photographing Democracy by Joseph Sohm
Copyright 2009
Visions of America LLC - Photography/Coffee table
312 pages
Visions of America website

You will seldom find Bookfool at a loss for words, but I've sat down to write about Visions of America three times and stared at the screen with my derrier going numb. I think I'll start by embedding the video about the book because it's excellent.

When I opened the book -- and it's a whopper of a book at approximately a foot square and 312 pages -- I thought, "No big deal; I'll whip this review out in no time." But, it's not just another coffee table book. The author set out to photograph a concept that's a little hard to understand: democracy. I don't think of democracy as something one can photograph and I still have a little trouble with that particular title, even after reading the text, but what I think the author accomplished in the process was a comprehensive view of America, her history, her people, the beauty and ugliness and the vast array of backgrounds represented by this unique nation and its hodge-podge of citizens. It took me a long time to get around to reviewing because it's so beautiful that I wanted to take my time and savor the book. I probably shouldn't have done that, but I certainly did enjoy the reading and viewing.

From the author's letter that came with the book:

“Visions of America” is premised on a single question – “how do you photograph Democracy?” (After all it’s an idea!). My answer unfolds over 1300 images and 21 essays that catapult you on an unforgettable journey across the fifty states.

Although as a photographer, I have been published over 50,000 times in the worldwide media – from the NY Times, National Geographic, CNN, NBC, the Wall Street Journal and in hundreds if not thousands of books (including the cover of John Grisham’s “King of Torts” and the back-cover of Bill Clinton’s “My Life”), “Visions of America” represents my first solo title where I serve as both photographer and author.

Over thirty years, this book was the driving force behind my ongoing adventure to capture the images defining Democracy. Those 30 years could also be translated into 10,000 days of my life; 1,000 nights in a Motel 6; 1,000 nights sleeping in my RV; 200-250 radial tires and 1 million miles by air and car. When I started, I thought it could be done in a few years, but after three decades, I now know better. “Photographing Democracy” can never be completed. In many ways, that’s the point as Democracy itself is a never-ending journey. When I went to press, I tried to have it as contemporary as possible and thus the FINAL pictures added to the book were of President Obama. They were taken two days before the election and the final shots were from the Philadelphia Phillies World Series victory parade with two million people in the streets of Philly.

I'm not going to copy the entire letter, but I thought that section gives you a good understanding of the concept.

The book itself is divided into thirteen chapters. All packed with stunning photos but my absolute favorite chapter is "Photographic Memory - Living and Loving History". The author talks about his desire to somehow inject history into the book but feeling like it was one area he was likely to come up short because you can't simply turn back the clock. And, then he realized he was wrong. Living history exhibits and reenactments of battles and events take place in the United States all the time. So, for this particular chapter, he sought out places and events where he could photograph people dressed in historical costume, reenacting important events in America's history, playing the roles as if they were occurring right now. I think the results are absolutely stunning. Some of those photographs look like he dug through archives to locate photos that fit the time, but they're not. They're all modern, taken during his 30-year quest to photograph democracy.

The photos of our modern military are also quite moving, in my opinion.

Layout-wise, my initial impression was that the book is too cluttery. I'm a little on the ADD side and I prefer a clean layout and large photos to montages. The advantage to that heavy layout is that, as a coffee table book, you can't beat the fact that you could return to it 100 times, flipping through casually, and find something new each time. And, the photographs are so phenomenal that I can't imagine anyone sitting down to look at it and not saying something to the effect of "Ooooh. Ahhh." My husband and son were also impressed, although they're even more twitchy than I am and didn't look at the entire book. Guys.

My rating: 5/5 for the photographs and 4/5 for the layout. My desire for a cleaner layout still hollers at me, but I don't think you can lose by purchasing this book. You could honestly enjoy flipping through it for years.

Visions of America can be purchased (and autographed) through the author's website and will arrive more quickly than if you order through Amazon -- if, say, you're in a hurry to buy a copy for a gift or specifically want that signature. I highly recommend it for gift-giving.

Thanks to the author and Lisa Roe for my review copy.

Godmother by Carolyn Turgeon

Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story by Carolyn Turgeon

Copyright 2009

Three Rivers Press - Fiction/General

288 pages

Godmother begins in a charming little antiquarian bookstore in Manhattan. Elderly Lillian works in the store and barely makes enough money to survive but she loves her job. Early in the morning, she opens the glass case behind the counter and reads from a book that is very special because of the scrawled reminder in French, translated, "All my old loves will be returned to me." Lillian hopes this sentiment will come true for her because she used to be a fairy godmother -- and a very special one. She was Cinderella's fairy godmother, but she made a huge mistake and was cast down to Earth. At least . . . that's what we are led to believe.

The author basically draws you into this magical, fanciful tale about a woman who must bind her wings every day before going out into the world and who has been separated from her perfect, beautiful life as a fairy. The scenes alternate between her days as a fairy godmother (with her sister and two other best-fairy friends) and her current life. Lillian has discovered what she believes will finally be the way to return to the fairies -- by acting as a fairy godmother to a young lady she has met, bringing her together with the handsome and wealthy divorcee who owns the bookstore where Lillian works. Perfect! She can atone for her mistake with Cinderella and encourage a happily-ever-after ending for two people who appear to be made for each other.

