tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11301221188290948612024-02-19T04:49:37.147-05:00The Wednesday Reading RiotI think reading a novel is almost next best to having something to do.
-Margaret OliphantSnow Flakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931287625013102683noreply@blogger.comBlogger162125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130122118829094861.post-43223387467145707742013-02-12T13:43:00.000-05:002013-02-12T13:48:33.453-05:00Patrick Ness: The Knife of Never Letting Go<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7KINl-CJRT8En2J6PM2j3zkemlfjarn7a1al4JLrGvszkyUZrBh50VPVnStPaElAUXB9nqBpqTy8fI-iuAuDL9sREXdQWLwT7srX5TB_cJstSr09e_Y3Oz7f8DFan8oPUjgVq2dKLses/s1600/thonlg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" jea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7KINl-CJRT8En2J6PM2j3zkemlfjarn7a1al4JLrGvszkyUZrBh50VPVnStPaElAUXB9nqBpqTy8fI-iuAuDL9sREXdQWLwT7srX5TB_cJstSr09e_Y3Oz7f8DFan8oPUjgVq2dKLses/s200/thonlg.jpg" width="123" /></a></div>
<strong>One Word Summary:</strong> Poo. Todd. Poo. Poo. Poo.<br />
<strong>Synopsis:</strong> A boy and his dog go on a very long journey.<br />
<strong>Criticism:</strong> I liked this book the entire I was reading it. There's one point in the story where one of the villians shows up <em>again</em>, and Viola says, "You've got to be kidding." I don't know if the author was trying to be all tongue in cheek, but I laughed. I liked the premiss. Space pilgrims settle a far away planet, fight with the native aliens, and are infected with a disease that enables them to hear everyone's thoughts all the time, oh and it kills all the women. Very Lord of the Flies. I liked the ideas Mr. Ness explored. Redemption. Gender Roles. Manhood. Choice. And I really liked the dog, Manchee. I didn't realize I was bored until I got to the cliff hanger ending. I didn't realize I was annoyed until I started leafing through book two and said aloud, "You've got to be kidding!" That's when I decided I hate villians that won't die and stories that never end. This could have been great.</div>
Snow Flakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931287625013102683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130122118829094861.post-79360967258406269892013-02-12T13:15:00.000-05:002013-02-12T13:15:10.205-05:00Jonathan Stroud: The Ring of Solomon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong>One Word Summary:</strong> dancing hippopotamus</div>
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<strong>Synopsis:</strong> Bartimaeus is Back! It's about 3000 years back, but he doesn't disappoint. Immediately after escaping from and destroying a ruthless master, Bartimaeus is summoned to serve an even worse magician. His job is to help build Solomons temple with some of his best djinn pals. As punishment for his sass he gets reassigned to patrol duty to protect the roads into Jerusalem. This is where he rescues and puts his faith in a young nonmagician to set him free. What he gets is an adventure full of daring stunts, political intrigue, and impossible odds. </div>
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<strong>Rate:</strong> 5 </div>
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Snow Flakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931287625013102683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130122118829094861.post-26012908690058695052011-03-26T17:47:00.007-04:002011-03-28T17:29:19.290-04:00Edith Wharton: The Age of Innocence<strong>One Word Summary:</strong> Dilettante <br /><div><strong>Synopsis:</strong> A man marries one woman, but he loves another. <br /><div><strong>Rate:</strong> 3 canvas-backs <br /><div><strong>Recommendations:</strong> This is a helpful book if you want to think great thoughts. It's wonderful if you like to feel frustrated and powerless. It's also nice if you're into rules, and even better if you enjoy debates on whether the society is going to pot. It's also really well written. <br /><div><strong>Questions:</strong> <br /><ol><br /><li>Before they are married Archer fantasizes about 'awakening' May. During their courtship he is at some pains to educate and inform her tastes, but he abandons the task even before the wedding. How is his behaviour towards May mirror to his unconsumated love for Countess Olenska?</li><br /><li>When I was a child my mother told me that May manipulated Archer to acheive her own ends, she implied that it was a bad thing for May to do. Is May a sneak or a product of her time? Was it wrong of her?</li><br /><li>Somewhere in the novel Archer complains to Countess Olenska "I don't Understand You!", and she growls back, "Yet you understand her!" Do you understand either of them? What ideas do these two women represent? Why does he love one and scorn the other? Why does he stick with one and forsake the other?</li><br /><li>Is society going to pot? Would you like to live in Old New York? Visit?</li><br /><li>Food Food Food! What is canvas-back? How does May's image as Diana the Virgin Godess jive with her food loving tribe?</li></ol></div></div></div></div>Snow Flakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931287625013102683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130122118829094861.post-26358952243410617422011-03-26T17:13:00.002-04:002011-03-26T17:46:56.311-04:00Carey Wallace: The Blind Contessa's New Machine<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvCfbFlTHzVGy1x4lFW97SwCjeeqvMdBnMOXXwgwuL1qx7fOVwab8Jcy0u-_AbEq-FGZPBCcpvNkgKGlTXfw-Pf8_bWX_ZKO5v1r7AJ8TTW27fj-cBbLoOVjXTMShsmrqQ2Wtzupv8RI/s1600/tbcnm.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 128px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 181px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588500116958120562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvCfbFlTHzVGy1x4lFW97SwCjeeqvMdBnMOXXwgwuL1qx7fOVwab8Jcy0u-_AbEq-FGZPBCcpvNkgKGlTXfw-Pf8_bWX_ZKO5v1r7AJ8TTW27fj-cBbLoOVjXTMShsmrqQ2Wtzupv8RI/s400/tbcnm.jpg" /></a> <strong>One Word Summary:</strong> "Would you tell me theses things if I were not blind?" (or something like that)<br /><div><strong>Synopsis:</strong> A young girl grows up in a summer cottage near a man made lake on her father's property (she does sometimes sleep in her family's house). She befriends an eccentric and already married inventor. She notices she's going blind. She observes her condition scientifically. She marries a handsome playboy. She begins a 'passionate' affair with her neighbour the inventor. They are caught. Her husband removes her to the city. Upon her death she returns the typewriter to her former lover.