Trisha’s April Roundup May 8, 2008

If I were better organized, I would have finished reviewing these books earlier (because I do think they all deserve long reviews), before giving the ARCs to teens or returning the books to the library. But all I did was make really brief notes about them, and it’s been a few weeks since I read some of them, so…

Airman by Eoin Colfer
When Conor Broekhart is unjustly thrown into prison, his thoughts naturally turn to escape. But his jail is Little Saltee Island. It’s a miserable place, where prisoners are forced to mine for diamonds in brutal conditions, and the only way he can escape is to construct a flying machine. Simply surviving is difficult, so how can Conor even hope to build his machine?

To compare Airman to some of Colfer’s previous books (and for the record, I am a huge Artemis Fowl fan), although it’s not as funny as the Artemis Fowl books or Half-Moon Investigations, it still has moments of humor and wit, as well as their fast pace and excellent plotting. What I loved most about Airman is the characterization of Conor. Here’s a kid who has everything going for him—a place in society, brains, ability, etc.—when the book starts, and he’s still likable. When he’s thrown into prison, Conor gets darker, realistically so, but never crosses the line that makes us stop rooting for him. A fantastic book.

Among the reviews: A Fuse #8 Production, Shelf Elf

Fancy White Trash by Marjetta Geerling
Abby Savage doesn’t want to end up like her mother and older sisters, none of whom have made it to their high school graduation without becoming pregnant, all of whom have made disastrous choices in love. So Abby created rules, the One True Love Plan (based on knowledge gleaned from soap operas), which she thinks will enable her to break free from the romantic/procreative history of the women in her family. She wants her life, and potential boyfriends, to be safe.

Abby’s thoughtful narration grounds the book, turning Fancy White Trash from what could have been a print version of The Jerry Springer Show into an examination of the family and friendships that have shaped a young woman’s life. Reminded me somehow of Carolyn Mackler, though I can’t say exactly why.

Also reviewed by: Flamingnet Book Blog, Once Upon a Bookshelf

Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
I liked Wicked Lovely but was enthralled by Ink Exchange. It’s darker, more intense than Wicked Lovely, terrible in the “exciting terror, awe, or great fear” sense of the word. The age recommendation on the ARC was for ages 12 and up, but I think I’d feel more comfortable saying 14 and up.

As much as she wants a tattoo, Leslie has not found the design that was meant to be applied to her body. Then she sees a design that calls to her, but she has no way of knowing that the tattoo she gets will draw her into the faerie world. Leslie was ignorant of faeries despite being a friend of Aislinn. Just as Leslie had been keeping secrets from Aislinn, not admitting to anyone the truth about her home life or the extent to which her junkie brother would go to get a fix, Aislinn has been determined to keep Leslie from finding about the fey and Aislinn’s place with them. But the tattoo Leslie gets connects her to Irial, the ruler of the Dark Court, because he needs Leslie—or rather, the sustenance Irial has planned for the tattoo-bearer to provide—for the Dark Court to survive.

Among the reviews: Angieville, Teen Book Review, Urban Fantasy Land

Wake by Lisa McMann
Another book I would have adored as a teen.

Ever since she was a kid, Janie Hannagan has been falling into other people’s dreams. It’s turned her life practically into a nightmare. At work and at home, Janie can often isolate herself enough to lessen the effects of other people’s dreams, but that’s not the case at school. When people fall asleep and dream in school, Janie experiences the dream with them, even though the dreamer has no idea that Janie’s in their dream, observing what they see (and even though I’m not sure how exciting the dreams of students who fall asleep in school would be, since most vivid and memorable dreams occur during REM sleep, and REM sleep doesn’t occur until we’ve been asleep for about 90 minutes. Although I suppose you could make the argument that most teens are sleep deprived and hence would fall into REM a lot sooner when they fall asleep in school.).

In any case, my one question about sleep science aside (which didn’t actually occur to me until after I finished the book), Wake is a compelling book that grabs the reader from the very first page, when Janie falls into a classmate’s dream. I am definitely looking forward to the sequel, Fade.

Among the reviews: The Book Muncher, A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy

Ancient India by Anita Dalal (non-fiction)
Very attractively designed and includes everything librarians love to see in children’s and YA non-fiction, like a map, timeline, bibliography, further reading section, glossary, and an index. There’s even an interview with an archaeologist! But with all of that, not to mention all the photos, there wasn’t very much space for actual information. I hope this will get some readers interested in archaeology/ancient India, but anyone looking for specific info besides dates and locations, particularly past 7th grade, will probably be better off getting one of the books listed in the further reading section.