Or, so the story goes until nearly the end of the tale. And, this is where little Bookfool's brain began to throb in a most discomforting manner because basically the author took everything she'd led the reader to believe and turned it upside down and inside-out. All I can say without spoiling the book completely is that there is a surprise twist. And, I suppose only the individual can decide whether or not that twist is palatable. In my opinion, it ruined the book. I enjoyed the first 250 pages. It was a nice blend of reality and fantasy. The ending, however, completely destroyed the book for this reader.

The usual Bookfool Method of Amending Bad Endings is to reimagine them in my own mind. Of course, I can't hang onto the book, in that case, because I'll be reminded of the real ending and that might make me grit my teeth, so this one will not stay in my home. I thought Marie at Boston Bibliophile wrote an excellent review:

Boston Bibliophile's review of Godmother

Marie a and I felt about the same. I like her rating, "BORROW". Yep, I'd have to agree. Godmother is not a book I will ever reread. I loved it until the ending; it was on the verge of becoming one of my favorite books of the month. And, then . . . well. Damn. It was just disappointing.

3/5 - The vast majority of this book was wonderful. While the writing is a little cliché, I thought it actually improved as the story progressed. And, then that ending. Sigh. I knocked off two points because of the ending, when a magical, lovely tale went splat and became an average book that I was tempted to throw at the wall. I have to give the author her due; if not for the ending, I would have loved this book.

The most fitting quote just popped up at Twitter: If you are going to make a book end badly, it must end badly from the beginning. ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

Thanks for that, Bob. And, thank you to AdviceToWriters for tweeting that quote.

In other news . . . there's not much other news. We called off the flooring people till Thursday because Bookfool was suffering. Suffering, I tell you. In a word: migraine. You would think medical science would have figured out how to prevent those suckers, by now, wouldn't you??

Just walked in: Evenings at the Argentine Club by Julia Amante

Just about to walk out: 11 books and an audio that have all been requested from Paperback Swappers. I love it when I get a whole bunch of requests at once. The people in line behind me at the Post Office usually are not as thrilled as I am.

Tomorrow: I'll be going to a swim meet! Squee! And, the weather is decent!!! Kind of weird for August, but we're loving it. I was going to post a picture of my son swimming, but he said I don't have permission. I'll sneak one in when he's not looking, later in the week. Don't tell. ;)

Bookfool, recently taunted by a hummingbird who apparently did not realize he was supposed to hover nicely and pose, rather than chase a butterfly and then hide in the tree.

Wahoo! It's RIP season!!

I haven't participated in a challenge since I "unchallenged" myself, earlier this year. But, the RIP is my all-time favorite. I can't head into fall without digging around for spooky books, period. I've chosen to participate in Peril the Second, which requires the reading of two books from the genres listed at Carl's blog. However, I may read more. Sometimes, it's hard to stop.

My starter list:

1. Midnighters - Scott Westerfeld
2. The Calling - David Mack
3. Circle of Souls - Preetham Grandhi
4. Broken Angel - Sigmund Brouwer
5. The House on Tradd Street - Karen White

I'd better stop there. It's easy to get carried away . . .

Addendum: I've just been informed by Carl that the challenge began on August 23rd. Since I finished Darling Jim, last week, and it's suitably creepy, I'm going to call it my first completed RIP book, if only for the sake of linking up to my review to draw attention to a creepy book that others might miss. So, here we go:

Completed books:

1. Darling Jim - Christian Moerk

Darling Jim by Christian Moerk

Darling Jim by Christian Moerk
Copyright 2009
Henry Holt - Fiction/Crime/Ireland
288 pages
Christian Moerk's website
Great article about the author at Macmillan's website

"Fine, then," said the man, and took a bite out of what from a distance looked like an extremely ambitious-sized tea cake while following a rugby game on TV.

Niall nodded and continued over to his bicycle, which still waited patiently by the tobacconist's, even if he'd forgot to lock it again. He strapped the bag across his chest and swung his long leg across the iron bar, where the paint was peeling like autumn leaves. As he pedaled up Dublin Road, he could see the faint white glimmer of a jetliner's anti-collision lights as it navigated a landing approach to town right above the professionally cute storefronts. It was nearly midnight.

Niall didn't feel any impatient spirits gliding past on the road next to him as he biked the long trip home, nor did he even sense the faintest whisper of anger from two girls who refused to be forgotten.

But if Stash Brown himself had been the accidental carrier of Fiona Walsh's black book, he would have brought along his very biggest laser gun and never taken his eyes off the handlebars. Because two impatient ghosts were sitting backward right in front of Niall's face on the chromed steel, itching for him to open the damn thing and begin to read.

Oh, boy, where to start? First, Darling Jim is a very creepy, unusual book. The story begins with the discovery of three bodies in a small village in Ireland. An older woman and two of her nieces have all died in the same house, the nieces apparently held in captivity for many months. What could have led an aunt to torture and starve the two young women?

A postal clerk, rustling around in the dead-letter bin, finds an envelope that contains a diary written by one of the dead Walsh girls. Her journal tells part of the story, about a handsome storyteller whose countenance hid the truth of an evil string of crimes. "Darling Jim", they call him. The women follow him from one town to another, eager to hear the continuation of his story, which always ends with a cliffhanger.