</div><div><strong>Recommendation:</strong> This book would be great for a group. There's a lot to discuss. And it's all interesting. For a small book it's pretty complicated. Carolina has a rich fantasy life, my eyes mostly glazed over during these passages but I didn't fail to notice the coldness darkness mingled with the warmth and beauty she created. I especially like how the story just ended, it felt like having one of my senses cut off.</div><div><strong>Rate:</strong> Three Lemon Trees</div>Snow Flakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931287625013102683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130122118829094861.post-69339829050257249082011-03-26T16:55:00.003-04:002011-03-26T17:13:14.316-04:00Holly Peterson: The Manny<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGUetpjk8q-QuMr_GCegQC8Oe4TukvS-KtZxRMUJwVjlOppjjAkPA1V5ZhLClFI3e1fC9t5RKtA2FzD233rtqzfxgaIuZt99ayZYgj0Azbsc0S8mVFbQeBbFmYQR45ObAbInuLJdLFJ8o/s1600/tm.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 121px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 193px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588495577084243314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGUetpjk8q-QuMr_GCegQC8Oe4TukvS-KtZxRMUJwVjlOppjjAkPA1V5ZhLClFI3e1fC9t5RKtA2FzD233rtqzfxgaIuZt99ayZYgj0Azbsc0S8mVFbQeBbFmYQR45ObAbInuLJdLFJ8o/s400/tm.jpg" /></a><br /><div><strong>One Word Summary:</strong> perjure</div><div><strong>Synopsis:</strong> Jaime hires a man to babysit her son and provide a good male role model for him. She's already out of love with her spoiled-rich-husband but she's not ready to jump ship until her entire life falls apart and the Manny comes to rescue her</div><div><strong>Review:</strong> There are so many things morally wrong with this story, and one thing I don't really understand. At the end of the book Jaime makes a deal with her husband to lie in court about his underhanded deals if he agrees to maintain her in the style to which she's accustomed and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">divorce</span> her on her own terms with no fuss. How can she avoid going to jail with him if he <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">reneges</span> and she has to reveal the documents she has under lock and key? How can she carry the moral high ground in this situation?</div><div>Rate: 2 white ermine muffs</div>Snow Flakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931287625013102683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130122118829094861.post-25068070501672865002011-03-26T16:52:00.003-04:002011-03-26T16:55:06.278-04:00John Hersey: HiroshimaChristmas came and I didnt' finish this. But I will. I liked it.Snow Flakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931287625013102683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130122118829094861.post-20307565583584213712011-03-26T16:02:00.004-04:002011-03-26T16:52:37.462-04:00Kurt Vonnegut: Slaughter House Five<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivs3BuhZbwCQGCM3UHfYmKUqOhsmDZ_f_2lLaC6HWbps3gRj8wtRAqa3RqCMATHcHuBAau2kWOUCBzglKOpIRmKXPZaq9z-guQERcscZR9yrJsoGgVwK6Ko-EiHah9ZC_ydCbLI8ZmcZU/s1600/s5.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 49px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 75px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588494390496476690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivs3BuhZbwCQGCM3UHfYmKUqOhsmDZ_f_2lLaC6HWbps3gRj8wtRAqa3RqCMATHcHuBAau2kWOUCBzglKOpIRmKXPZaq9z-guQERcscZR9yrJsoGgVwK6Ko-EiHah9ZC_ydCbLI8ZmcZU/s400/s5.jpg" /></a><br /><div><strong>One Word Summary:</strong> Edgar Derby and the teapot</div><br /><div><strong>Synopsis:</strong> Billy Pilgrim is an unremarkable youth. He goes to war. He's still alive after the Dresden Bombings. He comes home from war and life goes on. Except he has a nervous breakdown. His life is remarkable only for its blandness-wife, children, big house. His fantasy life is pretty fantastic (he's on display at a Tralfmadorian zoo with his mate Montana Wildhack, an earthling porn star) but it also what you'd imagine a boring man would dream up. In the end he dies. And even though Billy is emotionally detached (among other things) from his life you kind of feel sad for him and wish it could have been different.</div><br /><div><strong>Recommendation:</strong> I liked this book. It has style. I didn't like this book. It is depressing.</div><br /><div><strong>Rate:</strong> 4.5 dimensions</div><br /><div></div>Snow Flakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931287625013102683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130122118829094861.post-16652865517701232752011-03-26T13:32:00.004-04:002011-03-26T16:01:56.531-04:00Jonathan Safran Foer: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-z_ZSchX_1acI5zhzw_hyphenhyphenzOtciJSFCPFTmziRZeQlJUyHSO3kd7fYCBeSQGrd8uCvv6iyj01cpSTq1zYFrsvFM9JDR8b8txoVYOocp37lXbGfosB5o_8rfGqXhb_hVsEbxoowDmiVjuo/s1600/elaic.gif"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 160px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588475711076826338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-z_ZSchX_1acI5zhzw_hyphenhyphenzOtciJSFCPFTmziRZeQlJUyHSO3kd7fYCBeSQGrd8uCvv6iyj01cpSTq1zYFrsvFM9JDR8b8txoVYOocp37lXbGfosB5o_8rfGqXhb_hVsEbxoowDmiVjuo/s400/elaic.gif" /></a><strong>One Word Summary:</strong> I would spend my only life with you/ Grandma<br /><br /><strong>Synopsis:</strong> A boy goes on a quest to find his father by following a series of (meaningless?) clues that lead him to meet every Black in the NYC phone book.<br /><br /><strong>Review:</strong> Sorry if the synopsis doesn't capture the genius of ELAIC. Read the book. It's a love story that will fill you with sadness and hope.<br /><br /><strong>Rate:</strong> 5 boroughs<br /><br /><p><strong>Questions:</strong><br /></p><ol><li>Who was that enlightenment philosopher/scientist who said refering to love he felt for his mistress "I never wanted more to believe in our eternal souls", or something like?