Trisha’s February non-fiction reading March 1, 2008

Even when I was a teen, I’m not sure I read any YA non-fiction, preferring adult non-fiction instead. Since one of my reading resolutions for this year was to read more non-fiction, I thought I should also make an effort to read more YA non-fiction. So I borrowed a couple of acclaimed YA non-fiction books, Invisible Allies and the second edition of Invisible Enemies, both by Jeanette Farrell, and An American Plague by Jim Murphy. I also borrowed two adult books, The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson and The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman, that I had long been meaning to read. While all five books have their merits individually, I think I got more out of each book by reading them as a group. I’m not sure if I consciously chose to borrow these books as a group because I suspected they’d work so well together or simply because they were the first non-fiction books that came to mind. In any case, the first four books all deal with the effects of culture and the movement of people around the world on medical issues, particularly those related to public health, some more explicitly than others.

~really long, so click below to read the rest~

Trisha’s January roundup February 4, 2008

Geek High by Piper Banks
Miranda’s romance writer mother is going to England to do research, leaving Miranda behind with her father, whom she’s had little contact with since her parents divorced, and a stepmother and stepsister she does not get along with. Plus, not only is Miranda blackmailed into organizing her brainy school’s unpopular winter dance, her crush appears to be falling for her stepsister, Hannah. But Hannah does have a cute male friend who just may be interested in Miranda…

I’m not sure why, but for some reason I thought this was going to be a very lightweight, insubstantial read. It wasn’t, not as much as I was expecting, at any rate. But it was still the perfect post-Cybils read—entertaining, well-written, and, thank god, no one died or was abused.

The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
I won’t say much about this one because I’m afraid of giving away too much of the story. (But if you want to talk, particularly about the denouement, I am so up for a chat about it.) And really, where hasn’t this been reviewed? I think it was even the lead book review in People a couple of weeks ago, if I remember correctly. I will say that there was enough to the story to satisfy me, and I absolutely love the last line of the book.

Also, I came up with a playlist for Gemma last year, around the time the book’s publication was first announced. But after reading the book, it changed significantly, so here’s what is currently on my TSFT playlist:

1. Incantation - Loreena McKennitt
2. Hope There’s Someone - Antony and the Johnsons
3. Woman King - Iron & Wine
4. To Let Myself Go - Ane Brun
5. Miracle - Craig Armstrong
6. It’s In Our Hands - Björk
7. The Mystery of Love - Marianne Faithfull
8. Maybe Not - Cat Power
9. Sé Lest - Sigur Rós
10. Icebound Stream - Laura Veirs
11. Faded from the Winter - Iron & Wine
12. Misery and Mountains, Arrows and Bows - New Buffalo

I realize I’m totally breaking a playlist rule with two Iron & Wine songs on the same playlist but I was unable to pick just one, and I think the sequence of “Icebound Stream,” “Faded from the Winter,” and “Misery and Mountains, Arrows and Bows” works perfectly, so there you go.

TSFT was reviewed by: Angieville, Becky, Bookshelves of Doom, Oops…Wrong Cookie, among others.

Reading Resolutions update:
Tea: The Drink that Changed the World by Laura C. Martin was the non-fiction book I read in January. Let’s see, I like tea, I like microhistories… Is it any surprise I picked this up? But as fascinating as I found it, it was too brief for my tastes, so I plan on reading The Story of Tea and Liquid Jade, as well.

And, as mentioned earlier, the translated book I read was The Redbreast by Jo Nesbø, translated by Don Bartlett. In 1999, a Norwegian detective makes a potentially embarrassing mistake. Transferred to a new department and position, he comes across a report that piques his interest. Full of twists that never feel forced, this book had me totally hooked, especially after the first World War II scene. There were occasional mentions of events that I am sure occurred in the previous (not yet released in the US) book, which once again really makes me wish publishers would bring these series over *in order*, like it appears Vertical is doing with Shinjuku Shark. (February’s rapidly becoming translated-from-Japanese month for me, since I’ve already got five such novels checked out/on hold.)

U is for…upcoming books! January 15, 2008

Colleen Mondor asked bloggers about the books we’re looking forward to, so I thought it would be fun to create a list of the 2008 books I most want to read, categorized from A to Z. Unfortunately, I got stuck on letters like Q and X. Oh, and K and L and Y and a lot more. So here’s my not quite A-to-Z list.