After reading Fiona Walsh's diary, Niall (the postal clerk) goes in search of a second journal kept by sister Roisin, which Fiona mentioned in her own diary. When he tracks down the diary, there are still unanswered questions and Niall goes on a road trip to find answers. There were three Walsh sisters. What has become of Aiofe? What led the three sisters to commit a crime and their aunt to imprison them? Why are the villagers, including a friend of the Walsh sisters who works on the police force, angered by his curiosity?

Darling Jim shifts from one voice to another as the two Walsh sisters tell their story, Jim spins his tale, and Niall goes in search of answers. At times, I felt a little distracted and impatient by Jim's storytelling, but the book is skillfully rendered. There is no part of Darling Jim that isn't relevant to the unfolding mystery. And, it's a humdinger of a story. I don't think I could have ever set the book aside without knowing how it ended and finding out all the answers to the many questions posed throughout the book. It is, however, very dark and I'm not a big fan of truly dark, criminal tales, so I can't recommend it as enthusiastically as some might.

Just erased my rating. I can't fathom rating this book because I think it's well-written, solid storytelling -- it's simply not my favorite kind of story, a dark literary tale of deception, passion, and murder. I'd recommend Darling Jim to those who enjoy a darker story. I absolutely loved the Irish setting and although I'm no expert, it certainly seemed like Moerk captured the mode of speech. The sense of place was right on, in my humble opinion. There are some graphic descriptions of violence/crime scenes and sex.

What does the word "Ireland" make you think of? For me . . . the color green. I've never been to Ireland, but the photos I've seen have always been full of the color green. I looked up images of Ireland on Google and my favorite is a shot of Ireland by NASA:

Yep. Looks pretty darned green, doesn't it? [image source]

I think my copy of Darling Jim came from the publisher, via Twitter. Thank you!

Also finished, this week: Secret Society by Tom Dolby, Godmother by Carolyn Turgeon, The Eternal Smile by Gene Luen Yang (a graphic novel), and Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman.

I should be back to blog-hopping, soon, but we have someone coming to look at our floorless den, tomorrow, to give us an estimate. I cringe at the thought of how much this repair is going to cost. Wish us a low estimate, please!

Bookfool, slowly getting back into the blogging thing

The Way Home by George Pelecanos *GIVEAWAY*

This drawing is now closed.

I've been feeling like it's about time for a giveaway (you know the feeling . . . that twitchy need to use a random number generator) and Miriam at Hatchette Books has nicely obliged by coming up with a giveaway of The Way Home by George Pelecanos . . . which just happens to be a book that President Obama has carried along on vacation.

I also confess to falling for that cover, simply because I love that shade of green. Yes, in fact, I am that shallow.

Visit George Pelecanos' website to read about the book.

And, watch the YouTube trailer, here (if I did this right . . . we'll see in a minute -- it's been a long time since I tried to embed a video of any kind):



TO ENTER:

1. Leave your email address. This is a MUST. No email, no entry, period.

2. Guess my cat's favorite vegetable. Seriously. If you get it right, you get an extra entry, but you don't have to be correct to be included.

3. Think like a North American . . . and be one. Unfortunately, this drawing is limited to residents of the U.S. and Canada. No P.O. Boxes.

4. Spread the word and leave a link to your post or tweet for an extra entry. There will be 5 winners, this time. Wahoo!!

The contest ends at 6 pm on September 21, 2009.

Don't Shoot! We're Republicans! by Jack Owens

Don't Shoot! We're Republicans! by Jack Owens
Copyright 2009
History Publishing Company - Memoir/Chronology/History
258 pages, incl. index

One night, because we had nothing more pressing and we were itching for adventure, three carloads of agents drove out of Birmingham and up the west side of Alabama into northeast Mississippi, hunting two fugitives who were joined at the hip. One, a dude named Singleton, was wanted for killing a convenience store manager in Alabama during a robbery, shooting him for the fun of it. Singleton collected coins and was a regular at numismatic shows, where he stole coins he couldn't buy. The other fugitive I'll call Thompson, a run-of-the-mill car thief. It was June, 1978. I'd been an agent for nine years and was certain I knew everything there was to know about everything.

It was darker than the inside of a snake's butt in rural Mississippi. We were a long way from home in a caravan of dull cars, feeling our way over unfamiliar roads, talking loud, comparing notes on the office stenos, invincible and full of ourselves. Every time we got out of the cars or rolled down the windows, elephant mosquitoes came at us like lava. No one wanted to stir. I longed for peanut butter and beer, resigned to a long night of it. . . .

. . . I looked down the highway. Headlights appeared in the distance. I clicked off the safety on the [M-79 grenade launcher]. I had to pee. Luther picked up the radio mic. "Quarter mile away," he said into the radio, which might have been heard in Natchez or in Detroit and not by the agents in the two cars directly behind us. You never knew about the reach of Bureau radios.

The publisher sent a description of this book to me and I said, "Yes!" I love memoirs and this one was supposed to be light-hearted and humorous, which is the kind of tone I prefer in a memoir. The bits above were pulled from a story in the prologue. By the middle of that anecdote, I was completely hooked. It probably didn't hurt that the opening story began in familiar territory, but the author definitely has a terrific sense of humor and his easy-going style is a real grabber -- I'm sure I would have been on the edge of my seat, even if that first anecdote didn't happen to take place in Mississippi.

