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Monday, September 7, 2009

My Life in Books Meme

I've seen this around a few places and thought I'd play along. I used the books I've read so far this year to answer the questions:

Describe yourself:
I Am a Mother (Jane Clayson Johnson)

How do you feel?
Among the Mad (Jacqueline Winspear)

Describe where you currently live:
Tales from Outer Suburbia (Shaun Tan)

If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
84, Charing Cross Road (Helene Hanff)

Your favorite form of transport:
Along for the Ride (Sarah Dessen)

Your best friend is . . . ?
Perfect You (Elizabeth Scott)

You and your friends are . . .?
Southern Ladies and Gentlemen (Florence King)

What’s the weather like?
Last Days of Summer (Steve Kluger)

Favourite time of day?
Unwind (Neal Shusterman)

What is life to you?
Every Soul a Star (Wendy Mass)

Your fear?
The Midwife (Jennifer Worth)

What is the best advice you have to give?
Just Listen (Sarah Dessen)

Thought for the Day?
I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You (Ally Carter)

How I would like to die:
Into Thin Air (Jon Krakauer)

My soul’s present condition?
Best Intentions (Emily Listfield)

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Tears of Pearl

Tears of Pearl by Tasha Alexander

Book 99 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge
Book 2 of 4 for the RIP IV Challenge
Series: Book 4 of ? (Lady Emily)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the first three books in this series which I read earlier this year: And Only to Deceive, A Poisoned Season, and A Fatal Waltz. It is so hard to review a book in a series without giving anything away from the others, so I'll try and keep this as spoiler-free as possible.

As Lady Emily travels on the Orient Express headed to Constantinople, there is an incident on the train involving a member of staff from the British embassy. When she arrives in the city and a member of the sultan's harem is brutally murdered, she believes there is a connection. As she investigates, she gains access and insight into the sultan's households, but the intrigue and treachery continues, putting Lady Emily's life in danger.

I really enjoyed the setting for this installment. I think the historical fiction element of this book was especially well-done. I knew very little about the sunset days of the Ottoman Empire in a unique city that bridges the Western and Eastern worlds, but Alexander's descriptions were rich in detail and I learned quite a bit. The mystery/suspense was mostly ho-hum (I figured out the murderer pretty early on, I just didn't have the motive), but the romance element was flat.

Overall, I liked this book, just not as much as the others in this series (which I wholeheartedly recommend). There is usually at least one book in a series which falls a little short compared the others, and I'm hoping this is the one. I'm looking forward to reading more of Lady Emily's adventures in the future.

Source: Purchased

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Vampire Academy

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Book 98 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge
Book 29 of 50 for the New Author Challenge
Book 1 of 4 for the RIP IV Challenge
Award: YALSA Top Ten
Series: Book 1 of 6 (Vampire Academy)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I seem to be on a little run of books everyone else loves, but I don't. It's making me feel like a stick in the mud! Twilight was the first vampire book I had ever read. After all this time, I decided to give another vampire series a try.

Vampire Academy actually has a really good plot. Lissa is a mortal vampire and Rose is her half-vampire guardian. They had escaped from their school because of a perceived danger there, but after two years they are found and brought back to the academy. Integrating back into normal life is difficult for them as vicious rumors swirl about them both. Lissa develops an unlikely friendship with an outcast vampire whose parents chose to be evil immortal vampires, while Rose develops a crush on her brooding guardian trainer. However, Rose knows that whatever was threatening Lissa before is still there, and she needs to find out who it is before something happens to them both.

I almost gave up reading this book a couple of times. But, I am glad I stuck it out. The ending was wrapped up well, and the cliffhanger isn't too bad for a series. But the execution was a little too sexual for my taste, and the writing (choppy) and editing (typos and grammatical errors) left something to be desired. I can see why teens love this series, but the sex, drugs, angst, and foul language took me right to my tolerance limit.

Also reviewed by:

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Source: Library

Friday, August 28, 2009

Challenges, Challenges

Time to update my challenge progress:

I have finished the Book Awards III Reading Challenge. My five books for this challenge were:

Still Alice (Bronte Prize)
These is My Words (Arizona Author Award, Willa Cather Literary Award finalist)
The Lincolns (NCTE Orbis Pictus Award/Honor Book; Booklist Editors' Choice; Horn Book Fanfare; Flora Stieglitz Straus Award; ALA Notable/Best Books; Kirkus Editors Choice; Los Angeles Times Book Prize; Boston Globe/Horn Book Award/Honor)
When You Reach Me (Kid's Indie Next List "Inspired Recommendations for Kids from Indie Booksellers" 2009; Amazon Best of the Month, July 2009)
The Education of Little Tree (American Booksellers Association Book of the Year (ABBY) award)

I'm looking forward to joining in again when Book Awards 4 starts in February.

