Bookfoolery

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

Sterling - Young Adult

400 pages

Book #1 in a series

Tiger's Curse website

I felt overwhelmed. I didn't expect a first kiss to be so . . . life altering. In a few brief moments, the rule book of my universe had been rewritten. Suddenly I was a brand new person. I was as fragile as a newborn, and I worried that the deeper I allowed the relationship to progress, the worse it would be if Ren left. What would become of us? There was no way to know, and I realized what a breakable and delicate thing a heart was. No wonder I'd kept mine locked away.

--from p. 250 of Tiger's Curse, Advanced Reader Copy (some changes may have been made to the final print version)

When Kelsey takes a temporary job at the circus, she's not sure quite what to expect beyond a little extra money and hard work. What she finds is a family atmosphere and a wide variety of odd jobs that include feeding a beautiful white tiger with stunning blue eyes. Kelsey is entranced by Dhiren (whom she almost immediately begins to call Ren), but she doesn't realize the tiger is no ordinary tiger but a prince who has been held captive by a curse for hundreds of years. Kelsey's presence briefly sets him free -- just for 24 minutes per day, but long enough for him to start down the path that will lead him home.

Unaware that Ren is a cursed prince, Kelsey willingly accompanies the tiger and a man named Mr. Kadam to India. There, they will see the tiger safely ensconced in a nature preserve. Or, so she's been told. But, once Kelsey and Ren arrive in India, things suddenly change. The human Ren appears and Kelsey is shocked to find that he is a stunningly handsome prince and that she is the only person who can help break the curse. And, she must go into the jungle alone, with only the tiger to accompany her.

Will Kelsey and Ren be able to find the clues to break the curse? Or, will Ren's brother, Kishan, find a way to lure Kelsey away from Ren? Can Kelsey and Ren survive the dangers of the jungle and the world of the monkey gods?

Warning: This review contains potential spoilers. Please read it only if you do not plan to read the book right away.

What I liked about Tiger's Curse:

I have mixed feelings about Tiger's Curse; I liked the idea more than the execution of the book. But, before I go any farther, I highly recommend that you visit the Tiger's Curse website (link in the header, above) if you're interested in the book. There, you can read the first 7 chapters of the book and view the trailer. It's the trailer that grabbed me. I've never actually requested a book based on its trailer, till Tiger's Curse. It's one of the most appealing trailers I've ever seen.

Kelsey was a character that I liked immediately because of her spunk. She had almost no fear around the tiger from the beginning, although you get a sense that there's a little magic drawing the tiger and Kelsey to each other. There are some exciting moments but what I liked most about the book was the opportunity to learn a little bit about some sites in India and a smattering of info about the Hindu religion. If you read Tiger's Curse, take the time to look up the various places Kelsey and Ren visit, like Hampi:

Image Credit

What I disliked about Tiger's Curse:

I might be a little on the picky side but I found the book was almost entirely devoid of conflict and that bothered me a lot. Apparently, the book is a big hit. It hit the #1 spot on Kindle's children's bestseller list for 7 weeks and that led to the print publication. But, I think it might be the tug of romance that sucks in younger readers. I kept thinking of Twilight as I read the book. There's almost no similarity to Twilight beyond the sometimes-gushy magnetic pull between the two characters and the pushing away to prevent heartbreak, but the romance aspect did have a familiar, overwrought feel. That might be a draw for younger readers but I found it annoying.

My biggest problem with the book, though, was that lack of conflict. I'll give you an example that is a bit of a spoiler but not much. At one point, Kelsey is hit on the head by a falling rock. My inner writer immediately thought, "Who pushed the rock from above or threw it?" There was, I thought, a perfect opportunity for conflict. Who would want to stop Kelsey and Ren from breaking the curse? Well . . . if there's a living villain in Tiger's Curse, I totally missed figuring out who it is. Kelsey is knocked unconscious and since she's in the water she nearly drowns. There are a few tense moments, but there's nobody behind that rock. It was simply a rock that fell. Like the falling rock, there are a lot of other little incidents in Tiger's Curse that come to nothing -- too many descriptions with no purpose.

I also thought the author was too easy on Kelsey. Rather than have her forage in the jungle when she begins to run out of food, for example, Mr. Kadam always fills her backpack with everything she could possible need -- food, energy bars, bottled water, first-aid kit, flashlight . . . you name it. And, if she gets low on food? The tiger goes dashing off to find Mr. Kadam or Kadam simply conveniently shows up.

There's a lot of Kelsey waking up, being handed food and drinks, a loaded backpack, even keys to a car when she and Ren inexplicably need to go somewhere on their own, without the aid of Mr. Kadam. I found that frustrating. Tiger's Curse would have been much more enjoyable if Kelsey had to find her own food, deal with injuries without a first-aid kit handy -- sometimes I even wished Mr. Kadam had some hidden evil side, a deep dark secret that would make things suddenly become more difficult. I literally craved conflict.

And, why Kelsey? What was it about her that made her the only person who could help break the curse? Kelsey was babied so much by both Ren and Mr. Kadam in India that she lost the appeal she had early on, when it did actually appear that maybe there was something special about her, something magical.

Kelsey and Ren go to some interesting places and, particularly in the last 100 pages or so, they have some dangers to overcome. But, I just felt like something was missing.

The bottom line:

A romantic quest that takes readers through some fascinating historical locations in India with an interesting fantasy storyline that is generally lacking in conflict, containing flat, awkward dialogue and too-easy solutions. Some danger and adventure perks up the story toward the last 100 pages or so and there are some mysteries that are left unanswered, as well as a little bit of confusion about which brother-slash-tiger is the "good guy" but if I hadn't requested this book and hoped something would improve, I don't believe I would have made it past about page 100. I think younger readers might not mind the lack of conflict because of the romance and the sense of adventure. I would have definitely enjoyed it more at a younger age and particularly recommend it to those who like books like Twilight that lean toward the romantic side.