Jack Owens was finishing up his law degree when he decided he didn't want to practice law (or take the bar exam) and applied for a job as an FBI agent. Subtitled, "Memoirs of the FBI Agent Who Did Things His Way", Don't Shoot! We're Republicans! tells about Owens' years as an agent, beginning at the time of his application to the bureau and ending with his retirement (including a few thoughts about changes in the bureau after he left). He did occasionally buck the rules a bit, but my overwhelming impression was that Jack Owens was definitely one of the Good Guys and a man who was committed to getting the job done.

During the time Owens worked in the FBI, the first Special Weapons and Tactics team was created. He was among the first federal agents to join a S.W.A.T. team and remained on one for many years. Owens also worked as a spy during the Cold War for a time, was on one of many S.W.A.T. teams that stormed a prison where hostages were held, and among those who staked out a bridge in order to catch a serial child killer in Atlanta. The man has a lot of interesting stories to tell.

Because his style is open and honest, I liked Jack Owens immediately and knew I was going to enjoy his memoir. He's what I'd call a straight-shooter, not one to mince words. If someone was ineffective or troublesome in his position at the FBI, during the years Owens worked, he tells you what the problem was and why he had difficulty working with or for that person. And, he's not afraid to admit his own mistakes in the book. The undercurrent, however, reveals a dedicated and enthusiastic agent who seemed to make friends with the vast majority of the people he worked with. Unlike the author of a similar memoir that I read in 2007: Blowing My Cover, the author stated the discomforts of his job as facts that he and his fellow agents lived with and expected to come with the territory, rather than complaints. He respected people who did the job and did it well. I loved his attitude.

Don't Shoot! We're Republicans! is also the title of one of the chapters and it's a great story. I should add that it's one of many tales that I enjoyed so much I had to repeat it to the family.

5/5 - An excellent memoir. The author is opinionated and was a bit of a rebel in many ways, but he tells his story in a way with such a nice, light touch that he comes off as a really likable guy. This is extremely fun reading; I heartily recommend it to anyone and everyone, particularly those who enjoy memoirs.

Did you know there are two acceptable spellings for the word "likable"? "Likeable" (with an "e")is also an accepted spelling. I only know this because I write the word one way and then I rewrote it and then I finally decided I'm getting old and it's okay to check my spelling online. I have a birthday coming up, next week. My son informed me that I'm going to be a year younger than I thought. Yes! It's like getting an extra year, free of charge!!

I've finished three books, since my husband came home to work on cleaning, clutter-removal and maintenance, so having the spouse around apparently doesn't inhibit my reading style. This has been a terrific reading month. More on that another time. I've yet to do a July Reads in Review post. I'd swear I'm going to get to it, but that just tends to get me into trouble so I won't. No swearing.

Hope everyone's had a marvelous week. I'm being summoned to get back to work. My husband is a slave driver. I can't swear to that, either. That would be kind of a lie . . . so I'll just shut up, now. Happy Weekend!

Reviews forthcoming; Bookfool Expresses Dismay (film at 11)

Actually, I'm not too dismayed because I knew this was coming but . . . this past weekend Eldest Son came for a visit and this week Huzzybuns has taken off specifically to work on home maintenance. Since both events are pretty rare (particularly the latter), I haven't spent much time on the computer and likely won't for the rest of the week. I have, however, finished two books and hope to sneak in enough time to sit down and hammer out a couple of reviews. I will not have time to visit other blogs because if the husband asks someone to pass a hammer and I'm not there, he'll probably sit down with his blackberry. And, that would be a total bummer. Hope everyone has a fabulous week!! Will review ASAP and should be back to normal posting, next week.

New Tricks by David Rosenfelt

New Tricks by David Rosenfelt
Copyright 2009
Grand Central Publishing - Fiction/Mystery
309 pages
David Rosenfelt's Website

I'm going to use the cover blurb on this one because I think it's nicely written and a decent synopsis that doesn't give anything away:

Attorney Andy Carpenter is about to represesnt an adorable Bernese mountain dog puppy, whose owner was brutally murdered, in a custody fight. Few can rival Andy's affection for dogs, and he will do whatever it takes to insure that this little pup doesn't fall into the wrong hands. But his playful new friend possesses a deadly and valuable secret that a number of people are willing to resort to violence to obtain. It will take more than Andy's usual courtroom theatrics to save this dog, including a little help from his beloved golden retriever, Tara. Andy soon discovers that everyone around him is in danger, including his longtime girlfriend, Laurie, and he will have to come up with some high-risk new tricks to save those he holds most dear.

I love David Rosentfelt. I think this is the third Andy Carpenter mystery I've read (blame SuziQ, who piqued my interest and got me going when she assured me that they're not of the nightmare-inducing variety). I've missed at least two titles but this book stands alone well. Where necessary, the author quickly fills in relevant information from past novels without going overboard. As usual, Andy's trademark wit and refusal to follow the rules makes things fun. And, Rosenfelt even tossed in a nice explosion. I love it when authors blow things up.

The mystery was a lot more complex than I expected it to be and I enjoyed that. It wasn't confusing -- I'm not really the puzzle-solving kind, so too many strands tend to annoy me; but, New Tricks was just about right. And, I absolutely love the author's affectionate portrayal of dogs.

4/5 - Very good. Solid storyline, great characters, lots of action and humor.

