Christine's Reads

The Amaranth Enchantment

2009-01-30T13:13:00.000-08:00

Recommended for 12+ (for an abusive family relationship)
3/5 Stars
2.5/5 on the Happiness Meter
Genre: Fantasy

Lucinda Chapdelaine used to be a happy child with a bright future but all that disappeared when her parents died in a freak carriage accident. Sent to live with her uncle and his second wife, Lucinda leaves her comfortable life as a noble to serve as a maid in her relatives' shop. Her uncle is kind to her but his domineering wife does all she can to make Lucinda miserable. One day, a mysterious woman steps into the shop wanting an enormous jewel reset. It seems too good to be true, which in fact it is. As soon as the aunt realizes that the woman is the Amaranth Witch she refuses to allow her husband to reset the jewel for her and demands that Lucinda return the stone. Of course, simple tasks are never simple in books and Lucinda ends up losing the jewel to an impish street thief. In order to recover the stone, she dances with the very handsome crown prince and, predictably enough, falls in love with him. Enter magic, a large royal ball, an arranged marriage, and an otherwordly realm and you have The Amaranth Enchantment.

I wanted to like this book, in fact, I had high hopes for it after reading the first few chapters. Sure, it was going to be a bit stereotypical, you could see that after the first meeting of the prince and Lucinda as she fell instantly in love with him. However, there is nothing wrong with a conventional strong-maiden/magic filled novel as long as it is done correctly. It wasn't that The Amaranth Enchantment was terrible, it wasn't, it just wasn't that impressive. The impish street thief that steals the jewel from Lucinda is, in my opinion, not a very sympathetic character; he's downright annoying. The twist at the end of the novel involving him is rather a deus ex machina. You find yourself thinking, "Really? Was that necessary?" by the end of the book. The relationship between Lucinda and the prince is OK if a bit melodramatic. The villian is also a little unbelievable. It's really the Amaranth Witch that separates this novel from others in the spunky heroine genre. Her background is intriguing and her great sorrow is moving. I wish the author had spent more time developing that aspect of the plot. I gave this book 3/5 stars because the writing is not bad and it does have some unique concepts surrounding the Amaranth witch, however, I won't be reading it again.

Lost in a Good Book

2009-01-30T13:02:00.000-08:00

Recommended for 16+ (for discussion of potentially illegitimate children & possible illicit relations)
5/5 Stars
4/5 on the Happiness Meter
Genre: Fiction with a bit of Mystery thrown in.

I cannot fully understand why people choose not to reread books, there is just something about going back to an old favorite (or a new favorite) and rediscovering the characters again. All of Jasper Fforde's books are worth revisiting for their clever and witty dialogue, humorous plot elements, and literary illusions. Lost in a Good Book is particularly amusing as SpecOps agent Thursday Next finds herself spending a lot of time within books. Apprenticed to Miss Haversham of Great Expectations fame, Thursday learns all about the quirky world within books. Miss Haversham teaches her the rudimentaries of being a literary police officer (a Jurisfiction agent) and just how dangerous that can be. As if Thursday doesn't have enough challenges learning the ropes of the literary world, she also must figure out how to earn enough money to pay her rent, look after her soon-to-be-expecting dodo, fight the forces of Supreme Evil, elude the clutches of the Goliath corporation, avoid dying of too many coincidences, and figure out how to get her eradicated husband back. Oh, and did I mention it's up to her to save the world?

January Reads

2009-01-30T10:31:00.000-08:00

1) The Knife of Never Letting Go
2) Emma, vol. 6
3) American Born Chinese
4) The Graveyard Book
5) Princess of the Midnight Ball
6) The Eyre Affair
7) Gregor and the Marks of Secret (L)
8) A Company of Swans
9) Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats
10) Fawn and the Mysterious Trickster
11) The Amaranth Enchantment
12) Lost in a Good Book

The Clocks by Agatha Christie

2009-01-17T19:50:00.000-08:00

Recommended for 13+ (for complex plot elements)
4/5 Stars
3/5 on the Happiness Meter
Genre: Mystery

This Hercule Poirot novel seems to be an unusual one. Poirot barely features in the novel, instead, the narrative mainly follows Colin Lamb, whose interest in marine biology sadly does not feature in his current job. Lamb instead finds himself working for a highly secretive group within the British government which is why he finds himself practically plowed down by the hysterical Sheila Webb on Wilbraham Crescent. But Colin soon learns that things have a way of working out in the most unexpected of ways.

The mystery, like all of Christie's mysteries, is complex, filled with baffling questions and even more characters. The murder ends up involving most everyone who lives on Crescent Lane and Poirot, of course, figures out the whole thing in the end.

-Edna Brent, colleague of Sheila's, finds herself possessing a bit too much information.
-Miss Martindale runs the secretarial company in which Edna and Sheila are employed. It was she who fielded the suspicious telephone call that requested Sheila come to 19 Wilbraham Crescent.
-Sheila Webb was the first one to discover the dead man.
-Mr. R. H. Curry is suspected of having a false name but no one can quite figure out what he is doing in Miss Pebmarsh's house.
-Miss Pebmarsh owns the house in which the victim is found and was not present when he was killed (presumably) as she was running errands.
-Dick Hardcastle, detective inspector and close friend of Colin's, finds himself at a lose to explain Mr. Curry's death.
-Mr. James Waterhouse and Miss. Waterhouse are neighbors to Miss Pebmarsh. It is clear that Miss. Waterhouse is the one in charge, leaving her brother to live in her shadow.
- Miss Hemmings is the epitome of a crazy cat lady.
-Josiah and Valerie Bland seems to live very well off from money that may not be rightfully theirs.
-Mrs. Ramsey cannot may much mind to the murder as she has two rambunctuous boys to look after...at least until they return to school.
-Mr. McNaughton likes his job as a professor and enjoys gardening on the side while his wife promises her full cooperation to the authorities.

The Thieves of Ostia by Caroline Lawrence

2009-01-15T17:26:00.000-08:00

Recommended for ????
3/5 Stars
3/5 on the Happiness Meter
Genre: Historical Fiction

The Thieves of Ostia tells the story of Flavia, the bright and inquisitive daughter of a fairly well-off merchant (I think he's a merchant). In solving a mystery Flavia finds herself trapped in a tree surrounded by wild dogs. She is saved by her next door neighbor, a boy named Jonathan. Soon the two become friends. For her birthday Flavia buys a slave girl, Nubia, as she feels sorry for her. Flavia buys Nubia intending to grant her freedom after she becomes acclimatized to Rome. A grusome mystery soon presents itself to the three children and, with the help of a beggar boy named Lupis, they set out to solve it. Of course they get into all sorts of scrapes but they always manage to get out of them as they are resourceful and knowledgable.