Would I read the second book in the series? Maybe. Part of me wants to know what will happen to Ren and Kelsey. There are certainly some exciting moments and there's a hint that there may be a dangerous enemy who intends to steal the "Damon amulet". Kelsey wears a piece of the amulet and I can't remember but I think Ren wears a part of it, as well. The next book sounds like it has some potential.

Cover thoughts:

What a stunning cover! The image above looks pretty but in real life the cover is just flat gorgeous. The design at the top is textured silver and the tiger seems to be materializing through a beautiful background that looks like it's part jungle, part cloth with an intricate Indian design. Inside, the patterns continue at chapter headings and even the top of each page. Tiger's Curse is one of the prettiest books I've seen, this year.

My thanks to Sterling Kids for the review copy!

In other news:

We had snow, last night! Or, rather, sneaux. In fact, I began to write this review, yesterday, but I didn't get very far because I had to keep hopping up to look out the window. We were expecting snow or a winter mix around 3:00. At 3:00, it was raining. At 4:00 it was raining. Sometime around 4:30, the air suddenly cooled and the rain turned to sleet within minutes. A few fluffy flakes were mixed in but it didn't really become just snow till full dark, around 6:00 or 6:30. I'm guessing we got about 1/2" of accumulation, maybe a tiny bit more. It was enough to admire but not enough to cover absolutely everything or stick around for long.

This next picture makes me snicker. I photographed my first snow ghost!!! Okay, yes, I made that up. But, if you look closely, it looks like a man with a mustache. Can you see his face? And, he's reaching for the camera!!! WooooOoooo.

The cats seemed to enjoy the view, this morning:

We're supposed to reach 70 by Thursday of next week, so I'm just going to hold this snow memory close to my heart for a year or two. I think winter is just about done with us.

©2011 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Monday, February 07, 2011

Great Philosophers Who Failed at Love by Andrew Shaffer

Great Philosophers Who Failed at Love

By Andrew Shaffer

HarperPerennial - history/biography/philosophy

208 pages

Andrew Shaffer's blog

Hume wrote that women want dominion over men and men want dominion over women. He found both sexes at fault in this eternal power struggle, but it was man who started it: "If we did not abuse our authority [over women], they would never think it worthwhile to dispute it."

--p. 99 from the chapter about David Hume in Great Philosophers Who Failed at Love

Philosophy has never been a topic that even remotely interested me . . . that is, till Simon Van Booy got his hands on it and wrote his own philosophy series, which I absolutely loved. So, it's entirely Simon's fault that I decided to read Great Philosophers Who Failed at Love.

Sadly, the book doesn't come close to measuring up to Simon's work. However, it's a nice diversion. Great Philosophers Who Failed at Love is introduced by the author, who explains that philosophers are naturally neurotic, overly critical, and condescending. The rest of the book contains short bios of 37 philosophers -- some of whom shared some natural crossover with others of their generation (Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre are among the most obviously connected). The bios are followed by a "timeline" that places them in historical order and a selected bibliography.

What I loved about Great Philosophers Who Failed at Love:

Very light, funny and entertaining, Great Philosophers Who Failed at Love, is the perfect book for a brain break. It's neither taxing nor complex; and, it's packed with quotes that will make you shake your head in disbelief (or exclaim aloud . . . I probably uttered the words "good grief" a few times). Plus, the book is definitely a fun way to dip your toes in the waters of philosophy without feeling as if you're on the verge of drowning.

What I disliked about Great Philosophers Who Failed at Love:

The same characteristics that make the book entertaining also make it a likely candidate for the use of the word "fluff". And, "not deep" could also be equated to "shallow". In other words, Great Philosophers Who Failed at Love is entertaining, but you won't come out of the reading with any great new understanding and I wouldn't go around quoting the book in order to look smart in a room full of professors. The author makes liberal use of footnotes to insert his brand of humor. I found at least one of those footnotes offensive, but most were just silly.

Here's an example of a passage, followed by the related footnote (following the asterisk). The reference is to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Werther:

Copycat suicides racked up across the continent. "For as it requires but a little match to blow up an immense mine, so the explosion which followed my publication was mighty," Goethe wrote. Authorities in Italy, Germany and Denmark banned the book in an attempt to keep it from completely infecting a generation of disaffected youth. Eventually, the subculture of suffering that the book had spawned fell out of fashion, just like any other fad.*

* Only to be revived (minus the suicides) by the English rock group The Cure in the early 1980s.

--p. 88

The bottom line:

Entertaining, but not overly enlightening, a great book to grab if you're looking for a little lightweight reading that will make you feel like you have been blessed beyond belief in your love life -- even if your significant other is a fat slob, snoring in front of the television.

No, I'm not referring to my husband: He's at the grocery store. Just thought you ought to know. And, I do appreciate him.

In other news: Bookfool has been experiencing a bout of insomnia and hasn't felt much like blogging, although she (oh, no -- referring to yourself in 3rd person is a bad sign of something, isn't it?) did manage to finish three books, this weekend . . . which also means she didn't accomplish much else, but let's just not go there.

Today: Bookfool spent an hour or two loading shelves at the homeless shelter store with lovely donated books. They look terrific!! Almost all of the books we're currently displaying appear to be remainders and I'm a little concerned. The shelter is asking for donations (in other words, "set your own price") and they have received between 10 cents and $1.00 for purchases, thus far. Considering the fact that the books are mostly pristine -- some very nice hardbacks among them -- I think there needs to be a specific price attached to those books, don't you? What do you think is reasonable to ask for them? We'll also have used books and I think they can go for less but 10 cents to haul off a newish book that sat in the back of a warehouse for a while is just crazy. That's not going to benefit the shelter at all. They'll be lucky to pay the rent.

Things I forgot to remember: I keep forgetting to photograph "books in" and, well, this is weird . . . It's probably not going to happen, now, unless someone says, "Oh, please, please won't you take pictures of at least some of them, dear Bookfool?" Because I am unique in my personal style of organization. I bring in my books, log them in and then sort in a way that's much like sprinkling the entire earth with a few buckets of rainwater. Some, I'll put on my TBR shelf by release date, some end up beside the bed (if I look at a title and think, "Want to read NOW!", it goes straight to the bedside pile) and the rest -- swap books, books from friends and drawing wins -- just kind of wander around, settling where they will.