I'm also joining two new challenges!

First up, the Middle Grade Book Challenge. This challenge runs from September 1, 2009 through August 31, 2010. I'm going to be participating in Challenge 2, which is to read 25 middle grade books.

Some of the middle grade books on my to-read list are:

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
The Wednesday Wars
Chains
Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane
The Graveyard Book
The Giver
Charlotte's Rose
We Have Always Lived in the Castle
Elijah of Buxton
Becoming Naomi Leon
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy
The Boy Who Dared
Angel on the Square
Little Women
The City of Ember
Esperanza Rising
The Secret Garden
The Year the Swallows Came Early
The View from Saturday
The Ransom of Mercy Carter
Bella at Midnight
I, Coriander
Hoot
The Lacemaker and the Princess
The Princess Diaries

I'm also going to join Carl's R.I.P. IV Challenge (that's R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril). The challenge is to read books in the following genres:

Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.

I'm going to shoot for Peril the First, which is 4 qualifying books between now and October 31, 2009. On my to-read list are:

Shiver
Vampire Academy
The Stolen One
Jane Eyre

I'm bad about keeping to my lists, so we'll see!

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Jellicoe Road

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Book 97 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge
Book 28 of 50 for the New Author Challenge
Awards: Michael Printz Award; Kirkus Editors Choice; Cybils Finalist

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I might as well just say up front that I cannot rave about this book. I have not read a single review where the reader did not love this book. So, just take what I have to say with a huge grain of salt.

The first 150 pages of this book are somewhat confusing. It's clear that there are two story lines going on, but what isn't clear is how they relate to each other. Normally, I would have given up long before the 150-page mark, but I read many reviews that said just to keep going. And all of a sudden, I did understand what was going on. But I also understood much more than that, and I had the other 250 pages of the book totally figured out, making the book both confusing and predictable all at the same time.

The book is set in the Australian countryside at a boarding school. Taylor Markham is a 17-year old student, who is a school leader and helps look after the younger students. The students are involved in a turf war with the Townies (kids who live in the town) and the Cadets (who come to camp near the school for a couple of months each year) and Taylor also leads her school's crusade. Taylor's mom ditched her at a nearby 7-11 when she was 11 years old, and she was taken in by a woman named Hannah who works at the school. But Hannah has gone missing, which has Taylor very concerned and unnerved, especially with a serial killer on the loose nearby.

There is a lot of teenage angst in the book. It reminded me of Looking for Alaska, Catcher in the Rye, and The Outsiders all in one. I'm just not a huge fan. There's also plenty of controversial themes involved including drug use, sexual issues, suicide, death, and teen pregnancy. But, I did enjoy Taylor's process of self-discovery. And while much of the book is sad, there's also a lot of hope in there too. I enjoyed reading about the friendships the characters made and how they decided to solve problems together. It was an interesting story, and I did care about the characters.

This Printz-award winner is definitely only appropriate for older teens because of the coarse language and thematic issues.

Also reviewed by:

Have I missed yours?

Source: Library

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Team Moon

Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon by Catherine Thimmesh

Book 96 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge
Book 27 of 50 for the New Author Challenge
Awards: Golden Kite Award/Honor Book; NCTE Orbis Pictus Award/Honor Book; ALA Best Book for Young Adults; Robert F. Sibert Nonfiction Award/Honor Book; ALA Notable/Best Books; Kirkus Editors Choice; AAAS/Subaru Prize

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

As soon as I heard about this book, I knew I wanted to read it. Our family has had passes to Kennedy Space Center this year, and we have a love for all things space-related. This informative and fascinating book did not disappoint.

The author uses a pictorial approach to document the various stages of the Apollo 11 mission, starting with the preparation. We learn that alarms that went off right before the LM landed on the moon, they nearly ran out of fuel, and there was a frozen slug of fuel in the fuel line that could have caused an explosion. We learn how the space suits were made, how the images were transmitted from the moon to the television (despite a massive windstorm in Australia), and how the astronauts had to learn to take great pictures.

I found the team effort documented in this book to be inspiring and even emotional at times. I never really gave much thought to the unselfish attitude of Michael Collins, the astronaut who stayed on board the spacecraft while Armstrong and Aldrin played on the moon. I never really noticed that Apollo 11 is the only mission where the patch does not display the names of the astronauts--a conscience decision in deference to the 400,000 people it took to put man on the moon.

This book is written on a 7th grade level, so it is pretty serious and in depth. Younger readers will be drawn to the book, but will probably need guidance and help from an adult to fully understand everything. I enjoyed this immensely and learned a lot. This is a must read for space enthusiasts.