</li><li>Does it mean anything that JSF wrote about a boy going on a quest which is not exactly pointless?</li><li>Is Grandpa selfish? or sad? or human? Should he have just got over it?</li></ol><br /><p><strong>Other Books:</strong></p><p><em>Slaughter House Five</em> by Kurt Vonnegut</p><p><em>Hiroshima </em>by John Hersey</p><p><em>The Odyssey </em>by Homer</p><p><em>About a Boy</em> by Nick Hornby</p><p>That children's book where the father dies and leaves his son a locked box and the boy, with the help of his best friend, goes on a quest to find the key. Inside, among other things, is a playing card. The story ends with a deep fried twinky and some sort of hula hoop routine at a fairground talent show. Incidentally the boy only eats PBJ.</p><p><em>The Incredible Invention of Hugo Cabret</em> by Brian Selznik</p><p><em>The History of Love</em> by Nicole Krauss</p><p><em>Everything Is Illuminated</em> by Jonathan Safran Foer</p>Snow Flakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931287625013102683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130122118829094861.post-87047524707503405532011-03-26T13:22:00.003-04:002011-03-26T15:41:39.478-04:00Maybe not today...It's been four months since I last posted. My reading appetite has slowed down dramatically. Even if I could remember every book I've glanced at I would never catch up; besides I'd spend so much time posting that I'd never read again. How fun is that! So I'm going to make few quick changes.Snow Flakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931287625013102683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130122118829094861.post-40384460954259214182010-12-27T17:14:00.004-05:002010-12-27T20:18:16.836-05:00Adel Faber & Elain Mazlish: How to Talk so Kids Will Listen & Listen so Kids will Talk<strong>Review:</strong> <em>How to Talk</em> has been in print for 30 years. My copy, printed in 1999, says it's in it's 20<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> edition. I remember my mother reading it and talking to me about it as she read it. Because parenting is more than intuitive I'm all for these types of books. Now, I'm not sure where I sit on the punishment issue. This book is anti-punitive. That's fine. I am anti bribery, which the opposite extreme of parents who spank or take away stuff. This book is anti-bribery. Great! Anyhow, I like this book. It teaches communication skills that are valuable no matter who you're speaking to. More importantly it encourages the reader to practice by role playing, by writing out lessons, and by having key concepts posted everywhere. Really the authors are attempting to make empathetic speaking and listening come naturally to angry control freak parents. It's a cultural revolution.<br /><br /><strong>Take Home Lesson:</strong><br /><ol><li>My children will talk to me/others the way I talk to them.</li><li>I need to give my children more physical space and stop mauling them with hugs and kisses.</li><li>The easy part is listening. Figuring out what to do next takes a lot of work.</li></ol>Snow Flakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931287625013102683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130122118829094861.post-82503225374960916922010-12-27T15:38:00.005-05:002010-12-27T17:14:26.165-05:00Leonard Sax M.D. Ph.D.: Why Gender Matters, What parents and teachers need to know about the emerging science of sex differences.<strong>Review:</strong> This book is basically a 250 page advertisement for gender segregated schools. I am convinced. Reading one book does not an expect make, still I do have a son. He truly is a different beast from my daughter. Occasionally I find myself looking at him and thinking - You. Are. An. Alien. (My husband too). It could be personality or birth order that makes raising him different, but really I suspect it's because he's a boy. I read this book to help me understand him better, so that I can help him succeed in his is life pursuits. Incidentally, this book has been more helpful for my relationship with my daughter. There are better tips in the girl sections. It has convinced me to be more gentle with her, and less indulgent with him. The book has taught me to be less afraid of the word feminine, to be able to define what it means to be a man or a woman without feeling guilty that they are not the same. I suspect when my children are older (in their 10's) I'll have to reread this book. It's a valuable resources.<br /><br /><strong>What I want to Remember:</strong><br /><br /><ol><li>Boys are less risk adverse. Danger is thrilling. Instead of saying if you run in the road you might get hit by a car, just say don't run in the road. </li><li>Boys don't hear as well as girls. If he isn't following your instructions try talking louder. Try 'yelling'.</li><li>If he's having trouble sitting still in kindergarten he might not be developmentally ready to sit still. It might not be ADHD. Get lots of opinions. Don't be afraid to hold him back until he is ready for school. This is crucial to his feelings about school and his feelings about academic success.</li><li>Because girls and boys have different brains (they see and hear different, and solve problems with different parts of their brains) they need to be taught differently. If she says I suck at math, then try a different approach. If he says reading is boring, he might need reading material geared to his interests. [Review how male and female students learn math best]</li><li>In high school: Male teachers teaching science or math classes may inadvertently discourage their female students by talking too loud or seeming to be unsympathetic or by being unable to modify their lessons to suit female strengths. Female teachers teaching languages or humanities might alienate their male students by talking too quietly, by being too friendly, or by talking too much about feelings instead of facts.