So, then Monday rolls around and it seems like everyone in the galaxy is posting about what arrived in the mailbox. And, mine are in 5 different rooms. Well, usually 3, but you never know. I could write you a list of everything that's arrived since before Christmas, but you have to promise not to gasp and tell me I'm the greediest and most evil book collector on the planet.

So far, this week, I've only received one book: The Butt Book by Artie Bennett, illustrated by Mike Lester. I expect my book intake will drop off severely, now that I've decided to take a break from ARCs, although I have a few swap books on the way.

At this very moment: My cats are eating out of the same bowl. I was running out of dry kitty food, so I poured all of it into the one bowl. I didn't know both kitties would show up as soon as the vittles hit plastic.

Apart from Isabel's sudden and inexplicable urge to climb the piano repeatedly, the cats seem to be behaving pretty well, this week. Wahoo for that.

There. I do believe I've covered every subject but the weather. It was sunny and lovely, today, at approximately 48 degrees. You're free to go, now. Congratulations for making it this far!

Sunday, February 06, 2011

January Reads in Review (2011) and how the goals are going, thus far

I couldn't find a rear-view mirror photo I haven't already used, so you get Isabel looking behind her little fur self at who knows what. Not sure if I've used this photo in the past.

January was a pretty good month, both reading- and blogging-wise. I reviewed absolutely everything completed except the one book I shouldn't have read (but it was crying out to me!!): Wither by Lauren DeStefano. I'll review Wither closer to its release date.

Most importantly, I enjoyed my reading. There were a few books that didn't thrill me, but none that I felt were complete and utter wastes of time. At least 5 of the books I read clocked in at under 100 pages, so my average page count was low but I crave variety and don't really care so much about quantity as quality. In other words, it's all good. I could stand to let go of a little more commitment guilt, but I'm happy.

My January Reads (with links to reviews, if applicable):

1. Kasey to the Rescue - Ellen Rogers

2. Wither - Lauren DeStefano

3. How to be Perfect - Daniel M. Harrell

4. Taking Out Your Emotional Trash - Georgia Shaffer

5. This is for You - Rob Ryan

6. The Ingram Interview - K. B. Dixon

7. The Dragon & the Turtle Go On Safari - Paul, Denmark & Nguyen

8. The Book of Tomorrow - Cecelia Ahern

9. God Gave Us the World - Bergren & Bryant

10. Far Afield - Susanna Kaysen

11. Wounded Spirits - April W. Gardner

12. Twenty and Ten - Claire Huchet Bishop

13. Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox - Blackaby and Segovia

14. Paris Was Ours, ed. by Penelope Rowlands

15. True Grit - Charles Portis

16. Haunting Jasmine - Anjali Banerjee

17. The Strange Man - Greg Mitchell

Thoughts on the first month's blogging and reading goals:

My goals for the year are deliberately fluid so I've decided to look back (when I remember) at the end of the month to evaluate how they're going and whether I need to make changes.

1. Continue to blog but in more of a swoop and dash way, no more editing myself to death - This one was a failure. I spent less time in front of the computer, but I still edited and pinched and prodded and changed -- often updating a review half a dozen times. I need to work harder at lightening up on the self-editing in February.

2. Google reader must die - Success! I had to work at breaking the habit of going to my Google Reader, at first, but I've updated my sidebar little by little, throughout the month, and I'm sticking to reciprocal and old-friends visits. This is saving me a massive amount of time and I'll definitely keep it up.

3. Read what I love; love what I read - So-so. I did continue reading a couple of books out of the sense of obligation, but not many. And, as I said before, I didn't feel like anything I finished was a complete waste of time. But life is short and my ideal is to really like or love every book I read. I'll keep working on it.

4. No challenges/Mix it up (plenty of my own books mixed in with ARCs) - I chose to limit myself to my own One Shelf at a Time self-challenge (and possibly the RIP, in the fall) and I did stick to that. There have been some temptations, but I haven't yet signed up for any outside challenges. I've read 2 books from Shelf #1 and some others from my TBRs, which I think made for a nice mix of old and new. 2 down, 19 to go on my One Shelf at a Time challenge! Good start, I think.

Off to ignore the Super Bowl. Yes, I'm such a nerd that I'm going to go to my room to read, instead. Football simply does not do a thing for me. Happy Super Bowl Sunday to the Americans!

Friday, February 04, 2011

Fiona Friday - Baby it's cold outside

It never fails to warm my heart when I see my kitty girls snuggling. This is their favorite chair and they've been sharing quite a bit, lately. It's been very cold, even in Mississippi! We've got more freezing rain in the forecast, but so far we've been spared the predicted ice storm. Big wahoo for that!! Warm wishes to those in the cold places.

Thursday, February 03, 2011

Haunting Jasmine by Anjali Banerjee

Haunting Jasmine

by Anjali Banerjee

Berkley Books - Fiction with a touch of paranormal

296 pages, incl. Reader's Guide

Anjali Banerjee's website

" . . . Books are more than commodities to sell. Books hold our culture, our past, other worlds, the antidote for sadness."

--p. 73 of Haunting Jasmine

For some people, reading means the difference between happiness and grief, hope and despair, life and death.

--p. 262

Jasmine Mistry is freshly divorced and still reeling. When her Auntie Ruma calls her home to Shelter Island -- a small island off the Washington coast-- to run her bookstore while she goes on an emergency trip, Jasmine does it as a favor for an aunt she loves.

She arrives from L.A. hesitant and heartbroken but ready to work hard. Housed in a Queen Anne Victorian home, filled with books new and old, and coated with dust, the bookstore is charming but Jasmine can't see the charm in it; she hasn't even read a book in years.