Perhaps giving this book 3 out of 5 stars is unfair. It certainly has literary merit and seems to be well researched. The author has no qualms about portraying the Roman world in a probable manner. I suppose what bothers me about the book may not even be the fault of the book itself. I simply don't know to whom I would recommend it. Amazon suggests 9-12 years old would be an appropriate audience and that might be. My reservations lie in how distressing some of the events are in this book: dogs with heads chopped off, a girl who dies from rabies (and the description of her death), and mentions of the slave trade, particularly the mention of the child slave trade. I just don't know what nine year old would be prepared for such a thing, even some twelve year olds would not be. It's clearly intended to be for children but I know I would hesitate to put it in the hands of anyone under 12. However, I doubt many teenagers would find the story of interest (this too may be unfair and inaccurate). I suspect this due to how well everyone seems to get along. Flavia treats Nubia as an equal, Jonathan, a Jewish boy, becomes good friends with Flavia and Nubia even though the Jewish religion was anything but accepted in the Roman world (to my understanding). In addition to this, all three children befriend a beggar boy. Maybe I just don't know enough about Roman history but these friendships seem quite improbable to me. I do, however, like the general plot. The author introduces to the reader to many interesting concepts and facts such as the layout of a Roman houes and town, the slave trade, and social hiararchies. I suppose I should really just suspend my judgment on this book and see what other younger readers have to say about it.

Belle by Cameron Dokey (Once Upon a Time series)

2009-01-15T17:20:00.000-08:00

Recommended for 11+ due to thematic elements (love, focus on physical appearances)
3/5 Stars
4.5/5 on the Happiness Meter
Genre: Fantasy

It is hard for me not to enjoy this book simply because this is one of my favorite fairy tales. On top of that, Cameron Dokey is the best out of all the authors writing for the Once Upon a Time series. Although Belle may have similarities to McKinley's book, Beauty, it should not be dismissed. While McKinley is a master when it comes to re-telling "Beauty and the Beast", Dokey adds her own elements to the story. While the author does not fully describe certain aspects of the original fairy tale, such as the magical element, I do feel she has added her own twist upon the tale in the form of the heartwood tree. There is just something that rings true about wanting to see your true love's face. The book deals with the idea of true beauty in a unique way. By not being able to see what the heartwood branch holds, Belle starts to question herself and the world around her. She learns that she has to have patience and see the people around her in a different light than she is used to. Of course, this transformation does not start when she joins the Beast in his castle. All the members in her family (except perhaps her father) start to change as soon as they move into the country. Still, the symbolism found throughout the castle serves to further her realization. I suppose what I like best about this book is how deftly the author has interwoven the theme of true beauty. She doesn't waste any words, she doesn't have any unnecessary side plots. And it's a tale that needs to be heard. After all, don't we all need to learn how to see true beauty in both ourselves and others?

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

2009-01-15T16:51:00.000-08:00

Recommended to 14+ due to a rape scene
2.5/5 stars
3.5/5 on the Happiness Meter
Genre: Fantasy

Impossible tells the tale of Lucy who has a relatively normal life except for the fact that her mother lives on the streets. Soon after Lucy's birth her mother seems to go insane, leaving Lucy to the loving care of Soledad and Leo. When the former next-door neighbor returns from college for the summer Lucy starts to realize just how good looking he really is. Still, he is older than her and Lucy has a slight crush on the slightly nerdy guy taking her to the prom. Lucy's life quickly falls apart after she is raped by said guy who turns out to be more than he would first appear. Lucy's life quickly turns into a sort of nightmare once she realizes that she is pregnant and that she has more in common with her mother than she first believed. Soon Lucy finds herself faced with three impossible tasks, the only things that can spare her from being cursed with the same fate as her mother.

This wasn't a terrible book by any means, it simply wasn't a great book. I found the romance implausible. Zach sacrifices much more than he needs to for Lucy and, despite her recent rape, Lucy doesn't mind getting physically close to another man. I do not claim to know anything about rape and the horrors rapists inflict on their victims but I thought that it took a lot of counseling and work before a rape victim was able to get physically close (in a romantic way) to another person again. One thing I do like about this book is the portrayal of the wicked elf king. He is extremely devious and he is just as I always imagined an elf king would be.

Books Coming Out in 2009

2009-01-03T20:01:00.001-08:00

I'll try to update this post as I find out more information:

January 13th: 3 Willows: The Sisterhood Grows (3 Willows (Hardback)) Popular author Ann Brashares brings readers another tale about girls who must learn the true value of friendship.

January 13th: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw The latest installment in the Wimpy Kid series. Previous books in the series: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Roderick Rules

January 20th: Princess of the Midnight Ball I can't wait to read this one! Jessica Day George did a wonderful job with Dragon Slippers and Dragon Flight, I can't wait to read this re-telling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses.

January 27th: Happenstance Found (The Books of Umber) After re-telling so many fairy tales, I can't wait to read his latest book.

January 27th: Scat The biology teacher is supposedly gone taking care of a family emergency but two students suspect foul play. It will be most interesting to see how Carl Hiaasen's latest book compares to his first two.

February 1st: Tia The Tulip Fairy (Rainbow Magic) Pippa The Poppy Fairy (Rainbow Magic) Louise The Lily Fairy (Rainbow Magic) Charlotte The Sunflower Fairy (Rainbow Magic) February is an exciting month for all the Daisy Meadows fans. The Petal Fairy Books finally come out in the U.S.! The mini-series is as follows: Tia the Tulip Fairy, Pippa the Poppy Fairy, Louise the Lily Fairy, Charlotte the Sunflower Fairy, Olivia the Orchid Fairy, Danielle the Daisy Fairy, Ella the Rose Fairy.

February 10th: Wild Orchid: A Retelling of "The Ballad of Mulan" (Once Upon a Time) The Once Upon a Time series continues with the Ballad of Mulan. I'm worried that the legend of Mulan will somehow be ruined in the re-telling of it. However, I am pleased that Cameron Dokey is doing the re-telling as I think she is the best author involved in the Once Upon a Time series.

February 10th: The Singing: The Fourth Book of Pellinor (Pellinor Series) The fourth in the Pellinor series. Previous books in the series: The Naming, The Riddle, and The Crow.

February 10th: Seekers #2: Great Bear Lake The second in the Seekers series. The first one is called The Quest Begins.

February 10th: Percy Jackson: The Demigod Files (Percy Jackson and the Olympians) I think this is one of the most exciting Spring releases as it includes some short stories never before seen by Rick Riordan.

February 19th: Snow White and Rose Red I think this also is one of the most exciting Spring releases. Finally this book is coming back into print! Yes!

February 24th: Starclimber The third book in the Airborn series. I am a bit skeptical as it is an adventure in space and that doesn't seem to quite fit the original time period of the first book. Previous books in the series: Airborn and Skybreaker

March 2nd: A reissue of many of Shannon Hale's books. Hooray! Although I don't believe this new cover art is as good as the original art, it is much better than the photographic pictures used on the paperbacks you see in stores today. The Goose Girl Enna Burning Princess Academy The Book of a Thousand Days

March 3rd: The 39 Clues: The Sword Thief. The third of the 39 Clues books written by an author skilled in writing Star Wars stories. The first two books are The Maze of Bones and One False Note.