</li><li>Dating is important for boys. Because of the way boys make and keep friends it is important for their future emotional health that they learn how to be friends with girls. We need to teach our girls to set their personal value high so that boys can't take advantage of them*. That is if boys want sexual intimacy they must also offer emotional intimacy. NCMO victimizes girls now, and bankrupts boys later. (*ummm, is it really only up to a young girl to say "No"? Boys need to be taught some responsibility too. Also feelings of self worth are negatively impacted by social aggression among girls. Leonard Sax recommends sports where appearance doesn't matter to help build selfworth among girls)</li><li>Boys need a socially approriate outlet for their aggression, especially boys who are not naturually athletic. If your boy doesn't make the team, be sure to provide him with a physically rigourous activity.</li><li>Make sure your son has a positive male role model. More than one, or even a group of men would be great. And make sure he has 'man' time.</li><li>Make sure your daughter has a positive female role model. More than on, or even a group of women would be great. And make sure she has 'woman' time.</li></ol><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.whygendermatters.com/">http://www.whygendermatters.com/</a></p>Snow Flakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931287625013102683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130122118829094861.post-21173595652418443432010-11-27T09:49:00.005-05:002010-11-27T10:01:33.707-05:00<p>Like most avowedly alternative cultural movements, alt comedy was also an expression of snobbery.</p><p align="right"><span style="font-size:85%;">Kelefa Sanneh, "Funny Person", <em>New Yorker</em>, November 1, 2010, 64.</span></p>Snow Flakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931287625013102683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130122118829094861.post-46052643017669144822010-11-15T07:22:00.008-05:002010-12-27T15:38:25.456-05:00Joanne Harris: Runemarks<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFAVV5QgQ7iStjgfeeVDLOTtVXAxjOAESGx5Sa1RoattpZHyD3FZ0ibCQqXFil7M6_ig2deo5UeMpcTuf2_HHYEbPgvxO_FivWL-QCPWhr4S5Jyo1LWstws29n64cmOh59TS1vzvtuQ8/s1600/r.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549072815367561826" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 128px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 192px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFAVV5QgQ7iStjgfeeVDLOTtVXAxjOAESGx5Sa1RoattpZHyD3FZ0ibCQqXFil7M6_ig2deo5UeMpcTuf2_HHYEbPgvxO_FivWL-QCPWhr4S5Jyo1LWstws29n64cmOh59TS1vzvtuQ8/s400/r.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong>One Word Summary:</strong> Chaos is necessary<br /><strong>Critique:</strong> I liked how Harris played with words. I liked learning about Odin and his crew, there aren't enough stories featuring Norse gods. I liked the maps at the beginning of the book. Who wouldn't? The plot is intricate, I expect she was pulling her hair out in parts. Harris must have had fun writing her characters. The goblins reminded me of Terry Pratchet's Mac Feegles. On the whole I smiled through this engaging book.<br /><strong>Rate:</strong> 3 oracles<br /><strong>Teaser Synopsis:</strong> In a world where order rules and anything magical is stamped out Maddy Smith is proud of her glamour. With the dubious help of her only friend and mentor, One Eye, she learns the old stories about the old gods. This story begins on a typical Monday morning 500 years after the end of the world (Ragnarok) when she unwittingly opens the door to the world below; where the adventure of a lifetime awaits.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Spoiler Synopsis:</strong> One Eye instructs Maddy to travel into the tunnels beneath Red Horse Hill to find a tool he desperately needs to save the world. He doesn't tell her what it is. He also refuses to accompany her because his old enemy is likely guarding the thing. Maddy is courageous. She forces a goblin to guide her. When she's good and lost and hungry and powerless, the goblin deserts her. But she does find the thing trapped in some sort of geyser. It's like a quartz volley ball. Almost immediately she meets a young man, who appears unmagical and has a plausible story for also being lost in world below. (Wow... this is getting LONG) Maddy decides to trust him, despite One Eye's warnings to trust no one. And that really begs the question: is One Eye trustworthy? Later she learns her mistake. It turns out the young man is Loki and he is One Eye's not-dead-after-all enemy. Anyhow, because her glamour is so powerful she's able to free the thing from the geyser. It turns out the thing is an Oracle. And the Oracle sees a battle looming with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. Which, I guess means, Ragnorak was not the end of the world after all. Alright so... meanwhile Maddy's archenemy (some sniveling unimaginative mortal boy) alerts the authorities that peculiar things are happening at Red Horse Hill. The Parson, an ambitious member of the Order (a fanatical hegemonic group with religious undertones determined to stamp out chaos), with the help of a conveniently near junior magistrate lays siege to the Hill. I can't remember all the details but the Order capture One Eye (who turns out to be Odin). Maddy inadvertently wakens the the wife of Njord (a huntress) who is one of the seven sleepers (AKA: the Vanir who survived the end of the world). The Huntress Goddess wants Loki dead. While she's confronting Maddy, who has hidden the oracle behind some ice, Loki falls from the ceiling. He saves himself by claiming to be in alliance with Odin and to have possession of the oracle. They all go to rescue Odin from the Order. Meanwhile the junior magistrate is preparing to enter Odin's mind and steal everything he knows. The Parson interferes with the inquisition. The magistrate dies. Odin escapes. The Parson hears a voice in his head. Ummm, and then I can't remember why but The Huntress forms an alliance with the Parson. Odin goes somewhere. Maddy and Loki decided to travel to the Underworld to fetch reinforcements, first they pick up the oracle hidden behind some ice in where the Vanir are sleeping. The Huntress returns to the mountains. The other Vanir wake up. She wants them to join with the order against Odin. They are all undecided. They go to meet Odin. The Huntress kill Freya and frame Odin. The Parson's wife gets in the way. Freya isn't killed. Odin goes somewhere again. The other Vanir decide against the Order. The Huntress is spitting mad. Odin has gone to Red Horse Hill. The Huntress and the Parson are chasing him. The Parson's wife her secret admirer and his pig follow them. And the other Vanir take up the rear. Loki and Maddy make a deal with Hel to enter the underworld (the place where the dead Aesir are trapped in eternal torment). The must leave there bodies behind.... really you should just read the book.