Jasmine is a terrible mess. Pragmatic to a fault, she begins making suggestions for improving the store practically the moment she walks in the door. Auntie Ruma warns Jasmine that she must stay in the store or it will become cranky. Naturally, Jasmine laughs that off. A cranky store? What Jasmine doesn't realize is that the store is haunted by the ghosts of authors past. And, they're trying to tell her something. Will Jasmine learn to listen to the ghosts and soften to the attention of a handsome and magnetic stranger? Can a rickety old store full of ghosts help Jasmine find a way to mend her broken heart? Or will she keep driving perfectly good customers away?

Haunting Jasmine was a serendipitous read -- perfect for the moment. I was tired and in search of a light-hearted story and it fit the bill; Haunting Jasmine is really quite a lovely story, a total delight. While Jasmine starts out bitter and is every book shopper's nightmare with her lack of knowledge of and respect for books, she does gradually begin to listen to the spirits in the store and reevaluate her attitude. The ghosts can be a little too real (as in "close to corporeal" -- able to touch her with a warm hand, for example); they test the boundaries of fiction and you really do have to let go of preconceived notions about the spiritual realm. But I was so captivated by the story that in this case I simply set such thoughts aside and just let the author carry me away.

I should add that by "light" I don't mean the book was a total piece of fluff. Take this passage for example:

Kipling's image formed the way dreams form, a mere simulacrum of what is real. The island itself, blustery and rocky, wet and inhospitable and unyielding, is what's real.

--pp. 104-105

Oops, vocabulary word!

simulacrum -

–noun, plural -cra

[-kruh]

1. A slight, unreal or superficial likeness or semblance.

2. An effigy, image or representation: a simulacrum of Aphrodite.

The bottom line:

The pages flew. Haunting Jasmine is lively, bookish fun and highly recommended for light reading; it would be a terrific book for traveling (or, for whenever you want a break between all those heavy classics you snowbound folks are no doubt reading). Readers will want to kick Jasmine in the shins, at first, but will stay for the joy of reading about an enchanted store. Fortunately, the heroine isn't completely hopeless; once she begins to get into the swing of things, you can't help but love the changes in her. The characterization is well done and there's plenty of humor. There are some pretty predictable little twists but I don't think the author intended to make anything too deeply secret, so that didn't bother me too much. I'll be looking for more books by Anjali Banerjee.

My thanks to Berkley Books for the review copy.

A side note:

Auntie Ruma is a Hindu who believes her life's path has been the work of a Hindu god, the elephant god, so there's a good bit of talk about her Hindu beliefs and some really fun shopping for things like saris. I had fun looking up bridal saris and imagining how the characters would dress for a wedding (Jasmine's parents live on the island and her engaged sister comes for a visit, now and then).

In other news:

We're allegedly at the beginning of an ice storm. Things look a little wet and shiny, but I don't see anything coming down. However, we're supposed to get up to 1/2" of ice and that means crashing trees and power outages, if the predicted weather does materialize. Because I haven't yet loaded this week's kitty pics, that means Fiona Friday might end up on a Saturday or Sunday. We'll see. I suppose you'll survive an extra day or two. Right?

Tuesday, February 01, 2011

True Grit by Charles Portis - book and the old movie

True Grit by Charles Portis

The Overlook Press - Western

215 pages

<---My copy doesn't look like that, but I love that cover, don't you?

True Grit is the story of Mattie Ross, whose father is killed by a man he took in and provided shelter and a job. Mattie, of near Dardanelle in Yell County, Arkansas and her father's trustworthy foreman (formerly a slave) travel to Fort Smith --where the two men had traveled to buy some ponies -- to identify her father, collect his possessions and send his body home for burial. But, Mattie wants revenge. Nobody has gone after the killer, Tom Chaney, so she asks around and finds the toughest federal marshal known in those parts, Rooster Cogburn. She wants someone with "true grit" to find Tom Chaney and bring him back to Arkansas to hang.

It quickly becomes apparent that Mattie is one tough and savvy young girl. She's been in charge of the bookkeeping for her father and has a good lawyer, back home, so she has papers ready to sign when she goes in to fetch her fathers "traps" (I'm guessing we'd use the word "trappings", as in possessions) and sell back the gelding ponies he's just purchased. Young Mattie then hires Marshal Cogburn and returns to purchase a pony to follow him into Indian Territory -- for half the price the dealer just paid her. Mattie will make you smile a lot.

Just after Mattie's paid Rooster a down-payment, a slick Texas Marshal named La Beouf (he pronounces his name "La BEEF") shows up. He's looking for Tom Chaney, too. Chaney, also known as Chelmsford, shot a senator and La Beouf is after the reward from his family and the bounty for bringing him in. But, La Beouf wants to take Chaney back to Texas and that doesn't suit Mattie. Instant tension. The two men decide to work together but they don't want Mattie tagging along, after all, even though Rooster has already agreed to let her go. Rooster had backed down because she badgered him so thoroughly.

Mattie immediately proves her determination by fording the Arkansas River on her new pony, Little Blackie, after the two marshals declare her a runaway and have her forcibly removed from the ferry. Will Mattie survive the grueling ride into Indian Territory? Will they find Tom Chaney? Will that crazy, good-looking Texan ever get over himself? Is Rooster too much of a drunk to get the job done?

True Grit, the original film version made in 1969, is an old favorite of mine so I bought the book a couple of years ago when I read a blog review. Till then, I had no idea it was based on a novel. The newer release of the movie nudged me into reading the book and I'm really glad it did. The novel is every bit as entertaining as the old movie and then some (I have not yet seen the new film version, although we do plan to view it) and, of course, goes into much greater detail.

What I loved about True Grit:

The characterization is superb and consistent, the story gripping and adventurous, the dialogue sharp and often amusing. You can't help but root for Mattie. It's obvious from the beginning who it is that really has "true grit".

What I disliked about True Grit:

Only one little thing: The lack of contractions in dialogue, which gets a bit annoying. Otherwise . . . nothing. I was fascinated to find that McAlester, Oklahoma was named after the owner of a store:

From Wikipedia: The town gets its name from J.J. McAlester, who later became Lt. Governor of Oklahoma and was immortalized as

a character in the novel True Grit, which was then made into feature films in 1969 and 2010.