March 3rd: The Amaranth Enchantment First time author Julie Berry has all the great elements of a princess story in this book--balls, revenge, romance, and evil spells.

March 5th: The new Puffin Classics come out! I don't know if any of you have had the pleasure of holding these books in your hands but they are so portable and the covers are so vibrant and lovely! The Jungle Book (Puffin Classics) Peter Pan (Puffin Classics) Heidi (Puffin Classics) A Tale of Two Cities (Puffin Classics)

March 5th: Firebirds Soaring: An Anthology of Original Speculative Fiction YAY! I've been waiting for this glorious collection of short stories for many months now! Hooray!

March 10th: Alligator Bayou Donna Jo Napoli's latest!

March 10th: Best Friends And Drama Queens (Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls) The third Allie Finkle. The first two are Moving Day and The New Girl.

March 17th: Emma Vol. 8 Although the plot is somewhat unbelievable, Kaoru Mori's Emma is a delightful heroine, thoughtful, grave,and brave. Will Emma ever find happiness? Let's hope so!

April 1st: The Glass Maker's Daughter This sounds like a really intriguing novel all about magical glass making in a city very like Venice.

April 15th: Thirteenth Child (Frontier Magic Book) A new series from the author of the wonderful Enchanted Forest Chronicles.

April 28th: The Princess and the Bear I had heard that Mette Ivie Harrison was intrigued with the character of the dog in the first book, The Princess and te Hound. I'm so glad she is continuing on with the story line!

April 30th: Wishes on the Moon More genies from Michael Tunnel! The first two books in the series: The Wishing Moon and Moon Without Magic.

May 1st: The Sisters Grimm: Book Seven: The Everafter War (Bk. 7) It sounds like this may be the last in the series. Although I've only read through book three, I imagine the seventh book will be just as good as the first. Yes, Sabrina can be a bit annoying, but I find the author's different, snarky take on the various fairy tale creatures to be interesting and sometimes refreshing.

May 1st: Bethany The Ballet Fairy (Dance Fairies) This date ushers in the U.S. release of The Dance Fairies by Daisy Meadows. The books are as follows: Bethany the Ballet Fairy, Jade the Disco Fairy, Rebecca the Rock ‘n’ Roll Fairy, Tasha the Tap Dance Fairy, Jessica the Jazz Fairy, Serena the Salsa Fairy, Isabelle the Ice Dance Fairy

May 4th: The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years After: Being the Private Correspondence Between Two Prominent Families Regarding a Scandal Touching the Highest Levels of Government and the Security of the Realm The fourth book in the Sorcery and Cecelia series. While enjoyable enough, I found the second book to be the least enjoyable book by Patricia Wrede that I have read so far. I must admit that I haven't yet read the third. The first three books are as follows: Sorcery and Cecelia, The Grand Tour, and The Mislaid Magician.

May 5th: Percy Jackson & the Olympians: Book 5: The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians) This book is one of my top five anticipated books of 2009. I can't wait to find out what happens to Percy and all his friends! Previous books in the series: The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse and The Battle of the Labyrinth.

May 12th: Seekers #3: Smoke Mountain The third Seekers book. Previous books in the series: The Quest Begins and Great Bear Lake.

May 12th: Winter Wood: Book 3 in the Touchstone Trilogy. After reading the Various, I cannot help but be interested in what book author Steve Augarde will write next.

May 12th: Dragon Spear Yet another book I am really looking forward to! When Dragon Flight came out I was skeptical that Jessica Day George could write a sequel that was as good as her first (Dragon Slippers). However, I was pleasantly surprised by how wonderful Dragon Flight was! I eagerly await her third in the "Dragon" series!

May 14th: The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline: An Enola Holmes Mystery Hooray, another Enola Holmes mystery! I'm sure this one will be just as good as her previous four (The Case of the Missing Marquess, The Case of the Left-Handed Lady, The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets, and The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan)!

May 28th: The Reluctant Heiress The lovely month of May continues with another book from the exquisite author, Eva Ibbotson. OK, yes, this one sounds entirely too gushy and highly unrealistic but the writing is just so wonderful!

Sometime in May?: 12. I'm not sure what this is about. Perhaps it is a sequel to the much talked about Hunger Games?

June 2nd: The Diamond Secret (Once Upon a Time) This is supposedly a retelling of Anastasia. I don't even know where to start regarding my apprehension about this book. First of all, I am curious as to why the Once Upon a Time series has decided to depart from fairy tales to feature a historical person, second, why did they not continue the lovely cover art courtesy of Kinuko Craft? One thing is for sure, it will be interesting how the author and publishers choose to retell poor Anastasia's story!

June 2nd: The 39 Clues: The Card Pack 2 The next card pack for the 39 Clues series.

June 11th: Dracula (Puffin Classics) Oh reissued Puffin classics, how I love you!

June 23rd: Septimus Heap: The Magykal Papers Possibly the final Septimus Heap? I honestly am not entirely sure what I'm going to do with myself once this series is over. It's just so fun to read and the books look very nice on a bookshelf (not that I'm shallow or anything...)

June 25th: The Magic Mirror of the Mermaid Queen The second book set in the intriguing other world of New York City. I like the concept of these books but felt that her short story CATNYP from The Faery Reel was better than her novel. However, I think Delia Sherman has some of the more original ideas when it comes to reworking fantasy creatures/settings.

July 1st: Trixie The Halloween Fairy (Rainbow Magic) Another Daisy Meadows special.

August 4th: Treason's Shore: Book Four of Inda The fourth book in the Inda series.

August 6th (possibly): The Red Badge of Courage (Puffin Classics Relaunch) Another Puffin Classic

August 25th: Sent (Missing) The second in the Missing series.

August 25th: Violet Wings The newest Victoria Hanley novel.

September 8th: Winter's Child: A Retelling of "The Snow Queen" (Once Upon a Time) A retelling of the Snow Queen and the next in the Once Upon a Time series.

October 14th: The Underland Chronicles Book Five: Gregor and the Code of Claw Gregor's last book finally comes out on CD. Oh Gregor, how I wish you weren't over!

2009 PAPERBACKS
1) January 1st: Elijah Of Buxton
2) February 3rd: Moving Day (Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls)
3) February 10th: Seekers #1: The Quest Begins
4) April 3rd (perhaps): The Dragonfly Pool
5) May 1st: The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey
6) May 4th: Mississippi Jack: Being an Account of the Further Waterborne Adventures of Jacky Faber,Midshipman, Fine Lady, and Lily of the West
7) May 4th: Sir Lancelot the Great
8) May 18th: The Wednesday Wars
9) May 26th: House of Many Ways
10) July 7th: King's Shield: Book Three of Inda
11) October 15th: Thirteen Reasons Why

2009 BOOKS FOR ADULTS

April 28th: The Language of Bees Possibly the next in the exquisite Mary Russell series. I highly recommend this series for the wonderful language, evocative setting, and well-developed characters.