Thanks to Miriam at Hatchette for the review copy!

Bit of utter coolness: I'm only temporarily driving three teenagers to the pool, since one of them has been grounded and she'll be back to driving herself, next week, but at the moment I am driving a car full of teenagers who are all avid readers. The conversations on the way to the pool have been lively and fun. They tend to lean toward fantasy and paranormal fiction (Eragon, Twilight and the Harry Potter books are favorites) and all three admit to reading favorite books to tattered shreds. It would actually be nice if the drive to the pool was a wee bit longer, just for the sake of listening to the kids talk.

Pondering, this week: Have you ever wondered why the British have the cutest slang words with the worst meanings? I mean . . . bugger sounds so adorable till you know what it means. There is a part of me that wants to be able to say, "Bugger off!" simply because I like the sound of the word, but darned if it isn't about the nastiest cute-sounding curse word. And, of course, there are lots more cute, awful British words. However, I don't think I'll mention any more because who knows what kind of delightful hits the word "bugger" will inspire.

Just walked in:

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
Letters from Rapunzel by Sara Lewis Holmes, and
Skeleton Key by Anthony Horowitz (all from Paperback Swap)

Gotta go. My cat needs the computer. She has some important twittering to do. Seriously.

Christianish by Mark Steele (review)

Christianish by Mark Steele
Copyright 2009
David C. Cook - Christian Life (nonfiction)
277 pages
Mark Steele's Website

I don't know when this competitive urge for Christians to get the win started, but it's made an awful mess of things. It may have been when we stopped pursuing Jesus and instead began picking sides. After all, the Beatitudes don't tend to look a lot like modern Christianity. We choose a political team. We select a denominational preference. We hitch our cart to a branch of philosophy. Anyone that disagrees is quickly and succinctly judged, and simultaneously disregarded as worthless.

Big problem with that approach.

We are supposed to be loving those who don't agree with us to Jesus--and you can't love those whom you deem worthless.

Christianish is subtitled, "What if we're not really following Jesus at all?" Wow, how's that for a thought? Before I go any further, I should mention that this book is specifically directed at people who are church-going Christians and the author was raised in a Christian school, so he has a slightly different perspective from some of us -- those who are Christian but don't currently attend church and/or those who grew up in secular (aka, regular) schools. I thought my childhood was strict, but wow . . . it must really be something to grow up in a school where even Halloween costumes tend to have Biblical themes. In that way, the author has a slightly skewed perspective, but his points are valid.

Steele zones in on the hypocrisy of Christians, how American Christians have reinterpreted the scriptures to suit our needs (that's what the quote above is about -- how we've decided somewhere in the Bible it says we're going to be granted prosperity and those who aren't prosperous must be doing something wrong) and how far removed most of us are from doing what the Bible actually says we're supposed to do.

He talks about how the church has tried to change with the times and instead has ended up alienating some of its own. And, he talks about behavior -- how the outside needs to reflect the inside . . . which, I suppose, is where that cover image comes from. I, for one, could not possibly count the number of times a car with the ubiquitous fish symbol has cut me off in traffic (the reason, in fact, that I've chosen not to put one on my own car -- because, what does it say to people if you make a bad move in traffic, whether you mean to or not?).

What I particularly love about this book is the anecdotes from Steele's life. They're mostly hilarious, sometimes poignant. He occasionally lost me when he dived into his theology, but the point was usually evident before he leapt in and muddled it up by explaining the deeper meaning. There's a story about a man named Michael, who overcame a severe phobia and then went on to help others do the things that could have easily paralyzed him, toward the end of the book. That one, for some reason, really got to me. I had tears streaming down my face; and, honestly -- I have no idea why. Perhaps I felt like he was speaking to me and the fears I have allowed myself not to face. Regardless, I just loved that story.

4/5 - Very good; excellent anecdotes but sometimes the application was a little convoluted and hard to understand. In general, this book was not quite what I expected but I loved what the author had to say and think his challenge to how we view ourselves as Christians is worth discussing. I'm going to haul this one to Bible study and pass it around.

I can't do a green post without tossing in a lizard. Apple green is one of my favorite colors, you know. This fellow was hanging out in a tree next to the city pool, where I've been spending a lot of time, lately. High school swim season chops my days into itty bitty chunks, but I love it. Isn't this little anole a cutie? We'll call him our Wahoo Lizard, since it's Wednesday.

On another note: I haven't bothered to stick a Book Blogger Appreciation Week button in my sidebar and I haven't written a post about it, but that's not a deliberate oversight so much as . . . I couldn't think of anything to say and keep forgetting to update my sidebar. I signed up thinking it would be a great way to view some other book blogs that I might not have found, otherwise. And, I was surprised to find that I've actually been nominated for awards in two categories. Many thanks to whoever did the nominating!!! I'm assuming those nominations came from a regular visitor (or two).

It's Wednesday! What do you have to wahoo about? I'm enjoying swim season -- the perfect excuse to finally get my camera out of the bag. Wahoo! for swim season. And, Happy Wednesday!

Bookfool, currently wearing her other favorite color (purple)

Oh, no! Major snafu!!!