You can read more about the history of McAlester, OK, here.

My thoughts about the 1969 film version of True Grit, compared to the novel:

It is always fascinating to read a book and then compare book to movie or novel to screenplay. Much of Mattie's internal monologue was compressed and turned into dialogue at the beginning of the movie to cram in all of the facts as quickly as possible. In the novel, Mattie is an old woman reflecting on her experience but you see events as they unfold in the film and there's no narration.

Events are revealed more slowly, of course, in the novel and Mattie the narrator sometimes jumps ahead to what's happened since. In the end, you known how her life turned out -- and Rooster's and La Beouf's, as well. I'm pretty sure it took about 100 pages before they even made it to Indian Territory, but there's never a dull moment.

Mattie is a mere 14 when the story takes place but actress Kim Darby looks a good bit older than 14 in the movie, in my humble opinion. Glen Campbell and John Wayne truly fit their parts. I don't know that I realized John Wayne won an Academy Award for his role, but I do think he deserved it.

Mattie's mode of speech stands out because of her minimal use of contractions, but La Beouf and Cogburn mix it up a little -- some use of them but not continuous -- so the mode of speech is a little less annoying and more natural in the film than the novel.

Here's what really surprised me about the movie. Having seen it many times, over the years (we own a DVD and I used to watch it whenever it came on TV, as a kid), I was completely stunned to find out that the Indian Territory in which they hunted for Tom Chaney was actually Oklahoma because . . . well, it sure didn't look like the Oklahoma I know, in the movie. Oklahoma is my home state, so I just always assumed it took place in some other part of Indian Territory -- up north. And, of course, the movie wasn't filmed in Oklahoma, as suspected. According to Wikipedia, True Grit (1969) was filmed in Colorado and California. Careful, there are some spoilers in the comparison of book to movie at that site.

There are quite a few lines that are taken directly from the book and a good portion of the movie is fairly accurate, but most of their time in Oklahoma is spent in the snow in the novel and it was sunny, springy and cloudless in the movie until the ending scene (which also isn't accurate to the novel, although I won't mention the differences in those final scenes because some of them might ruin your fun if you read the novel anytime soon).

The bottom line:

Excellent writing with well-developed characters, sharp and witty dialogue and an adventurous storyline make True Grit a winner. No wonder they've made it into a movie twice. Highly recommended. And, I still recommend the 1969 film version. We'll see what Huzzybuns and I think about the newer movie. We're both pretty anxious to see it, now, and agreed that the old movie hasn't lost its spark, now that we've been away from it a while. Lucky Ned Pepper was played by Robert Duvall and "Moon" by a young Dennis Hopper in the 1969 film version. Cool. I had no idea they were in the film.

After reading True Grit, I'm curious what else the author has written and The Overlook Press has published. I don't know if I've ever read anything by that particular publisher, before, so I'll fetch a link. Here you go . . . The Overlook Press. Ooooh, they have tons of P. G. Wodehouse titles, so I already love them!

And, in other news:

Here's your dose of kitty cute - Isabel, on the verge of knocking her rubber ducky into the tub. I bought her a rubber duck because she recently succeeded at fishing my razor out of the tub and she was chewing on it. Yikes! I figured she could use something safer for water play.

True Grit is the second book I've read for my personal One Shelf at a Time reading challenge. 2 down, 19 to go!

Monday, January 31, 2011

The Strange Man by Greg Mitchell

The Strange Man by Greg Mitchell

Book 1 of the Coming Evil Trilogy

Realms

292 pages, including a bonus short story

Greg Mitchell's blog

Holy Toledo. The Strange Man is like a train wreck -- horrifying but you can't look away. In the dying town of Greensboro, there have always been rumors about a bogeyman living in the North Woods. Parents tell stories of the bogeyman to get their children to behave. Some believe, some don't.

Dras (pronounced "DrAHz") Weldon is a twenty-something who is unemployed, drinks heavily and, in general, refuses to grow up. He collects action figures and sponges off his family. His only real friend is Rosalyn. She came from a disastrous, alcoholic home and has been labeled "trash" by pretty much everyone but the Weldon family, with whom she practically grew up. Rosalyn is patient to a fault, when it comes to Dras. Dras questions his faith aloud and is rebellious, but he really believes in God. He just doesn't want to think about it and he both acts and speaks as if he's not a believer.

One night, a storm moves into Greensboro -- a very odd storm that carries with it the sensation of evil. The bogeyman has arrived. He is, in fact, the devil and he brings along his legion of demons. Because the town has moved away from Christianity, they've allowed the devil to be freed from his prison in the North Woods. And, he means to wreak havoc, kill and ruin lives, wherever he can. Death comes quickly, once the so-called bogeyman arrives.

The devil-slash-bogeyman can appear handsome and suave but sometimes he shows his true form. Dras, as it turns out, is getting in the devil's way. The devil has his eye on Rosalyn but he can't harm Dras. And, Dras is not going to watch his friend get tortured or worse and do nothing about it. But, will he be able to save Rosalyn? There's only one thing Dras can do and it may mean sacrificing his own life.

Man . . . talk about creepy. This is one heck of a scary book. I cannot believe I read it at night and didn't have nightmares, but I just couldn't put it down so I finished The Strange Man in the middle of the night. You should see the dark circles under my eyes. I meant to snooze late but the cats decided to have a party on my head very early Monday morning, so I guess I'll just have to catch up on sleep. It was worth it.

What I loved about The Strange Man:

The Strange Man is riveting. From a Christian standpoint, I had a little trouble with the fact that a person could pray for help and still end up shredded (Ewww!) but in the end there's one person who actually succumbs not to the devil but to the evil of man. To be honest I just can't fault a book too much if it's that hard to put down. I loved the fact that The Strange Man is gripping, has a good solid theme about God as protector and that we choose whether or not to let evil into our lives, and I liked the characters -- although there were moments I wanted to reach in and shake someone. You know those scary movies where you're muttering, "No, no, don't open the window! Don't go outside!" or whatever. Yeah. It's like that.