June 9th: The Actor and the Housewife: A Novel Shannon Hale's next adult novel about a woman who meets her favorite actor.

July 22nd: Shades of Grey: A Novel This new Jasper Fforde book sounds very intriguing. He has created a world where seeing color is a privilege (yes, it initially reminded me of the Giver); the more colors you see, the better your social position. Described as "[p]art social satire, part romance, [and] part revolutionary thriller," this book is sure to be original.

November Reads

2009-01-03T19:46:00.001-08:00

Hey I found my notebook with the November list in it!

1) Ruby the Red Fairy by Daisy Meadows
2) Pony-Crazed Princess #1: Princess Ellie to the Rescue by Diana Kimpton and Lizzie Finlay
3) Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson
4) Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
5) Enola Holmes and the Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan by Nancy Springer
6) The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
7) The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
8) Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane (not sure where this fits chronologically)
9) Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods (ditto)

2008 Books in Review

2009-01-02T10:48:00.000-08:00

Favorite January Read: The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde

Favorite February Read: The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer

Favorite March Read: The Works of Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse

Favorite April Read: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Favorite May Read: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Favorite June Read: Skullduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

Favorite July Read: Flora Segunda by Ysabeau S. Wilce

Favorite August Read: The Opposite of Invisible by Liz Gallagher

Favorite September Read: Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

Favorite October Read: The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall

Favorite November Read: Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

Favorite December Read: Paper Towns by John Green

Total # of Books Read: 137

Total # New Books (for me) Read: 108

Total # of Re-reads: 29

Top 6 Books (not including re-reads):

The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde (tongue-in-cheek fantasy)
A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson (historical fiction)
13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher (fiction, coming-of-age)
The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt (fiction, coming-of-age)
The Opposite of Invisible by Liz Gallagher (fiction, coming-of-age)
Paper Towns by John Green (fiction, coming-of-age)

Do you think I like coming-of-age stories?

December Reads

2009-01-02T10:40:00.000-08:00

1) Paper Towns by John Green
2) Emma vol. 3 by Kaouri Mori
3) Emma vol. 4 by Kaouri Mori
4) Emma vol. 5 by Kaouri Mori
5) The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks by E. Lockhart
6) Hickory Dickory Dock by Agatha Christie
7) Impossible by Nancy Werlin
8) Belle by Cameron Dokey
9) The Clocks by Agatha Christie
10) Roman Mysteries #1: Thieves of Ostia by Caroline Lawrence

Hickory Dickory Dock by Agatha Christie

2008-12-28T19:08:00.000-08:00

Recommended for ages 13+ due to complicated plot structure
4/5 stars
3/5 on the Happiness Meter
Genre: Mystery

Although I can understand why people do not like Agatha Christie novels (I was once one of them), they really are wonderful books. True, you must invest some time in them (unless you are very good at remembering details/names) but they are worth it. Hickory, Dickory Dock is no exception to this as Hercule Poirot is asked to solve a mystery in a boarding house. Poirot knows something is wrong when his usually efficient and unemotional secretary makes a few spelling mistakes. Upon inquiring on her state of health/mind, Poirot discovers that his secretary, Miss Lemon, is concerned for her sister. The sister works as a sort of house mother for a contrary woman who runs a boarding house. The sister had recently called Miss Lemon and expressed concerns over some recent thefts that happened at her place of work. None of the objects seems to be related and Miss Lemon's sister is utterly puzzled. Poirot agrees to look into the matter and very soon he finds himself in the middle of a murder.

The Suspects:

-From the West Indies, Elizabeth Johnston is determined to study hard and succeed in life. She is the victim of a malicious prank.

-Sally Finch seems to be a perfect student, after all, she is a Fulbright scholar but is she as perfect as she appears?

-Patricia Lane is utterly devoted to the moody Nigel. She would do anything to protect him.

-Valerie Hobhouse is sure to have a few enemies due to her frequent acerbic comments.

-Len Bateson is a medical student with a fiery temper.

-Colin McNabb is a student of psychology and can't resist anyone exhibiting a complex.

-Nigel Chapman is a moody history student who loves getting on people's nerves.

-Celia Austin loves Colin McNabb but she knows she hasn't a chance with him.

-Jean Tomlinson works at a hospital and has access to various types of poison.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

2008-12-28T18:02:00.001-08:00

Recommended to 15+ due to high school issues, underage drinking, and discussion about sex
2/5 stars
2/5 on the Happiness Meter
Genre: Realistic Fiction/Boarding School Novel

This book tells the tale of Frankie Landau-Banks, a girl who is tired of being viewed as young and innocent by everyone. And so, without really trying (at least not at first), she reinvents her image. Over the summer of her freshman year and her sophomore year she becomes beautiful, gone are the images of an awkward, gawky girl, replaced by that of a confident woman who knows what she wants...and she wants senior Matthew Livingston. What luck that she finally draws his attention! But when Matthew refuses to take her seriously she takes things into her own hands. She's heard of the mysterious Order of the Basset Hounds, after all, her father was one of them. When Frankie realizes that Matthew is the leader of the Bassets, she quickly figures out how to infiltrate the club without the boys even knowing.

What to say about this book....I suppose it can best be said in an Adbook post I wrote:

...I find the tone of the narrator condescending and irritating. It is as if the author is playing at making sociological assessments and, in my opinion, failing dismally. While the narrator does not outrightly say, "Domestic arts are a waste of time and only 'boy' pursuits matter," her tone says it for her. For example, when Frankie is talking to her roommate Trish about going out to the woods to drink beer with the ever so amazing Matthew (who, frankly, is really a jerk). Just to recap, Frankie feels bad that Trish is not invited and Trish says that that is not really her
scene anyway. She tells Frankie that, while she was at home, she had stopped going to her older brothers' booze parties in favor of watching movies with her parents and making crumbles. Frankie's reaction:

"Frankie found her friend's attitude infuriating. By opting out of what the boys were doing in favor of a typically feminine pursuit, Trish had closed a door...[s]ure, she was still invited. She could open the door again. But another summer spent making crumbles in the kitchen, and the boys would stop asking her to come out. Instead they'd expect warm dessert to be waiting for them on their return" (68)

First of all, I do realize that this is Frankie's opinion and not that of the narrator. Nevertheless, it is rather maddening. Does she really think that A) boys still subscribe to such old-fashioned ideas? That they would really expect their younger sister to be meeting them at the door a la stereotypical 50s housewife with a smile on her face and a crumble in her hands? Really? I don't think I've ever met a boy that would express such expectations. B) The way in which this paragraph is written is...well...infuriating. Frankie clearly thinks that drinking beer is superior to crumble making simply because whatever the boys are doing has to be better than anything girlsare doing. I suppose I should make allowances as Frankie is a fictional character, only a
sophomore in high school, and clearly hasn't been to a party that has lots of alcohol.