I was doing really, really well on keeping up with my scheduled reviews (with the exception of Christianish, which I keep telling myself I'm going to finish and keep not picking up because . . . actually, I didn't read a word, yesterday -- too busy). Unfortunately, I put North! or Be Eaten down on the wrong day (wrong week, in fact) of my calendar and I haven't even begun to read it. The First Wild tour coordinator goes out of her way to make sure you don't screw up, but I still managed.

However, I've read the first in the series and I will happily refer you back to my review of On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, Book One of the Wingfeather Saga. You will note that I thought it was really fab and eagerly anticipated the sequel. I'm still sitting here anticipating, I guess. Gotta crack the cover before you stop anticipating.

North! or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson (sneak peek)

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Andrew Peterson

and the book:

North! Or Be Eaten

WaterBrook Press (August 18, 2009)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Andrew Peterson is the author of On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness and The Ballad of Matthew’s Begats. He’s also the critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter and recording artist of ten albums, including Resurrection Letters II. He and his wife, Jamie, live with their two sons and one daughter in The Warren near Nashville, Tennessee.

Visit the author's website and website.

Product Details:

List Price: $13.99
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (August 18, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400073871
ISBN-13: 978-1400073870

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

The Lone Fendril


TOOOOTHY COW!” bellowed Podo as he whacked a stick against the nearest glipwood tree. The old pirate’s eyes blazed, and he stood at the base of the tree like a ship’s captain at the mast. “Toothy cow! Quick! Into the tree house!”

Not far away, an arrow whizzed through some hanging moss and thudded into a plank of wood decorated with a charcoal drawing of a snarling Fang. The arrow protruded from the Fang’s mouth, the shaft still vibrating from the impact. Tink lowered his bow, squinted to see if he had hit the target, and completely ignored his grandfather.

“TOOOOOTHY—oy! That’s a fine shot, lad—COW!”

Podo whacked the tree as Nia hurried up the rope ladder that led to the trapdoor in the floor of Peet the Sock Man’s tree house. A sock-covered hand reached down and pulled Nia up through the opening.

“Thank you, Artham,” she said, still holding his hand. She looked him in the eye and raised her chin, waiting for him to answer.

Peet the Sock Man, whose real name was Artham P. Wingfeather, looked back at her and gulped. One of his eyes twitched. He looked like he wanted to flee, as he always did when she called him by his first name, but Nia didn’t let go of his hand.

“Y-y-you’re welcome…Nia.” Every word was an effort, especially her name, but he sounded less crazy than he used to be. Only a week earlier, the mention of the name

“Artham” sent him into a frenzy—he would scream, shimmy down the rope ladder, and disappear into the forest for hours. Nia released his hand and peered down through the opening in the floor at her father, who still banged on the tree and bellowed about the impending onslaught of toothy cows.

“Come on, Tink!” Janner said.

A quiver of arrows rattled under one arm as he ran toward Leeli, who sat astride her dog, Nugget. Nugget, whose horselike size made him as dangerous as any toothy cow in the forest, panted and wagged his tail. Tink reluctantly dropped his bow and followed, eying the forest for signs of toothy cows. The brothers helped a wide-eyed Leeli down from her dog, and the three of them rushed to the ladder.

“COWS, COWS, COWS!” Podo howled. Janner followed Tink and Leeli up the ladder. When they were all safely inside, Podo heaved himself through the opening and latched the trapdoor shut.

“Not bad,” Podo said, looking pleased with himself. “Janner, next time you’ll want to move yer brother and sister along a little faster. Had there been a real cow upon us, ye might not have had time to get ’em to the ladder before them slobbery teeth started tearin’ yer tender flesh—”

“Papa, really,” Nia said.

“—and rippin’ it from yer bones,” he continued. “If Tink’s too stubborn to drop what he’s doin’, Janner, it falls to you to find a way to persuade him, you hear?” Janner’s cheeks burned, and he fought the urge to defend himself. The toothy cow drills had been a daily occurrence since their arrival at Peet’s tree house, and the children had gradually stopped shrieking with panic whenever Podo’s hollers disturbed the otherwise quiet wood.

Since Janner had learned he was a Throne Warden, he had tried to take his responsibility to protect the king seriously. His mother’s stories about Peet’s dashing reputation as a Throne Warden in Anniera made Janner proud of the ancient tradition of which he was a part.1 The trouble was that he was supposed to protect his younger brother, Tink, who happened to be the High King. It wasn’t that Janner was jealous; he had no wish to rule anything. But sometimes it felt odd that his skinny, reckless brother was, of all things, a king, much less the king of the fabled Shining Isle of Anniera.

Janner stared out the window at the forest as Podo droned on, telling him about his responsibility to protect his brother, about the many dangers of Glipwood Forest, about what Janner should have done differently during this most recent cow drill. Janner missed his home. In the days after they fled the town of Glipwood and arrived at Peet’s castle, Janner’s sense of adventure was wide awake. He thrilled at the thought of the long journey to the Ice Prairies, so excited he could scarcely sleep.


1. In Anniera the second born, not the first, is heir to the throne. The eldest child is a Throne Warden, charged with the honor and responsibility of protecting the king above all others. Though this creates much confusion among ordinary children who one day discover that they are in fact the royal family living in exile (see On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness), for ages the Annierans found it to be a good system. The king was never without a protector, and the Throne Warden held a place of great honor in the kingdom.


When he did sleep, he dreamed of wide sweeps of snow under stars so sharp and

bright they would draw blood at a touch.