Oops, forgot to mention:

Adding this to the post, a bit late. I think there's another theme, which is really important, and it's something to the effect of, "Watch out what you say and how you behave; the people around you learn from your actions and words." Dras actually leads people away from God.

What I disliked about The Strange Man:

Oops, I think I already mentioned that, above, the fact that someone got shredded even after praying. Well, that's about it.

The Strange Man is, I think, technically a Christian book because of the publisher and the God-driven theme. But, I left that out of my header because, you know . . . I have a real quibble with the fact that a lot of people will pass this book up (and a lot of other titles) merely because it's written from a Christian perspective. And, it's not like Hollywood hasn't done the devil-coming-to-get-everyone, complete with a hell-fire spouting, mildly hypocritical preacher and all that.

I just read True Grit last week (I'll review it, soon) and found myself thinking about the way Christianity in characters was common not that long ago but has become something to avoid in recent decades. In True Grit, Mattie's Christianity really jumps out at you, the way Mattie quotes the Bible and talks about being a good Presbyterian. It's simply a part of who she is, but it's something we don't see all that much anymore. I found myself wondering . . . Would that book be considered (if it were a new title, that is) by a mainstream publisher, these days? I don't know. I have a feeling the answer is "no," though.

In The Strange Man, the preacher is Jeff, the "prodigal" Dras's brother. He's not perfect; nobody is, although Jeff's wife comes closest. She's a peacemaker and a solid, kind woman. Many of the characters are not Christian. That's part of the point -- so many in the small, dying town have lost their faith that they've opened themselves up to evil. It's really just a typical good-versus-evil plotline and it deserves a wide readership because it's a rollicking good, shaking-in-your-boots kind of story. That is my humble opinion. Click here to read a free chapter of The Strange Man and view the trailer (which, honestly, I'm afraid to watch). Be sure to look at the author photograph, which was taken by his 4-year-old! Awesome.

Cover thoughts: Cool. Creepy. Perfect. Love the colors.

In other news:

I've been offline, apart from brief hops to the blog to approve comments, via the iPad, because my computer has been covered by a tarp while Huzzybuns repaired the damaged wall in my office and sanded in preparation for painting. So . . . not sure when he's going to get around to painting the walls but if I disappear abruptly for a couple of days, never fear. It probably just means I've been banned from the room. I get in his way, you see. I'll try to catch up on visiting people when he's not around and I'm not busy shooing the cat away from live electrical cords. That animal. Sheesh. Izzy, that is. She's a handful.

This weekend, I spent a lot of time reading, reading, reading. I picked up Haunting Jasmine, the story of a woman fresh from a divorce, who goes to take care of her aunt Ruma's bookstore while Auntie Ruma makes an emergency trip to India. Ruma doesn't bother telling Jasmine that the store is haunted. It was a case of perfect book for the time and I raced through it, loving every minute. I'll review the book, soon.

After reading Haunting Jasmine, I spent a day catching up on my Bible study, which involves a humongous amount of homework (I missed the first week, thanks to a stomach virus). And, then I picked up The Strange Man and there went a good night's sleep.

I've got to get off the computer because Kiddo wants me to quit tapping so he can sleep, but I'll try to post a pic of Izzy playing with her rubber ducky in the next post. Betcha can't wait.

Tuesday Morning addendum:

I've awakened to weather that is threatening to turn severe (tornadoes and thunderstorms) and a headache, so blog-hopping and my next review will likely be delayed a bit longer while I hide in my room to read and sleep. I'm really starting to miss you guys. I'll at least approve comments if I don't have to unplug everything.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Twenty and Ten by Claire Huchet Bishop

Twenty and Ten by Claire Huchet Bishop

Copryight 1952

Puffin Books - Children/Middle Reader

76 pages

While we were still waving we saw Suzanne slip off Philip's back and run toward us at top speed. She tumbled into the midst of us, shaking from head to foot. "They're coming! They're coming!" she yelled. And suddenly Philip and George were also among us, panting. "They're coming! They're coming! The Nazis are coming!"

"What?" we shrieked, and we all raced up the slope and looked, the smaller ones taking turns on Philip's back.

Far, far down on the valley road two green spots with helmets moved toward us on bicycles.

We looked at one another, terrified. Then I don't know how but Henry, Arthur, Denise, and I, we all said at once, "The cave!" And we ran toward the back of the house. The others followed us.

--from p. 44 of Twenty and Ten

Kiddo and I recently cleaned out one of his cabinets, tossing out junk and setting aside children's books to donate. And, one of the books we came across -- which Kiddo promptly added to the donation pile -- was Twenty and Ten. I was intrigued by the cover image of a Nazi sitting on a rock while children peek out of a cave behind him, so I set the book aside and read it the next day.

Published in 1952 and penned by a Frenchwoman from Le Havre whose grandfather was the village storyteller, Twenty and Ten is based on a true story. And, I must say . . . it certainly has the tension of a real-life Nazi story. The story is about twenty children who are living and attending school together with their teacher, a nun named Sister Gabriel, safe in the hills above their French village. Most of the children are the same age -- about 11, as I recall -- but one of them is the younger brother of one of the girls and he's only 4.

As the book opens, the children are playing a game called The Flight into Egypt about Mary, Joseph and Jesus, and arguing about who gets to play the roles of Mary and Joseph. It's WWII and France is occupied by the Germans, but the children and Sister Gabriel live a fairly comfortable life. Rations are tight but they argue and play like children everywhere in spite of growling stomachs.

Then, one day a young man shows up dirty and starving with ten Jewish children in tow. He asks the nun if the children can stay because he thinks they'll be safest around other children.

Warning: I tell about this story in quite a bit of detail so there may be some spoilers. If you plan to read the book soon, skip this part.

Sister Gabriel and the children agree and the children slowly adapt to each other. At some point, they discover a cave on the school grounds, but it's not till they're playing in the cave and think of the Nazis that they realize the value of their find. And, soon it comes in handy. One day, Sister Gabriel must take the hour-long walk to town to fetch the mail and she doesn't return. The children are on their own.