<br /><br /><strong>Question:</strong><br />Am I overly sensitive or was there an anti christian agenda in this book?<br /><br /><br /><div align="right"><span style="font-size:85%;">Alfred A Knoph 2008</span></div>Snow Flakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931287625013102683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130122118829094861.post-35730458466080934072010-11-13T10:41:00.006-05:002010-11-27T10:00:46.517-05:00Kristin Harmel: After<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_1XzxE1LhOP5Teh08SrymLpA7l3R26HRTK8d1my1n2G0RIVy6ng4qz5o_KKzf7ZUYA530tjQDNHxJ1myAoskDkEpu4TrZcUfIe1XHbylj0U2zvWHDI6TFyMkVLdV_uwYVUZP7gsH3RQ/s1600/a.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539063996189180082" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 128px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 192px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_1XzxE1LhOP5Teh08SrymLpA7l3R26HRTK8d1my1n2G0RIVy6ng4qz5o_KKzf7ZUYA530tjQDNHxJ1myAoskDkEpu4TrZcUfIe1XHbylj0U2zvWHDI6TFyMkVLdV_uwYVUZP7gsH3RQ/s400/a.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>One Word Summary:</strong> Kate's Club<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Synopsis</strong>: Lacey's father is dead. He was a great dad. One year later she's relishes the opportunity to help other kids who've lost a parent too soon. Turns out there's a lot of kids grieving.<br /><br /><strong>Review:</strong> Is is heinous to criticize a story about a girl who's father/mother/sibling dies? In short this novel was okay, but not particularly memorable. I liked that Kristin Harmel included other ways a child can loose a parent. I liked the shifting dynamics of a family coping with loss, and the depiction of the other two families as well.<br /><br /><strong>Rate:</strong> 2 rainbows<br /><br /><strong>Other Books:</strong><br /><br />The Truth About Forever, by Sarah Dessin<br />That one with the girl who gives a boy a leprechaun hat. She dies tragically and he leaves it in her coffin. She's the friend of the girl who's mother dies.<br />The one with the girl who learns to surf. She's from New Jersey.<br /><div align="right">Delacort Press 2010</div>Snow Flakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931287625013102683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130122118829094861.post-33888748253247530802010-11-04T22:00:00.004-04:002010-11-27T10:04:25.686-05:00Nicolas Drayson: A Guide to the Birds of East Africa<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLIUkMpDqYRH9TH2i43M409bI9VlAuQxCfkczWHUuQ98jPoZ1c-fn2ri2BBGt4gp919ZOu2SixJy3rSWLiFUsxghg2006qlIs0zLZ6pmxox8FNSq593veFJH2gOL7Isyz9o191VFyZGE/s1600/agttboea.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535880641199170578" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 128px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 193px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLIUkMpDqYRH9TH2i43M409bI9VlAuQxCfkczWHUuQ98jPoZ1c-fn2ri2BBGt4gp919ZOu2SixJy3rSWLiFUsxghg2006qlIs0zLZ6pmxox8FNSq593veFJH2gOL7Isyz9o191VFyZGE/s400/agttboea.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>One Word Summary:</strong> Jack is local<br /><strong>Review:</strong> Bravo, Mr Drayson. I felt like you were my best friend sharing an incredible tale with me over a cup of tea in the garden. I loved this book first for the title, and next for your flare for understatment. You kept me interested for more than 8 hours! I loved the whole thing. It was tangental, hilarious, and humane all wrapped up in 202 pages. Bravo.<br /><br /><p><strong>Synopsis:</strong> Malik, a short round balding brown man, enters an impossible wager at his gentleman club to win the right to ask Rose Mbikwa to the annual hunt ball. The story is about this diminutive man greatness, with a lot of bird watching.</p><p align="left"><strong>Rate:</strong> 5 Red Bishops</p><p align="left">(Note this novel is higly quoteable. It's worth having a copy to keep forever!)</p><p align="right"><br />Houghton Mifflin, 2008</p>Snow Flakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931287625013102683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130122118829094861.post-61645200072242476622010-11-04T21:25:00.006-04:002010-11-27T10:23:01.175-05:00Georgette Heyer: Regency Buck<strong>One Word Summary:</strong> Guardian Shmardian<br /><strong>Review:</strong> The covers of these novels usually say something like: Sparkling. I heartily agree.<br />I like Georgette Heyer. This is one of my favourites. The ending is a little havey cavey, but still it's an enjoyable romp.<br /><strong>Synopsis:</strong> Miss Judith Taverner travels to London for the season against her guardians wishes. A guardian she's never met and who can't take the trouble to notice her. On the way to London she's insulted by an arrogant gentleman with magnificent greys. She later discovers that it was her Guardian, The Fifth Earl of Worth, who stole her kisses. She spends the entire season at loggerheads with him. And someone is trying to kill her brother! Could it be the Earl?<br />Rate: 3 snuff boxes<br /><br /><strong>More Words:</strong> While I was in the Heyer section at the library I also picked up <em>Helen</em>. It takes place in England, 1895-1925 ish. I liked it at first, but my initial good impression couldn't outlast Helen's constantly saying, "I don't know what love means. I haven't grown up yet" (at the age of 23? Really?). Her friends explaining herself to herself for the edification of the reader was also a dead bore. Heyer's philosphizing about Truth and Psychology did drone on a bit as well. More than all that, however, I found Heyer's feminism alarming. It's undercurrents of misogynism alarm me. I don't know if these were her personal ideas or the ideas of the class she was writing about, but I didn't like it at all. I noticed the same tone in her other 'modern' stories. I'm sure it's rampant throughout her regencies only I'm inured to all the inequality of that period. Really I don't mind if she's a snob. She's English after all. But I don't like to think she despised her own gender.Snow Flakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931287625013102683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130122118829094861.post-87454571176862692492010-11-04T21:07:00.004-04:002010-11-04T21:24:02.096-04:00Helen Halstead: Mr. Darcy Presents His Bride<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4pZ33e2TSnguP1sXmmUIA1iYJ-KB1ZeAtU-RpiOVNkPAZlf_VDqV_YCkETY_ByFnTli2Cl3np-I_gqT4gy_rcdSjwutXLGQclw7eMtABARSn5RVqRe83WYJ6bjSjCGeGUGagYEKZ3cI/s1600/mdphb.