But weeks had passed—he didn’t know how many—and his sense of adventure was fast asleep. He missed the rhythm of life at the cottage. He missed the hot meals, the slow change of the land as the seasons turned, and the family of birds that nested in the crook above the door where he, Tink, and Leeli would inspect the tiny blue eggs each morning and each night, then the chicks, and then one day they would look in sad wonder at the empty nest and ask themselves where the birds had gone. But those days had passed away as sure as the summer, and whether he liked it or not, home was no longer the cottage. It wasn’t Peet’s tree house, either. He wasn’t sure he had a home anymore.

Podo kept talking, and Janner felt again that hot frustration in his chest when told things he already knew. But he held his tongue. Grownups couldn’t help it. Podo and his mother would hammer a lesson into his twelve-year-old head until he felt beaten silly, and there was no point fighting it. He sensed Podo’s rant coming to an end and forced himself to listen.

“…this is a dangerous place, this forest, and many a man has been gobbled up by some critter because he weren’t paying close enough attention.”

“Yes sir,” Janner said as respectfully as possible. Podo grinned at him and winked, and Janner smiled back in spite of himself. It occurred to him that Podo knew exactly what he’d been thinking.

Podo turned to Tink. “A truly fine shot, boy, and the drawing of the Fang on that board is fine work.”

“Thanks, Grandpa,” Tink said. His stomach growled. “When can we eat breakfast?”

“Listen, lad,” Podo said. He lowered his bushy eyebrows and leveled a formidable glare at Tink. “When yer brother tells ye to come, you drop what yer doin’ like it’s on fire.” Tink gulped. “You follow that boy over the cliffs and into the Dark Sea if he tells you to. Yer the High King, which means ye’ve got to start thinkin’ of more than yerself.”

Janner’s irritation drained away, as did the color in Tink’s face. He liked not being the only one in trouble, though he felt a little ashamed at the pleasure he took in watching Tink squirm.

“Yes sir,” Tink said. Podo stared at him so long that he repeated, “Yes sir.”

“You okay, lass?” Podo turned with a smile to Leeli. She nodded and pushed some of her wavy hair behind one ear. “Grandpa, when are we leaving?”

All eyes in the tree house looked at her with surprise. The family had spent weeks in relative peace in the forest, but that unspoken question had grown more and more difficult to avoid as the days passed. They knew they couldn’t stay forever. Gnag the Nameless and the Fangs of Dang still terrorized the land of Skree, and the shadow they cast covered more of Aerwiar with every passing day. It was only a matter of time before that shadow fell again on the Igibys.

“We need to leave soon,” Nia said, looking in the direction of Glipwood. “When the leaves fall, we’ll be exposed, won’t we, Artham?”

Peet jumped a little at his name and rubbed the back of his head with one hand for a moment before he spoke. “Cold winter comes, trees go bare, the bridges are easy to see, yes. We should grobably po—probably go.”

“To the Ice Prairies?” asked Janner.

“Yes,” said Nia. “The Fangs don’t like the cold weather. We’ve all seen how much slower they move in the winter, even here. Hopefully in a place as frozen as the Ice Prairies, the Fangs will be scarce.”

Podo grunted.

“I know what you think, and it’s not one of our options,” Nia said flatly.

“What does Grandpa think?” Tink asked.

“That’s between your grandfather and me.”

“What does he think?” Janner pressed, realizing he sounded more like a grownup than usual.

Nia looked at Janner, trying to decide if she should give him an answer. She had kept so many secrets from the children for so long that it was plain to Janner she still found it difficult to be open with them. But things were different now. Janner knew who he was, who his father was, and had a vague idea what was at stake. He had even noticed his input mattered to his mother and grandfather. Being a Throne Warden— or at least knowing he was a Throne Warden—had changed the way they regarded him.

“Well,” Nia said, still not sure how much to say.

Podo decided for her. “I think we need to do more than get to the Ice Prairies and lie low like a family of bumpy digtoads, waitin’ fer things to happen to us. If Oskar was right about there bein’ a whole colony of folks up north what don’t like livin’ under the boot of the Fangs, and if he’s right about them wantin’ to fight, then they don’t need us to gird up and send these Fangs back to Dang with their tails on fire. I say the jewels need to find a ship and go home.” He turned to his daughter. “Think of it, lass! You could sail back across the Dark Sea to Anniera—”

“What do you mean ‘you’?” Tink asked.

“Nothin’,” Podo said with a wave of his hand. “Nia, you could go home. Think of it!”

“There’s nothing left for us there,” Nia said.

“Fine! Forget Anniera. What about the Hollows? You ain’t seen the Green Hollows in ten years, and for all you know, the Fangs haven’t even set foot there! Yer ma’s family might still be there, thinkin’ you died with the rest of us.”

Nia closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. Peet and the children stared at the floor. Janner hadn’t thought about the fact that he might have distant family living in the hills of the Green Hollows across the sea. He agreed with his mother that it seemed foolish to try to make such a journey. First they had to get past the Fangs in Torrboro, then north, over the Stony Mountains to the Ice Prairies. Now Podo was talking about crossing the ocean? Janner wasn’t used to thinking of the world in such terms.