The Jewish children hide in the cave, one of the boys is taken to a barn and beaten because the Nazis are convinced the missing children are somewhere nearby, and he escapes briefly to let the children know what's happening to him. The children work together to make sure their Jewish friends in the cave are provided with food and water. Then, the youngest child says something that sounds like a confession that Jews are nearby to one of the Nazis. Will the Jewish children be found and taken away?

End spoiler alert. It's safe, now.

I was surprised at what a nail-biter Twenty and Ten turned out to be and, of course, I loved the way the children used their heads and courageously worked together. I don't know if Twenty and Ten is still in print but it looks like ours was the 22nd printing, so I'd guess it's likely still around. Highly recommended for children and adults. And, isn't the cover stunning? There are also illustrations inside, by William Pene du Bois, whom you may know as the author of the Newbery Award-winning book The Twenty-One Balloons.

In other news:

I'm pre-posting this review and will be taking a few days off from the blog while the weather is nice. Not sure when I'll be back, apart from sometime next week. If you leave a comment and don't see it for a couple of days, don't panic! I moderate comments so it might take me a while to get to them. I'll leave you with a picture of Isabel deciding what to get into next and see you next week!

Friday, January 28, 2011

Fiona Friday - Title suggestions welcome

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox by Blackaby and Segovia

Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox by Susan Blackaby

Illustrated by Carmen Segovia

Sterling - For ages 3 and up

32 pages

Brownie Groundhog wakes up on the 2nd of February and emerges from her cozy den into the snow, where she sees her shadow. When a groundhog sees its shadow, of course, it means six more weeks of winter. Brownie stomps her foot and a fox hears her "grousing". He prepares to pounce, but Brownie is far too ingenious to get eaten.

Before Brownie could take two steps, the fox knocked her flat. Brownie's basket went flying as they tumbled into a snow bank.

The fox panted and puffed. "Hold still," he said. "I'm trying to eat you for breakfast."

"Don't be silly," said Brownie, wiggling free. "You're too late for breakfast."

"Really?" The fox frowned. "What about lunch?"

"Too early," said Brownie. "You'll just have to wait."

"I hate waiting," said the fox.

"I know what you mean," said Brownie.

By this point in Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox, I was totally in love. Brownie has figured out how to outfox the fox, but the fox is determined to hang around until it's time to eat her, so she comes up with imaginative tasks (clear the pond with your tail . . . and then we must skate on it) to occupy him and then declares it's too late -- he missed lunch! Eventually, Brownie ties the fox to a tree and the fox sobs, so Brownie takes pity on him and promises to make them both a snack if the fox will promise to "keep your teeth to yourself." And, then they see signs of spring.

When Brownie Groundhog and the fox part, the fox asks, "What are we doing tomorrow?"

"More waiting," said Brownie.

"Waiting and skating," said the fox. "Will you bring something yummy?"

"Something yummy to share," said Brownie.

And they headed for home.

What a clever book! I loved the interaction between the fox and the groundhog -- it's genuinely funny and imaginative. The illustrations are marvelous and limited to about five or six colors on a snowy-white and beautifully shaded background, which gives it a consistency of design that I just love. And the book is comfortably readable. I read it to my cats several times because I like it so much and I'm afraid they're going to have to listen to quite a few rereads.

Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox was a surprise sent to me by Sterling Kids. Many thanks to Sterling!! I'm so excited about this book that I'm going to keep it handy. Really, I need to find some kids. It's definitely such a fun book that I feel like going in search of some preschoolers to read to.

The bottom line: Adorable illustrations and a clever storyline make Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox a new favorite in this household (ask the cats -- they love it, too). Highly recommended for anyone but the promotional material says ages 3 and up. Go ahead, buy a copy and read it to your cat, dog, husband, the wall. Or . . . if you have children, you can read it to them or hand it to them, if they're old enough to read on their own -- it's awfully fun; I wouldn't limit it to preschoolers.

Paris Was Ours, ed. by Penelope Rowlands

Paris Was Ours: 32 Writers Reflect on the City of Light

Ed. by Penelope Rowlands

279 pages

Even if it wasn't misty or if the sycamores didn't quite line up perfectly, you'd imagine that they did. It's so synesthetic, that part of the world. That wet air carries everything with it. Those places are so humid and damp and all the antiquity lingers in the air.

--from "Montparnasse and Beyond" by Richard Armstrong, p. 180 of Paris Was Ours

I received a finished copy of Paris Was Ours in a surprise package from Algonquin Books and you should have heard the squeal. It just happens to be one of the books that most interested me from their catalogue, but I wasn't going to request anything from Algonquin simply because I've got enough advanced readers to carry me through till at least April. But, Paris! I've only been there briefly but the idea of Paris still entrances me and the memory of how it goes from dull and gray when overcast to sparkling and golden when the sun emerges has remained with me. I carried Paris Was Ours straight to my reading spot and started reading the essays the evening the book showed up.

Michael of Algonquin's marketing describes Paris Was Ours as "a delicious treat for the armchair traveler," and that's an apt description, in my humble opinion. Thirty-two essays cover the same ground from a wide variety of different perspectives but there are vast differences in experience along with some telling crossover. Many of the essayists mention the immaculate gardens upon which even adults are not allowed to set foot. No playing frisbee or lounging in the grass is allowed. Even a foot placed on the delicate turf will result in a fierce, "You should know better," whether one is a toddler or a 40-year-old.

Children do have their play areas, however. In Janine Di Giovanni's essay, she writes a friend's thoughts:

"Children in France are seen but not heard," says one American friend, Katherine, who is a mother of two. "Except on the playground, where the parents don't get involved and then it becomes Lord of the Flies."

--from "Parenting, French-Style" by Janine Di Giovanni, p. 94 of Paris Was Ours

Let me skip ahead to what I liked and disliked about the book before sharing a lengthy quote that I think is amazing but also gives slight evidence of one of the book's troublesome aspects.