The second example is much to long to quote in full but can be found in its entirety on pgs. 84-86. The narrator describes three type of women: those who do not try to understand stereotypical male pursuits, those who participate half-heartedly because they are the girlfriends of these boys and want to seem supportive, and finally those girls who participate whole-heartedly and therefore earn the respect of males. What to say... First of all, I think this is an extreme oversimplification of male/female relationships. There are men who clearly respect females when they don't participate in making cherry-bombs or whatever the author has identified as overwhelmingly male. Second of all, I wish I could exactly pinpoint what about the
author's language makes her descriptions of fiber arts/baking seem so derogatory. Sadly, I cannot and simply must state that I walk away from said descriptions feeling like the author has disparaged that whole group of hobbies.

Apart from this sort of language/depiction of social interactions I
have a few other bones to pick with this book.

-"Like Senior Banks, they [the boys belonging to the Bassets] thought of themselves as Bassets more than they thought of themselves, for example, as tennis players, TV watchers, Caucasians, Protestants, East-Coasters, decent skiers, heterosexuals, and attractive young
men..." (151). Really? Are you telling me that all...what is it? 11 members?...of the Bassets are truly this shallow? I do not claim to be an expert regarding the sociology of teenage boys but I have a hard time believing that out of all of the Bassets, not one boy would value his religion or his sexual orientation over being a Basset.

My ultimate problem with this book is that Frankie does the exact same thing that makes Matthew so very unattractive: she judges people and subcultures without trying to understand them. Matthew refuses to involve himself in Frankie's world. She realizes this is a problem and
yet doesn't mind. Frankie has the same character flaw as she dismisses the geek world and Trish's feminine world. She doesn't even attempt to understand the stereotypical female outlook and still condemns it. Also, I don't feel that Frankie really changes by the end of the novel, or at least changes in a positive way. For example, she still wishes she could be Matthew's girlfriend despite how rotten he's been to her and she doesn't ever make an effort to know Trish better
(although I suppose it can be argued that Trish does not make an effort either). It's rather a nebulous, sad ending.

Emma series by Kaouri Mori

2008-12-28T17:55:00.000-08:00

Recommended to 11-12 + for social situations and general content that might go over the heads of younger readers
4/5 stars
3/5 on the Happiness Meter
Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance

The Emma graphic novels are a pleasure to read due to their rich backdrops and the abundance of swirly skirts. Kaouri Mori's books tell the tale of reserved, duty-bound Emma, a housemaid/companion for an elderly lady. Emma begins to have feelings for the lady's former pupil, a rich, well-to-do young gentleman. Of course, she knows that they can never be together because of her inferior social status but she quietly harbors her feelings for him all the same as she goes about her daily duties. Things quickly become complicated when the young man starts having feelings for her. Add in some disapproving parents, death, an upset fiance (and family), and a visiting prince and you're in for a good read (several reads really as the eighth book in the series is coming out soon).

Brief Thoughts on Early Readers

2008-12-09T22:51:00.000-08:00

While at the local library, I thought I would sit down and look at some of the early readers atas I don't know much about them. While I did not read them all the way through most of them, I did think some were better than others:

1) Dragon Slayers Academy by Kate McMullan--RL 3.4
The series starts with a young boy who dreams of becoming a hero. A minstrel tells him that he has the makings of a hero and over the course of a winter teaches him useful skills such as reading and writing. One day the young boy sees an advertisement for the Dragon Slayers Academy who will, for seven pennies, take in any boy and turn him into a hero. Enter our young boy complete with his talking pet pig!
It seems to be pretty well-written and some of the details are historically accurate. I think this is a good series, especially for boys. It seems like there are plenty of well-written early readers targeted towards girls but a lack of good books written for boys. The ones intended for boys seem primarily have techo-machinery or toilet humor. Maybe that's unfair...

2) The A-Z Mysteries by Ron Roy--RL 3.4
The first book had good writing, good pacing, and a good mix of characters--2 boys and 1 girl. I am not very clever when it comes to solving mysteries so the solution was surprising to me. The mystery is solved in a logical manner and concludes satisfactorily. I would happily recommend this series to a beginning reader.

3) Geronimo Stilton series by Geronimo Stilton--RL 3
Eh. They struck me as OK. The plots could be interesting enough as Geronimo travels to different countries and mysterious places. The illustrated words could be an attraction to some children but could also serve to be annoying as they might distract from the story. I wonder if the way the words are laid out/drawn out have helped children learn the more complicated words? I could see that.

4) Mermaid S.O.S. series by Gillian Shields and Helen Turner--RL 3?
Another eh book series. It seems like a more complex and better written alternative to the Rainbow Fairy series by Daisy Meadows. This is by no means a bad thing. Mermaid S.O.S. will be sure to make young girls excited about reading. I can fully support that and I would recommend this series to girls that want something princessey.

5) Secrets of Droon series by Tony Abbott--RL 3.1
These seem OK. Two boys and a girl get transported to a fantasy land through a door in one of the boy's basements. The writing was OK. It just didn't wow me. Of course, to be fair, I did not read very far into the book.

6) Ivy & Bean series by Annie Barrows--RL 2.7
I wouldn't recommend these books simply due to how bratty Bean acts during the first few chapters of the book. I skimmed a bit of the middle and the two girls flout authority and don't seem to respect all their elders. Call me old-fashioned but I don't think 2nd/3rd graders need to be exposed to that.

7) The Time Warp Trio by Jon Scieszka--RL 4.1
The first book didn't really impress me. The beginning was off-putting as the reader was immediately thrown into the middle of the action. The premise of the series seems to be three boys who use a book to travel back in time. I think I would be more supportive of this series if the Magic Treehouse series wasn't already out there. However, it's not Jon Scieszka's fault that everyone and their brother seems to read Magic Treehouse books. I think I would recommend this series to fans of Magic Treehouse but I honestly think there are better things to read out there that are near the same reading level.

Paper Towns

2008-12-05T10:30:00.000-08:00

Before I jump into Paper Towns I wanted to note that I am adding a Happiness Meter to my reviews simply because there are just some days where I feel like reading happy, and sometimes fluffy, books.