Nia opened her eyes and spoke. “Papa, there’s nothing for us to do now but find our way north. We don’t need to go across the sea. We don’t need to go back to Anniera. We don’t need to go to the Green Hollows. We need to go north, away from the Fangs. That’s all. Let’s get these children safely to the prairies, and we’ll finish this discussion then.”

Podo sighed. “Aye, lass. Gettin’ there will cause enough trouble of its own.” He fixed an eye on Peet, who stood on his head in the corner. “I suppose you’ll be comin’ with us, then?”

Peet gasped and tumbled to the floor, then leapt to his feet and saluted Podo. Leeli giggled.

“Aye sir,” he said, mimicking Podo’s raspy growl. “I’m ready to go when the Featherwigs are ready. Even know how to get to the Icy Prairies. Been there before, long time ago—not much to see but ice and prairies and ice all white and blinding and cold. It’s very cold there. Icy.” Peet took a deep, happy breath and clapped his socked hands together. “All right! We’re off !”

He flipped open the trapdoor and leapt through the opening before Podo or the Igibys could stop him. The children hurried to the trapdoor and watched him slide down the rope ladder and march away in a northward direction. From the crook in the giant root system of the tree where he usually slept, Nugget perked up his big, floppy ears without lifting his head from his paws and watched Peet disappear into the forest.

“He’ll come back when he realizes we aren’t with him,” Leeli said with a smile. She and Peet spent hours together either reading stories or with him dancing about with great swoops of his socked hands while she played her whistleharp. Leeli’s presence seemed to have a medicinal effect on Peet. When they were together, his jitters ceased, his eyes stopped shifting, and his voice took on a deeper, less strained quality.

The strong and pleasant sound of it helped Janner believe his mother’s stories about Artham P. Wingfeather’s exploits in Anniera before the Great War. The only negative aspect of Leeli and Peet’s friendship was that it made Podo jealous. Before Peet the Sock Man entered their lives, Podo and Leeli shared a special bond, partly because each of them had only one working leg and partly because of the ancient affection that exists between grandfathers and granddaughters. Nia once told Janner that it was also partly because Leeli looked a lot like her grandmother Wendolyn.

While the children watched Peet march away, a quick shadow passed over the tree house, followed by a high, pleasant sound, like the ting of a massive bell struck by a tiny hammer.

“The lone fendril,” 2 said Leeli. “Tomorrow is the first day of autumn.”

“Papa,” said Nia.

“Eh?” Podo glared out the window in the direction Peet had gone.

“I think it’s time we left,” Nia said.

Tink and Janner looked at each other and grinned. All homesickness vanished. After weeks of waiting, adventure was upon them.


2. In Aerwiar, the official last day of summer is heralded by the passing of the lone fendril, a giant golden bird whose wingspan casts entire towns into a thrilling flicker of shade as it circles the planet in a long, ascending spiral. When it reaches the northern pole of Aerwiar, it hibernates until spring, then reverses its journey.

The Woodstock Story Book by Linanne Sackett and Barry Levine

The Woodstock Story Book
By Linanne Sackett and Barry Levine
Copyright 2009
The Brunswick Institute
176 pages

My copy of The Woodstock Story Book arrived on Saturday and I plopped right down to flip through it without realizing it would be such a quick read that I'd finish it before I got back up.

Just like the title indicates, the book is a "story book" very much in the form of a children's book, with rhyming text throughout:

The crowds assembled, started to grow

Still not sure if the acts would show

Captions round out the story of Woodstock, which is told in words and photographs with fond reminiscence and levity. As the story opens, you see photos of the crowd, tickets to the three-day event, the land where the concert was to take place. People are shown trickling in while construction crews were just getting started building the stage. Young people walked, it says, as far as 15 miles to attend the concert.

I only knew bits and pieces about Woodstock because I was alive when it occurred but young enough that it didn't mean anything at all to me, till later (although I do remember huddling around the TV to watch man walk on the moon, the same year). "Woodstock" was just a word that conjured up hippies, good music and a farm in New York. In spite of minimal text, I felt like the book gave me a good feel for the event, what it was all about, the atmosphere, and the variety and quality of acts.

There's some nudity, but in spite of the "make love not war" creed of the time, there are no graphic photos of people doing anything objectionable. Instead, the photos give you an understanding of the relaxed vibe in the crowd. My son read the book and particularly loved the caption about the man who walked around naked with his pet sheep and, "Nobody told him to get the flock out."

5/5 - I just loved this book. The layout is appealing with large photos, nicely captioned. Visually, the book is uncluttered and easy on the eyes. The poetic text is kind of silly, but it's not annoying; it's really just cute and adds to the light-hearted mood of The Woodstock Story Book, bringing the relaxed atmosphere to life. There's some nudity but it's not rude or offensive in any way. Still, some may want to keep it out of the hands of the younger kids if you're worried.

I'm still reading Christianish and decided I didn't want to hold off on reviewing other books, simply because I haven't finished a single title. Hopefully, I'll have that review posted by tomorrow. At the moment, my days are cut into little chunks because I'm currently driving my son to school and doing the school-to-pool run with three teenagers. This has also thrown a kink in my blog-hopping and I apologize for not having the time to visit other bloggers. Hopefully, we'll get adjusted, soon, and eventually the kiddo will return to driving himself to school (I just don't want him driving a distracting carload of teens).

Thanks to Lisa Roe and the publisher for the review copy of The Woodstock Story Book!