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Source: Library

Monday, August 24, 2009

Babymouse: The Musical

Babymouse: The Musical by Jennifer L. Holm

Book 95 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge
Book 26 of 50 for the New Author Challenge
Series: Book 10 of ? (Babymouse)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My almost 9-year old has been voraciously reading the Babymouse books this summer. She even decided to use her allowance money to buy four of them. I was sitting next to her the other day and I decided to pick this up and she watched me read it. We had so much fun laughing and giggling together (even though she's read it many, many times).

This is the 10th book in the series, but is my first exposure. Babymouse is an elementary school mouse. In this installment, she is persuaded by a new British student, Henry Higgins, to try out for the school musical. Babymouse is dramatic, but she's not terribly coordinated, and mayhem ensues.

Reading these books is kind of like watching a Disney movie. My kids and I both enjoy them, but we are laughing at totally different parts. I loved the Narrator and references in this book to A Chorus Line, Grease, and Phantom of the Opera. My daughter doesn't really get that, but it doesn't matter to her. She loved the references to High School Musical and the situational comedy.

I can see why my daughter likes these. I may even have to pick another one up so we can laugh and giggle together again at Babymouse's antics.

Also reviewed by:

Have I missed yours?

Source: Purchased (by my daughter!)

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Best Intentions

Best Intentions: A Novel by Emily Listfield

Published by: Atria, part of Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 1416576711 (isbn13: 9781416576716)
Date published: May 5, 2009
Number of Pages: 338

Book 94 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge
Book 25 of 50 for the New Author Challenge

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This isn't the sort of book I'm in the habit of reading. But, I've always enjoyed a good mystery, so I was delighted when the publisher sent me a copy to review.

The plot follows Lisa Barkley, a working mom in New York City. She has a lot of stress in her life--a precarious job situation, her two middle school-aged daughters, and a husband who seems to be distancing himself emotionally, perhaps because of mounting financial concerns. Money is tight, but the daughters are enrolled in an exclusive Upper East Side school in an attempt to give them advantages Lisa never had. In the process Lisa always feels the pressure of keeping up with the Joneses, which just isn't a possibility. Lisa becomes convinced her husband is having an affair, but her best friend Dierdre tells her she has nothing to worry about. Dierdre herself is in a dangerous relationship, and Lisa doesn't know who to turn to.

In the first part of the book, the characters are richly and intricately drawn. The plot was slow in parts at the beginning, but it set the stage so well for what was to come. The second part contains the whodunnit element, and I could not put it down! If I have a complaint about the second half, it was that it was all over a little too quickly and there were a couple of details I would have liked to have seen fleshed out a little more.

The book was so well-written, the prose was a pleasure to read. The overall tone of the book is melancholy, but would make an excellent fall-to-winter read. There were a few passages where I thought the author strayed into some moralizing that I didn't agree with. But I was riveted to the characters and their story and I felt a vested interest in what was happening.

This is an adult book with some very adult issues and themes, although not overly graphic. There is the use of expletives in parts, but it wasn't over-the-top for me.

I enjoyed this and would definitely read something else by the same author.

Also reviewed by:

Have I missed yours?

Source: Publisher

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter

Book 93 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge
Series: Gallagher Girls (Book 2 of 6?)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Usually I expect second books in a series to be a little bit of a let down after the initial newness of a series wears off. But, I thought this book was just as much fun as the first one.

Returning to school after a CIA debriefing, Cammie can tell that her mother (the headmistress) has something on her mind. But she doesn't know what to think when she realizes that something has to do with boys. She might be a genius, but when it comes to dealing with the opposite sex, Cammie and her friends have a lot of learning to do.

This young adult series is clean, funny, unique, a little mysterious, and has a dash of romance. Recommended for 11+. I'm really enjoying these, and I can't wait to get my hands on the third one.

Also reviewed by:

Have I missed yours?

Source: Purchased

Monday, August 17, 2009

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

Book 92 of 100 for the 100+ Reading Challenge
Book 24 of 50 for the New Author Challenge
Series: Gallagher Girls (Book 1 of 6?)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cameron Morgan is a sophomore at a school for exceptional girls. The general public has no idea how exceptional they really are--because the girls are trained to be spies. When Cammie and her two best friends are out in the town on a recon mission for a class assignment, a boy named Josh notices Cammie. But he's a regular high school kid, and Cammie isn't. She wants a relationship with Josh, but it is strictly forbidden. Should she stay away? Should she lie about who she is?

I found this book so enjoyable to read. Disney has optioned this book for a movie, and I have to admit that it would really make a fun flick. You can't look too deep into a book like this. It's far-fetched and implausible. But the humor is great and the plot really clips along.

I think there may be a couple minor swear words, but the book is refreshingly clean considering the ages of the characters. I would recommend it for 6th grade and up. I've already started the second book in this series!

Also reviewed by:

Have I missed yours?

Source: BookMooch

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