Paper Towns by John Green
Recommended for 14+ due to sexual jokes, underage drinking, a graphic description of a dead man and raccoon.
4.7/5 Stars
3/5 on the Happiness Meter
Genre: Realistic Fiction

This book is dangerous. I don't recommend starting it unless you have most of the day to read it because you won't want to put it down. I've heard many great things about John Green's books. Afterall, Looking for Alaska has won the Printz Award and an Abundance of Katherines sounds very intriguing. However, I had no idea how great an author he truly was until I picked up Paper Towns. The book tells the story of a geeky boy named Quentin (goes by Q) who hangs around with the band crowd. He can't be in band himself due to his unfortunate lack of talent when it comes to instruments and singing but he is happy enough. He has two close friends, Ben, who is convinced that he is could please a girl if only given a chance, and Radar, who spends most of his free time editing an online encyclopedia (along the same lines of Wikipedia). Q lives next door to Margo Roth Spiegelman, the hippest, boldest girl in school who, when she is not off galavanting around the country, is keeping the social scene under control. Q and Margo used to spend time together as kids but you know how that goes--Margo becomes popular, Q becomes a nerd. End of friendship. But Q is still intrigued by Margo and her vivacity so imagine his surprise (and excitement) when Margo knocks on his window one night, dressed in ninja gear, wanting his help to run some mysterious errands.

By the end of the night, Q feels more connected with Margo and even believes that she will start hanging out with him and his group of friends. However, the next day Margo is missing. This, in and of itself, is not unusual. Hadn't Margo disappeared for a week or so when she was invited to join that circus or when she took off to Mississippi? But as Q starts adding up the clues Margo has left behind he starts to fear the worst. Soon Q's life consists of one goal: find Margo Roth Spiegelman, dead or alive.

I have to admit that despite all the wonderful things I've heard about John Green's books I was a bit reluctant to pick up Paper Towns. I knew that he didn't have a problem using a fair amount of swear words and sexual jokes and frankly, I'm usually too prudish a reader to pick up a book that contains that sort of thing. In this case, however, it was worth it. Sure it has some of that stuff in it but it's put into context. That's what lots of teenagers do: drink underage, swear, make witter sexual banter (if such a thing is possible). As a result, Green's characters are authentic. We've all known a perverted Ben, a knowledge obsessed Radar, an insecure Lacey who, despite all her best efforts, sometimes falls short of the best friend mark. Maybe we're even one of those people! Green not only develops his characters well, the plot surrounding them is plausible. They all do things that they would be expected to do. Green's writing flows smoothly and evenly, even if the pacing becomes a little slow in the middle of the book. If that is not enough to make you pick up the book, the author interweaves Whitman's Song of Myself throughout the book in a deft and satisfying way.

The only reason this book isn't 5/5 stars is the small problem with pacing and my hesitation as to whether or not this is the sort of book I would read over and over. I suppose only time will tell.

JHunt: 2/11 finished
Next Up: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau by E. Lockhart
Currently Reading: Don't Bet on the Prince. ed. by Jack Zipes, two versions of the Nutcracker, and soon, Beedle the Bard.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox

2008-12-01T15:22:00.001-08:00

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson

Recommended to 14+ due to discussion about sexual maturation and heavy issues
4/5 stars
2/5 on the Happiness Meter
Genre: Science Fiction/Futuristic

This isn't a book I would normally pick up as it's a Sci-Fi novel, however, I can't deny that it's very well done. The writing is crisp, simple, and beautiful, the plot is compelling, and if the jarring use of language is at first off-putting, the reader quickly grows accustomed to it. The Adoration of Jenna Fox tells the tale of a girl who wakes up after a year in a coma without any memory of who she is. As pieces of her past slowly return to her she questions what sort of person she was and who she is now. The more she remembers, the more she becomes convinced that not all is right. Some of her returning memories are ones she should not have, such as her memory of almost drowning when she was two years old, or her baptism when she was a toddler. She keeps hearing pleading voices in her head which leads her to question if they are real voices are just figments of her imagination. Things quickly don't add up--her grandmother's dislike of her, her parents' whispers, the missing scar on her chin, her shortened height. This book is certainly creepy, particularly as some of the facts presented in Jenna's futuristic world hit a little too close to home. For example, people have been taking too many antibiotics and have helped create monster viruses that ravage people's bodies. A possiblity for the present?
If you read this book expect your ideas to be challenged, your values to be questioned, and your mindset to be, very possibly, broadened.

Nota Bene--This is one nominees on the AdBooks list. One down, eleven to go (or nine since I'm not reading them all):

Paper Towns by John Green <-----This one's next!

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Nation by Tery Pratchett
Impossible by Nancy Werlin

2008-11-25T21:13:00.000-08:00

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

Recommended for 13+ due to graphic violence
3/5 Stars
2/5 on the Happiness Meter
Genre: Fantasy/Retelling

This certainly isn't the worst book I've ever read, and it's compelling enough to continue reading it (I'm not yet finished with it), but it's nothing amazing. The ideas are clever: Alice in Wonderland is really Lewis Carroll's re-imagining of what really happened to Alice Liddell. Frank Beddor, supposedly, has tracked down the real story. Alice Liddell (aka Alyss Heart) is the heir to the throne of Wonderland. Forced from her home by her aunt Redd (think Queen of Hearts) she is forced to grow up on earth, not knowing if she will ever reach home. Even if she does return to Wonderland she fears what she will find: both her mother and best friend dead and her bodyguard missing. She soon learns to engage herself fully in her surroundings, trying her best to forget Wonderland, chalking it up to some imaginative fancy she had as a child. Of course, her childhood best friend comes after her and takes her back to Wonderland where the rebels (called Alyssians) expect her to overthrow her vicious and cruel aunt and declare herself queen of Wonderland.

Some of the ideas are quite clever, Frank Beddor even mentions real photographs taken of Alice Liddell as support for his version of the Alyss story. Carroll's characters are re-imagined in unusual ways. For example, the card soldiers are fleshed out to be more intimidating than Carroll's counterparts. The Mad Hatter is not a crazy man who loves throwing tea parties, he is the queen's bodyguard that spends 13 years on earth searching for Alyss. Tweedledee and Tweedledum are really General Doppelganger who can split himself into several people if the need arises (although it took another reader to point out this character reshaping; I didn't make the connection myself). The Cheshire Cat is Redd's right hand man, her nine-lived assassin sent after Alyss and the Mad Hatter. The white rabbit is Alyss' childhood tutor, Bibwit Harte, who loves Alyss (platonically)despite all the mean tricks she played on him when she was a child.

The problem comes with the characterization Frank Beddor employs. He has really cool concepts but doesn't carry out their full potential (true, this is only the first in a trilogy, but still). I couldn't help but think that, for a book as large as The Looking Glass Wars (358 pages), surprisingly little happens. So far, I've reached page 288 and Alyss is just as distant and lackluster as she has always been. Her best friend, Dodge, is more intriguing but he seems simply to live for revenge (we know little else about him). The Hatter has potential but, much like Dodge, he is characterized as the strong, silent type with deeply secret personal sorrows. This, of course, does not take away from the original and ingenious imaginings of Beddor but it does seem to be a story without a soul, even without that spark that makes a good book great.

EDIT: So...the above assessments still remain true after I finished the book. There was more action, more plot, and even some characterization. However, the characters still remained somewhat bland. Alyss matures into someone more likable but only two sequels will tell if that maturation was real.