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535866630908490194" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 121px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 193px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4pZ33e2TSnguP1sXmmUIA1iYJ-KB1ZeAtU-RpiOVNkPAZlf_VDqV_YCkETY_ByFnTli2Cl3np-I_gqT4gy_rcdSjwutXLGQclw7eMtABARSn5RVqRe83WYJ6bjSjCGeGUGagYEKZ3cI/s400/mdphb.jpg" border="0" /></a> <p><strong>One Word Summary</strong>: Blase</p><p><strong>Review:</strong> Mr. Darcy stomps around in his big boots scowling at anyone who looks at his wife wrong. And if he's not doing that he's delivering smouldering looks to Elizabeth. He never says anything truly intelligent through the whole book. In fact the reader is made to suffer while he repeats himself. He has two lines- "Don't look at my wife that way" & "Elizabeth I love you to distraction". He does of course laugh and smile now that he's married to dear Lizzie, but that's to her credit. The whole book is a tribute to her wit and charm. Only book itself is not witty or charming. On the upside Wickham dies in an asylum. Syphilis, who'd have guessed.</p><p><strong>Synopsis:</strong> Elizabeth navigates the shoals London Society after her marriage. She takes the Ton by storm. Her younger sister, Kitty, becomes interesting.</p><p>Rate: 2 fairytale matches</p>Snow Flakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931287625013102683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130122118829094861.post-19956044487753207242010-11-04T20:44:00.005-04:002010-12-05T22:17:46.597-05:00Nicholas Sparks: Dear John<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEXkPMft_q3JJoXuTSm9RAU842KwjWg_py5mzrn2Dx7jjJnubJ5JcdesSoHV-I4h4-MbYD3QzAKlwW3RY2Yl0o7k7YXNzDoRzg-x8hBFFMP6mnP4rSBH-LQ8XORZ4BTkW6LmeIru9Ge8Q/s1600/dj.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535860273607845026" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 128px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 193px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEXkPMft_q3JJoXuTSm9RAU842KwjWg_py5mzrn2Dx7jjJnubJ5JcdesSoHV-I4h4-MbYD3QzAKlwW3RY2Yl0o7k7YXNzDoRzg-x8hBFFMP6mnP4rSBH-LQ8XORZ4BTkW6LmeIru9Ge8Q/s400/dj.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong>One Words Summary:</strong> Coins<br /><strong>Review:</strong> I don't know why I keep tasting this olive, but I do. I've been trying read <em>The Life and Death of Charlie St. Cloud,</em> and I think I know why I'm reluctant to commit. It reads like a Nicholas Sparks novel, they both have the same macho assure-ity (how do you spell that? It is a word right?) that likes to break complex things down. I'm thinking complex things like: Humanity, Love, The Meaning of Life. Insentive handling renders these complex things lifeless. Anyhow, I took this book to the beach and read it there. I like the unconventional conventional ending, it made me cry. Yes I am a sap.<br /><strong>Synopsis:</strong> Army dude rescues Christian goddess. He's self contained, she's perfect. They have an instant connection and make promises to each other that they eventually break. They manage to fight so reasonably before the inevitable occurs. He learns a valuable life lesson. And she learns to drink wine.<br /><br /><strong>Rate:</strong> 2 tours of dutySnow Flakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931287625013102683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130122118829094861.post-26162146997891113282010-11-04T20:26:00.005-04:002010-12-05T22:18:22.245-05:00Two Books I Hesitate to Mention<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBV72_av_Qw7-oV8bdMfidpOP485AmU62ifvkOXjb9E0XSHq2V7xB7DqbqZdqB8NBGGS47vHTu2Ay7_wUQk4-cMXyjA3NVvv0CFBBhmW4HXhfdF1OW1WaA79oYBqtBtOeukkorRFOTtJw/s1600/bam.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535856679352731362" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 125px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 193px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBV72_av_Qw7-oV8bdMfidpOP485AmU62ifvkOXjb9E0XSHq2V7xB7DqbqZdqB8NBGGS47vHTu2Ay7_wUQk4-cMXyjA3NVvv0CFBBhmW4HXhfdF1OW1WaA79oYBqtBtOeukkorRFOTtJw/s400/bam.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVwD16wXAmDntBb9DVZpqy6Uaq9b5eixwPPopAYWzr-aJph_SUVBpNpDY0rHxA_UTKDCqUE7hJmWd90_uQ4gSs60AkDplc5PfK7fSoPBLm0XmH2tJDK-s5WnmXN1XQHMpNGRj3sasRpc/s1600/wwd.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535856671098798242" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 125px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 193px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVwD16wXAmDntBb9DVZpqy6Uaq9b5eixwPPopAYWzr-aJph_SUVBpNpDY0rHxA_UTKDCqUE7hJmWd90_uQ4gSs60AkDplc5PfK7fSoPBLm0XmH2tJDK-s5WnmXN1XQHMpNGRj3sasRpc/s400/wwd.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>There was nothing wrong with these two, except that I found the characters insipid and the style boring. They could have been lots and lots better. I did finish them both, and sighed with relief.</div><div></div><div>I do like the cover of Wildwood Dancing, a version of the Twelve Dancing Princesses. It's clear some research went into the work and there was a part in the beginning when Jena plucks a faerie creature from her shoulder while sneaking off to the Wildwood that was magical. It's really too bad about the dullness of the last 300 pages.</div><div></div></div>Snow Flakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931287625013102683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130122118829094861.post-13889304292015534972010-11-02T18:04:00.007-04:002010-11-02T18:26:59.713-04:00Suzanne Collins: Catching Fire<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjpO2EuI_yLyZtxLx5srmCk8TOgjkasaWOd1i8BjjfinuBbrZ9bLIZA5W2er3rkjkQ4-NbOFJdGJcr48itKgJwO4X6T8Kw9F484pb9DQ1uehkSMLcPBhVDUQBJUMlV3KTH3yhFuI5Flo/s1600/mj.