What I loved about Paris Was Ours:

I absolutely adored the learning experience of reading about the French culture as written by a large number of people who have lived in Paris or still do. I can honestly say I never really understood the French. I found my own experience was 50-50 on the friendly scale. When I purchased a little silver Eiffel Tower charm from an elderly man in Montmartre, he spoke in careful English and even wrote the number of francs on one palm with the finger of his opposite hand. What a sweetheart!

But, we had one of those French waiters . . . the famously snobbish fellows who refuse to listen to garbled English-French, a man who actually slammed our plates onto the table. Their attitude -- both the kinder French and the snobs in restaurants -- are described in depth and their motivations explained from a variety of angles that truly make sense of the culture, the personalities, the differences in the way women look and men treat them, how their children are brought up. The word pictures painted by essayists in Paris Was Ours give readers a surprisingly three-dimensional view of a lifestyle and culture.

What I disliked about Paris Was Ours:

I had two problems with the book and I thought they were minor but worth mentioning. One is that the essays often lack context. For example, "Montparnasse and Beyond" by Richard Armstrong begins:

I had an instantaneous connection to Paris. --p. 78

My first thought when I read each of the essays was always, "Okay, I wonder when this person lived in Paris." Paris of the Sixties may have been very different from Paris of the Nineties, so I thought that was important information. Sometimes the time period is mentioned, sometimes it's not -- often you're well into an essay before the time period is revealed. There are brief bios of each of the authors in the back of the book. I would have liked to see those bios on a separate page preceding each essay, complete with dates to give each essay context.

The other problem I had was that most of the essays were peppered with French expressions but there is no glossary. For those who know French well, that's likely not a problem. But, I had junior high and high school French -- only enough to translate the easy words like "fromage" and "patisserie" that probably everyone knows. A glossary would have been very, very helpful. Eventually, I began marking words to look up, but there were so many of them that I should have just kept a laptop nearby, for translating purposes.

The lack of a glossary, however, was not enough to put off this reader. Note how much you can learn from this simple passage:

The French have such an attractive civilization, dedicated to calm pleasures and general tolerance, and their taste in every domain is so sharp, so sure, that the foreigner (especially someone from chaotic, confused America) is quickly seduced into believing that if he can only become a Parisian he will at last master the art of living. Paris intimidates its visitors when it doesn't infuriate them, but behind both sentiments dwells a sneaking suspicion that maybe the French have got it right, that they have located the just milieu and that their particular blend of artistic modishness and cultural conservatism, of welfare-statism and intense individualism, of clear-eyed realism and sappy romanticism -- that these proportions are wise, time-tested, and as indisputable as they are subtle.

If so, then why is the flâneur so lonely? So sad? Why is there such an elegiac feeling hanging over this city with the gilded cupola gleaming above the Emperor's tomb and the foaming, wild horses prancing out of a sea of verdigris on the roof of the Grand Palais?

--from "A Mild Hell" by Edmund White, p. 205 of Paris Was Ours

I looked up several words from that passage (apologies for the change of text size, which Blogger is not allowing me to fix, for some unknown reason):

just milieu - (definition from Wordnik)

–noun

The true mean; a just medium or balance between extremes; specifically, judicious moderation, as between extremes of opinion or conduct: defined as a political term by Montesquieu, but first brought into common use by Louis Philippe in 1831 in characterizing his own system of government.

Flâneur (from Wikipedia)

The term flâneur comes from the French masculine noun flâneur—which has the basic meanings of "stroller", "lounger", "saunterer", "loafer"—which itself comes from the French verb flâner, which means "to stroll". Charles Baudelaire developed a derived meaning of flâneur—that of "a person who walks the city in order to experience it".

elegiac (from my handy dandy American Heritage Dictionary) - (adj.)

1. Of or relating to an elegy (a mournful poem or song, especially one mourning a dead person).

2. Expressing sorrow, mournful.

I should have know that one. *headdesk*

The bottom line:

I loved Paris Was Ours. I felt transported to Paris, where a culture that's always perplexed me (as I have French roots, I really desire to understand the French) was explained with flair and erudition. A glossary of French terms and a little better context in the form of a lengthier bio placed just before each writing would have been helpful for the reading of most of the essays -- some authors did translate French expressions, but most did not.

Highly recommended for all readers but particularly for those who have a fascination with France in general or Paris in particular, or the armchair traveler who loves learning about other cultures. I'm going to loan this book to my son, who spent several weeks in France and will undoubtedly enjoy Paris Was Ours. I intend to reread it, eventually -- next time, with a French dictionary or a computer handy.

Some favorites:

I loved Jeremy Mercer's essay, "My Bookstore High", an excerpt from his book Time Was Soft There, about the time he spent living in Shakespeare and Company. Judith Warner's "Toward a Politics of Quality of Life," is a fascinating comparison of American feminism vs. the kittenish, pouty feminism of the French that I think would be of particular interest to those who are participating in challenges involving feminist issues.

There are several essays in which the acceptance of sexual orientation is mentioned but I didn't mark them. However, I was particularly interested by a comment that if a gay couple is invited to a party in New York, someone will seek them out to reassure them that they're very welcome, while in Paris the same couple will find themselves treated like everyone else, their orientation accepted to the point of being nothing of any interest.

I found Stacy Schiff's essay, "In Franklin's Footsteps" amusing and informative. And, I kept thinking to myself, "Stacy Schiff, Stacy Schiff. Where have I heard that name?" I looked her up and discovered that I have her biography of Antoine Saint-Exupery. It just happened to be sitting in a prominent place in the den because I pulled it off a shelf and set it aside, thinking, "I've got to read this one!" while cleaning some shelves, about two weeks ago.

Gushy thanks to Michael of Algonquin Books for the copy of Paris Was Ours.

Tomorrow I'll review Brownie Groundhog and the February Fox by Susan Blackaby, another surprise book, this time from Sterling Kids. It's a book that I love so much I fear my cats are going to get sick of it, sometime soon. Well, I have to read it to someone!