Booky News

2008-11-24T19:03:00.000-08:00

Hopefully, this is where you can find out what I'm reading and doing with my life in regards to booky things. That's only if the blog is found to be a non-spammy blog which it currently is quaranteed as being. It makes sense really. I shouldn't have posted so many posts all in a short time of each other. I just feel sorry for the people whose job it is to review spam blogs. That can't be a very fun job.

In other news, booky news, I've decided to become more scholarly! Enough with the wandering days off where I stay in my pajamas all day, sleep past noon, and watch random movies that I have, most likely, already seen. I want to continue expanding my mind (figuratively of course) and maintain my ability to write papers! I'm such a nerd! But you know what? I'm OK with that! I know I'm a snob when it comes to books and I know that I have a long way to go in order to become someone that pleases God and make a decent human being. However, I hope that pursuing my hobbies, no matter how embarassing according to popular world views, can somehow make me into a better person. This is actually something I've struggled with for a while. Balancing people, hobbies, and jobs is not an easy thing.

I've decided to focus on the following things (at least for the next month):

1) Certain readings (more on that later)
2) Friends and Family
3) Maybe signing up for a class to figure out my spiritual gifts and how I can apply them
4) Looking into volunteer organizations
5) Looking for a second job
6) Studying for the GREs
7) Keeping the appartment clean
8) Planning my birthday party with my sister
9) Researching library schools
10) Finishing Isaiah

OK...so that's a bit much and I know that I won't be able to succeed in it all. But I have a cunning plan, as they say in the 80s Scarlet Pimpernel movie (which is fantastic by the way). I shall elaborate:

1) Certain readings:

I have a desire to write academic papers, learn more about the world, read for pleasure, and read more in order to be a better bookseller and potential librarian. I have therefore taken the time to put together a reading timeline so I can accomplish some of these goals. Academically, I am most interested in Pacific Northwest Native American tribes-their history and their rights. I also am interested in Pacific Northwest history (especially Washington history), issues surrounding salmons, dams, and fishing (particularly in the Pacific Northwest), fairy tales and folktales (along with their retellings and translations), and (perhaps more randomly) Henry VIII's wives and Fidel Castro. So, as it is Christmas time soon, I plan to write my first paper comparing different translations of E.T.A. Hoffman's Nutcracker and researching how Hoffman's Nutcracker has been turned into a ballet, how different ballets put on the Nutcracker, how Hoffman's vision has been polluted by said ballets, and how certain ballets have stayed true to the spirit of Hoffman's book. I realize that if I presented this idea to my English professors they would say that I have to narrow my topic down and no doubt they would be right but hey! I'm not in college anymore so I can write a ridiculously long paper full of holes if the mood strikes! Yippee!

A part of me would also like to write a book one day about issues surrounding the Pacific Northwest and, while I was Washington, I picked up quite a few books about that area. Maybe one of those will be next. Possibly A Common Fate: Endangered Salmon and the People of the Pacific Northwest by Joseph Cone or maybe I won't go that route and I'll finally finish Guerilla Prince by Georgie Anne Geyer. The possibilities are endless.

I've also just joined a sort of online YA book group called AdBooks and they are voting for different books (off of a list) and discussing them. I would love to be able to participate. Although, I won't be able to read all the books by January, I hope to maybe read two or three. I plan to start with The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson and continue on to The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. Some others on the list include the sequel to Octavius Nothing (which I don't plan to read as I haven't read the first one), Graceling by Kristin Cashore (which I've heard good things about), The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (I really, really like her books but The Hunger Games sounds pretty disturbing), Little Brother (which I've heard really good reviews of also but I think there is some graphic content in there), Paper Towns by John Green (everything he writes is supposed to be amazing. Looking for Alaska won the Printz award, afterall), Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan (which sounds extremely graphic--think beastiality and rape but it's loosely based on the fairy tale Rose Red and Snow White so I may read it afterall), The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart, The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness, Nation by Terry Pratchett (which I probably will read eventually) and Impossible by Nancy Werlin (which sounds AMAZING and I really hope to read).

As for my job at the Children's bookstore, I want to find out more about books that people either ask about or rave about. Enter The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor. I've actually be intrigued by this book for some time and I own it and its sequel so I'm finally reading it. So far it's pretty grim and I doubt I would recommend it to anyone simply because I hesitate to recommend grim books to parents. I don't want them coming in and slamming the book down on the counter and saying, "How dare you give my child this book! He/She's been having nightmares! This is trash!" Perhaps that is cowardly of me but there it is. If we had more teens come in the store looking for fantasy literature I would go all out with my favorite grim books: The Keys to the Kingdom by Garth Nix, 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, The Ruby Key by Holly Lisle, etc. But until then...

In addition to these books, I'm also hoping to listen to Gregor and the Marks of Secret by Suzanne Collins on CD. The narrator, Paul Boehmer, is first-rate! I love his voices so much that I would like to own all the Underlander books on CD (I currently own them all in paper). Indeed, I don't know why I own them at all since I avoid reading them so I can listen to Paul Boehmer's voices.

2) Friends and Family

I hope to finally call everyone that needs calling/writing/visiting, etc.

3) Class on Spiritual Gifts

This is a good idea anyway but an idea has been growing in my mind for a few days about something I want to do and I have to talk to the right person about it, etc. and it may just be a pipe dream. For those of you that don't know (although if you are reading this blog you probably DO know) I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder...or at least I did. I'm not sure something like that ever really goes away but I'm doing miraculously better thanks to God's intervention, my parents' determination, and many, many years of medication and therapy. I really want to help someone (or many someones) who struggle with OCD. I hope to ask my psychiatrist about how I can help out (if I can help out). We'll see. I need to remember to pray about this and would appreciate anyone's prayers about this.

4) Volunteer Organizations

See above. I also want to do more for people. I feel like I'm stuck in a self-made limbo right now and I certainly know that I'm not doing nearly as much as I could for others and for God. Yes, I volunteer but it's only once every two weeks and once every month and a half at church. Not really much of a commitment there.

5) Looking for a second job

I don't want to go into details about this but I do have some options. Possibly working at a local library (I hope!) or working through a temp agency. I LOVE my job at the bookstore but I'm not getting enough hours to work only there. It's way past time to get a second job.

6) Studying for the GREs

BLEH! Double BLEH concerning the quantative math section. However, 4-12 weeks is the recommended study time for GREs and it's time to begin soon if I want to take them in March. I'm planning on making up a schedule sometime soon...

7) Keeping the apartment clean

HAHA! Yeah right! But seriously, this is kind of an issue. I'm very lazy about this sort of thing, particularly when it comes to the bathroom and my own room. Out of sight, out of mind I suppose. I did spend about an hour and a half today and I am not sure when I'll have time to work on the apartment anytime soon as I'm working close to 40 hours this week (YAY!). Still, maybe if I turn on some good music, I'll get something done.