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535079834724406066" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 127px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 193px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjpO2EuI_yLyZtxLx5srmCk8TOgjkasaWOd1i8BjjfinuBbrZ9bLIZA5W2er3rkjkQ4-NbOFJdGJcr48itKgJwO4X6T8Kw9F484pb9DQ1uehkSMLcPBhVDUQBJUMlV3KTH3yhFuI5Flo/s400/mj.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyBS3fcqiM6u7WxFjp-98gn32-aDkExnrk7Xi3Ex9ZK26pMiCvZNcaQI2eNJ6zF8ydO6jHjSUxTLtP-vAK-WKTw35F6ZGHDyjO0ZFFj2Oco3YJCLZtLbFpE5F-zo4IczHG1LNzA935NnA/s1600/g.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMW_28RHGRKAtYBGSwD9q2hzGGdFKvxnjKG_hkhBFV0FD0DfrMdSSRrbl5lNV-yZiuCqlTBrQs-NC7DI7mto0mMwIDgMy3YDgqpgiOahyphenhyphenPadB7JC5swVb7pjWtvrjPFbanlbFH330kDXc/s1600/cf.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535077726818056050" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 128px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 191px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMW_28RHGRKAtYBGSwD9q2hzGGdFKvxnjKG_hkhBFV0FD0DfrMdSSRrbl5lNV-yZiuCqlTBrQs-NC7DI7mto0mMwIDgMy3YDgqpgiOahyphenhyphenPadB7JC5swVb7pjWtvrjPFbanlbFH330kDXc/s400/cf.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>One Word Summary:</strong> Team Peeta<br /><strong>Review:</strong> Good. I spent an excessive amount of time discussing the merits of Suzanne Collins' emotionally detached style with my friend N. Bryson. I even called my best friend, P. Neale, in Canada to hear her opinion of the finale, Mockingjay. Everyone is talking about this book, because there is so much to say.<br /><br /><strong>Synopsis:</strong> It's the quarter quell. Katniss and Peeta need to survive another round of the hunger games. And President Snow is out to get Katniss, before the districts rebel.<br /><strong>Rate:</strong> 3.5 atomic bombs<br /><strong>Censorship:</strong> The bad guy is named Snow!Snow Flakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931287625013102683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130122118829094861.post-21265881512102393022010-11-02T17:30:00.006-04:002010-11-02T18:03:00.147-04:00Kristin Cashore: Graceling<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmwaiicUp2Sz1e6lKNCjv83TBu2FH1hzRXEplmwMmGt_nU1_cpFbZDJT7Gw_556DXpgJcnt_N0lsK1ofhgL3Owb0uODWaMsjUOTUcDOIDhRRTksrKwrv4f6AUBN6bP-k9oij7EesxegM/s1600/g.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535068172696604610" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 128px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 190px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmwaiicUp2Sz1e6lKNCjv83TBu2FH1hzRXEplmwMmGt_nU1_cpFbZDJT7Gw_556DXpgJcnt_N0lsK1ofhgL3Owb0uODWaMsjUOTUcDOIDhRRTksrKwrv4f6AUBN6bP-k9oij7EesxegM/s400/g.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>One Word Summary:</strong> kindness is a grace everyone can have<br /><strong>Review:</strong> Great writing. Compelling plot. Interesting characters. A dash of mystery. And my favourite, a little romance. Kristin Cashore did a wonderful job.<br /><strong>Synopsis:</strong> It's a world divided into seven kingdoms. There are people with extraordinary abilities known as gracelings. Katsa's grace is the ability to kill anyone. She's used by her uncle, one of seven Kings, as a sort of strong arm to enforce his will. She hates her grace, because people are afraid of her. One day, with a little help from Po, she realizes she doesn't have to act the monster. Together they strike out on their own to save the kingdom from an unknown menace. While on her journey Katsa learns a few home truths about herself.<br /><strong>Rate:</strong> 4 insurmountable mountains<br /><div align="right"><span style="font-size:85%;">Harcourt Books 2008</span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BjnMS53MkuoxOjMM1S_J8awk-GMREUjpu3mc6CWkwsNz4z0H_VmIYYrQkU3LtSPMdgul9QzfSM__gd7BwdKBAsSj5nC533I1TnnX0jOTtSmP76eA5H8tdd7jwHjmFdEAJOywKyWnDc8/s1600/f.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535072430759375554" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 128px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 193px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BjnMS53MkuoxOjMM1S_J8awk-GMREUjpu3mc6CWkwsNz4z0H_VmIYYrQkU3LtSPMdgul9QzfSM__gd7BwdKBAsSj5nC533I1TnnX0jOTtSmP76eA5H8tdd7jwHjmFdEAJOywKyWnDc8/s400/f.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><p><strong>Review:</strong> Another fantastic tale by Kristin Cashore. </p><p><strong>Synopsis:</strong> On the other side of the mountains, the Kingdom of the Dells is at war with itself. Gracelings are unheard of, but there are monsters. They crave the taste of monster blood, they are irresistibly beautiful and they can control your mind. Fire is the only human monster alive. Most people hate and fear her. For the last 16 years she has lived quietly, but now she's compelled to help restore peace to the land. It's an opportunity to undo her father's wickedness. And really she wants a chance to prove she isn't the monster people think she is.</p><p><strong>Rate:</strong> 3 red heads<br /><strong>Censorship:</strong> Teenagers do have sex.</p><p align="right"><span style="font-size:85%;">Dial 2009</span></p>Snow Flakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931287625013102683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130122118829094861.post-25658280842361611012010-11-02T16:50:00.007-04:002010-11-02T18:03:44.100-04:00Todd Mitchell: The Secret to Lying<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSqxFT6nJYqqOOQCbedZkbH5YqqBZdLFNKp2vdhBlvxscu5m8sTsw0fiV04zeCNEAK-MJe7UXoulnygYbD6ZhEjzn2NKBI7JC4A-oyRScdnhY-0Qw-iKgE7cfFtF2HJ99v2QIf3pPPk0/s1600/tstl.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535058419264300770" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 185px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 279px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmSqxFT6nJYqqOOQCbedZkbH5YqqBZdLFNKp2vdhBlvxscu5m8sTsw0fiV04zeCNEAK-MJe7UXoulnygYbD6ZhEjzn2NKBI7JC4A-oyRScdnhY-0Qw-iKgE7cfFtF2HJ99v2QIf3pPPk0/s400/tstl.