8) Planning my birthday with my sister

I'm a twin, hence the sister element. We're thinking of an over-the-hill themed party as we are both turning 25 and 25+25 = 50. I also really want to have caroling and a white elephant. These clearly have nothing to do with an over-the-hill theme but my sister points out that if these can possibly be combined we will find a way, afterall, we've thrown a pirate party, a Scarlet Pimpernel party, a Scooby-Doo party, been part of a progressive dinner party, and thrown many a Harry Potter party. We'll figure it out.

9) Research library schools

More specifically the top ten ranked schools by U.S. News and World Report regarding Youth and Teen librarianship programs. I am aware of the shortcoming of U.S. News and World Report's rankings but I have to start somewhere and I don't plan on applying to eleven schools (I'm looking at San Jose State as well as the other ten).

10) Finishing Isaiah

I have a hard time getting motivated to read the really long books of the Bible and I'm currently stuck somewhere in the 20s in Isaiah. Of course, once I finish Isaiah, I have to go on to Jeremiah, another long book. Oh well. The Bible is important and the word of God afterall.

End Really Long Post.

October Reads

2008-11-12T14:11:00.000-08:00

1) Grim Tuesday by Garth Nix
2) Drowned Wednesday by Garth Nix
3) Sir Thursday by Garth Nix
4) The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall
5) Quiet, Please: Dispatches from a Public Librarian by Scott Douglas
6) Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
7) Lady Friday by Garth Nix
8) Queste by Angie Sage
9) Superior Saturdsy by Garth Nix

September Reads

2008-11-12T14:05:00.000-08:00

1) Aurelia by Anne Osterlund
2) Samantha's Surprise by Susan S. Adler, Nancy Niles, Robert Grace, and Dan Andreasen
3) Samantha Learns a Lesson by Susan S. Adler, Nancy Niles, Robert Grace, and Dan Andreasen
4) The Remarkable and Very True Story of Lucy and Snowdrop by H.M. Bouwman
5) Her Blue Straw Hat by Carole S. Adler
6) Tunnels by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams
7) Nancy Drew and the Mystery of the Glowing Eye by Carolyn Keene
8) Anahita's Woven Riddle by Meghan Nuttall Sayres
9) The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
10) The Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy by Diane Stanley
11) Nancy Drew and the Sky Phantom by Carolyn Keene
12) Third Girl by Agatha Christie
13) Mister Monday by Garth Nix
14) Daddy Long-Legs by Jean Webster
15) The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

August Reads

2008-11-12T14:02:00.000-08:00

1) Charlie Bone and the Hidden King by Jenny Nimmo
2) The Opposite of Invisible by Liz Gallagher
3) Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George
4) Dragon Flight by Jessica Day George
5) Taken at the Flood by Agatha Christie
6) Out of the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst
7) Clementine's Letter by Sarah Pennypacker
8) Charlie Bone and the Beast by Jenny Nimmo
9) Seven Daughters and Seven Sons by Barbara Cohen and Bahija Lovejoy
10) Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman by Eleanor Updale
11) Charlie Bone and the Shadow by Jenny Nimoo
12) Meet Samantha by Susan S. Adler, Nancy Niles, and Dan Andreasen

July Reads

2008-11-12T13:56:00.001-08:00

1) Persuasion by Jane Austen
2) Enola Holmes and the Case of the Bizarre Bouquets by Nancy Springer
3) Travels of Thelonious: The Fog Mound by Susan Schade and Jon Buller
4) Charlie Bone and the Time Twister by Jenny Nimmo
5) The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander Mccall Smith
6) Flora Segunda by Ysabeau S. Wilce
7) Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy by Jenny Nimmo
8) Skullduggery Pleasant: Playing with Fire by Derek Landy
9) Saffy's Angel by Hilary McKay
10) The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye
11) Orange Trees of Versailles by Annie Pietri
12) Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors by Jenny Nimmo
13) The Poison Apples by Lily Archer

June Reads

2008-11-12T13:48:00.000-08:00

1) Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
2) Unsolicited Advice
3) The Liberation of Gabriel King by K.L. Going
4) Beck Beyond the Sea
5) 26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie dePaola
6) Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo
7) Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris
8) Regarding the Sink by Kate Klise and M. Sarah Klise
9) Rules by Cynthia Lord
10) Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones
11) A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth Bunce
12) The Mysterious Matter of I.M. Fine by Diane Stanley

May Reads

2008-11-12T13:41:00.000-08:00

1) Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
2) Prilla and the Butterfly Lie by Kitty Richards and Denise Shimabukuro
3) The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
4) Rani in the Mermaid Lagoon by Lisa Papademetriou and Judith Clarke
5) The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt
6) Tink, North of Neverland by Kiki Thorpe
7) Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
8) The Ruby Key by Holly Lisle
9) The Swan Maiden by Heather Tomlinson
10) Clementine by Sarah Pennypacker
11) The Talented Clementine by Sarah Pennypacker
12) Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown and Scott Nash
13) The Morning Gift by Eva Ibbotson
14) Oz and Beyond: The Fantasy World of L. Frank Baum by Michael O. Riley
15) Skullduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
16) Dulcie's Taste of Magic by Gail Herman
17) Regarding the Fountain by Kate Klise and M. Sarah Klise
18) Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George
19) The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

April Reads

2008-11-12T13:39:00.001-08:00

1) The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
2) Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
3) Messenger by Lois Lowry (I'm not sure where this fits chronologically)
4) Apple-y Ever After by Jane Mason and Sarah Stephens
5) Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
6) Holes by Louis Sachar
7) The Adventures of Sir Launcelot by Gerald Morris
8) the Mystery of Mr. Nice by Bruce Hale
9) The Day of the Djinn Warriors by P.B. Kerr

March Reads

2008-11-12T13:36:00.000-08:00

1) Changeling by Delia Sherman
2) The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse by Bruce Hale
3) Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede
4) Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
5) Searching for Dragons by Patricia Wrede
6) The Works of Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
7) The Problem Child by Michael Buckley

February Reads

2008-11-12T13:32:00.000-08:00

1) The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer
2) The Case of the Left-Handed Lady by Nancy Springer
3) The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place by E.L. Konigsburg
4) Wright 3 by Blue Balliet
5) Going Through the Gate by Janet Anderson
6) The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls
7) Beastly by Alix Flinn
8) Gossamer by Lois Lowry
9) Dragon's Breath by E.D. Baker
10) Once Upon a Curse by E.D. Baker

January Reads

2008-11-12T13:26:00.000-08:00

1) The Blue Djinn of Babylon by P.B. Kerr
2) The Cobra King of Kathmandu by P.B. Kerr
3) The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde
4) The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde
5) Zel by Donna Jo Napoli
6) Rapunzel: the One with All the Hair by Wendy Mass
7) A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson
8) Golden: A Retelling of Rapunzel by Cameron Dokey
9) The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
10) The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison
11) Bright Shadow by Avi
12) The Rose Bride by Nancy Holder