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong>One Word Summary:</strong> Demons<br /><strong>Review:</strong> Todd Mitchell captured the torment being immature and unsatisfied in his novel TSTL. His writing is evocative without being unbearable. When I finally closed the book at 3am I let out a the breath I'd been holding forever. Although I never cut myself as a teenager, I remember feeling an intense loneliness that nothing could ease. I especially liked the dream sequences; they reminded me a little of Dave Egger's famous autobiography.<br /><strong>Synopsis:</strong> Unremarkable James jumps at the chance to reinvent himself. He's at a new school, making new friends, getting noticed by girls and finally doing stuff. However his new persona gets out of hand. He quickly morphs from Ignored to Mysterious to Pariah, all while he's trying to figure out what he wants.<br /><strong>Rate:</strong> 3.5 pranks<br /><strong>Censorship:</strong> Teenagers have sex. There are mental health issues.<br /><strong>Action List:</strong><br />Read Todd Mitchell's first novel The Traitor King<br /><br /><div align="right"><span style="font-size:85%;">Candlewick Press 2010</span></div>Snow Flakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931287625013102683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130122118829094861.post-70189650718215391002010-11-02T16:26:00.004-04:002010-11-02T16:47:59.993-04:00Ben Sherwood: The Man Who Ate the 747<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1DsI5ipLUv6vFNhfn19wcQekLlfd9g1izhDpgznTbchg4DCQAf4WOsFw5jmCAVGAl8CrEf0WJ3UecJO4wWgVJGCm52oJIKq2JZVsQRJgF1hzkrBEndWsBd6V2hqPblL7JGQmVQWwWAU/s1600/tmwat747.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535051936568497922" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 70px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 100px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1DsI5ipLUv6vFNhfn19wcQekLlfd9g1izhDpgznTbchg4DCQAf4WOsFw5jmCAVGAl8CrEf0WJ3UecJO4wWgVJGCm52oJIKq2JZVsQRJgF1hzkrBEndWsBd6V2hqPblL7JGQmVQWwWAU/s400/tmwat747.gif" border="0" /></a><strong>One Word Summary:</strong> The Greatest Love<br /><strong>Review: </strong> I liked this novel. It was hard stay interested at first, but then it grew on me. Although, quirky characters are getting a bit cliche. Still I liked it.<br /><strong>Synopsis:</strong> J.J. Smith learns that love is more than biological algebra. Turns out there's more to it than pheromones, facial symmetry, and vocal resonance.<br /><strong>Rate:</strong> 2 antacids<br /><br /><div align="right"><span style="font-size:85%;">Bantam Book 2000</span></div>Snow Flakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931287625013102683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130122118829094861.post-88332049938353240022010-11-02T16:08:00.004-04:002010-11-02T16:18:02.545-04:00Sophie Gee: The Scandal of the Season<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3dzYumU7NCe7BSC52SnbaRlo_kosmtjfWsyZKIGvjyI9yVX5JqVe6WwiFLRDTUEKv8FV7GuwQzg0zsh5OnN39AL5VdLcO9AzNxLazKhaJLvInYnByEZ9hRF0sYrTlh0OQHni6ttol-8/s1600/tsots.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535047068647289698" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 128px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 148px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3dzYumU7NCe7BSC52SnbaRlo_kosmtjfWsyZKIGvjyI9yVX5JqVe6WwiFLRDTUEKv8FV7GuwQzg0zsh5OnN39AL5VdLcO9AzNxLazKhaJLvInYnByEZ9hRF0sYrTlh0OQHni6ttol-8/s400/tsots.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong>One Words Summary:</strong> Swan 1711<br /><strong>Review:</strong> I haven't finished reading this book yet. So far I like. But it'll probably be an age before I pick it up again. When I read it I actually feel like I'm suffering through an English Winter with a too small fire.<br /><strong>Synopsis:</strong> The story that inspired Alexander Pope's famous poem: The Rape of the Lock.<br /><strong>Action List:</strong> Go back to university and take a degree in English.<br /><br /><div align="right">Scribner 2007<br /></div>Snow Flakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931287625013102683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1130122118829094861.post-61228966375286360292010-11-02T15:23:00.002-04:002010-11-02T16:07:52.623-04:00Becca Fitzpatrick: Hush Hush<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX7FC08BfnQcbrHDAxCcg3Jy6YxtRmKCq-XBMZGJqCl3X2gwezrVAs2m_kmpFDB9WYC3_e36-7A3GmlYdGe5FVTkLHVopoMr0ueiGpbCOmAxpu01dw-owrRLWHdAdHwio9Y86SV7TFZiw/s1600/hh.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535035525966357218" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 127px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 193px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX7FC08BfnQcbrHDAxCcg3Jy6YxtRmKCq-XBMZGJqCl3X2gwezrVAs2m_kmpFDB9WYC3_e36-7A3GmlYdGe5FVTkLHVopoMr0ueiGpbCOmAxpu01dw-owrRLWHdAdHwio9Y86SV7TFZiw/s400/hh.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>One Word Summary:</strong> Twisted City of Angels<br /><strong>Review:</strong> I'm not sure why this book was on the New York Times Bestseller List. I didn't like the writing much. I especially didn't like the dialogue. Is that how teenagers really talk. Really? And I think the story promotes unhealthy attitudes about romantic relationships.<br /><strong>What is in a name:</strong> The romantic hero's name is Patch. Why? I put off reading this book because I thought the name was too trendy or belonged to a dog. I realize story characters are not real people but they weren't born yesterday. They should have age appropriate trendy names. I mean Ryan was a really popular name for boys 18 years ago. Anyhow, I know my complaint is ludicrous. So, now I'm wondering if Authors choose names that are au currant or do they set the baby naming trends.<br /><br /><strong>Synopsis:</strong> A creepy new guy shows up a school and wont leave Nora alone. Against her better judgment she becomes involved with him and then she gets entangled in his problems. But it's true love right?<br /><strong>Rate:</strong> One Nephil<br /><strong>Other Books: </strong><br />Fallen<br />Shiver<br />Simon & Schuster 2009Snow Flakeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08931287625013102683noreply@blogger.com0