Asian-American Protagonists
Besides Good Enough and She’s So Money, I am also looking forward to Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley. And I’ll be reading my first Kimani Tru book, How to Salsa in a Sari by Dona Sarkar, about a part Indian, part African-American girl. Not sure about The Fold, though, because the subject matter is not exactly of interest to me. But I’ll probably give it a try (because the cover rocks! Look at it, it totally does) and see if it’ll be the first An Na book I actually finish.

Boarding School
Yes, I am a sucker for books set at boarding schools. Except for Kate Brian’s Private series. (I couldn’t even get through the first book, the girls were so mean.) Hence, E. Lockhart’s The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks.

Covers
Besides the aforementioned The Fold, here are some of my favorite covers.

And is it just me, or does the Ivy cover model look like a redheaded version of the girl on Hearn’s The Minister’s Daughter?

Debut Authors
I’m looking forward to these books by debut authors.

Hey There Delilah I mean, Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway. Bonus: Meg Cabot likes it.

A la Carte by Tanita S. Davis (a.k.a. TadMack!)

Not Anything by Carmen Rodrigues

The Mystery of the Third Lucretia by Susan Runholt

For more books by debut authors, check out the Class of 2k8.

Feiwel & Friends
Between Carpe Diem, Get Well Soon, Long May She Reign, and The Poison Apples, I am automatically reading every YA book they publish, like The Compound by S.A. Bodeen and Zombie Blondes by Brian James. Or republish, in the case of Ellen Emerson White (The President’s Daughter, White House Autumn, and Long Live the Queen).

Here’s the Feiwel and Friends website, or visit the Macmillan site to view their catalog.

Geniuses, Boy
Apparently I’m on the immature side, because I happen to find flatulent dwarves absolutely hilarious. Especially when read by Nathaniel Parker. I’ve already done D and F, so I couldn’t put this with one of those letters, but since I also find ex-criminal mastermind boy geniuses intriguing, I think this works just as well as a category. Anyway, THE 2008 book I’m most looking forward to is Artemis Fowl #6, The Time Paradox.

Historical Fiction
Primavera by Mary Jane Beaufrand (Italian Renaissance)

Ten Cents a Dance by Christine Fletcher (1940s Chicago)

Sovay — ooh, Celia Rees! And, c’mon, with a description like this, how can I resist?

It’s England, 1783. When the rich and beautiful Sovay isn’t sitting for portraits, she’s donning a man’s cloak and robbing travelers—in broad daylight. But in a time when political allegiances between France and England are strained, a rogue bandit is not the only thing travelers fear. Spies abound, and rumors of sedition can quickly lead to disappearances. So when Sovay lifts the wallet of one of England’s most powerful and dangerous men, it’s not just her own identity she must hide, but that of her father.

New Year’s Reading Resolutions
These are more general resolutions, not solely YA-focused, but I’ve got two reading resolutions for 2008.

1. With this in mind, read at least one non-fiction book a month. At least four books must be YA non-fiction. Alas, I can’t think of any upcoming YA non-fiction I want to read, but I’ve got 3 YA non-fiction and 2 adult non-fiction books checked out right now, which I hope means I’ll be on track with this goal.

2. Read at least one book in translation a month. A book originally written in a foreign language and translated into English, I mean. And since I know I could do this entirely with books from the mystery aisle (and probably one year’s worth in one month, too), I’ll say that at least four books must be non-mysteries, and a couple, whether mysteries or not, must be written for children or teens. Like Guardian of the Spirit by Nahoko Uehashi. And manga doesn’t count. First up: The Redbreast by Jo Nesbø, which is not a YA book but is over 500 pages long and due back at the library in a little over a week.

Princesses
I would never want to be a princess, but for some reason I like to read about them.

Forever Princess (Princess Diaries #10) by Meg Cabot, especially since this is the last in the series

Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Aurelia by Anne Osterlund

Retellings, Fairy Tale
A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce (Rumplestiltskin; see Miss Erin’s review)

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George (East of the Sun and West of the Moon; for another retelling, try East by Edith Pattou)

The Swan Kingdom by Zoë Marriott (doesn’t sound exactly like a retelling, but inspired by The Wild Swans)

Scarletts
In any given year, you can find multiple characters with the same name. Still, I thought it interesting that there will be at least two books about girls named Scarlett. And, yes, I want to read both Kiss Me Kill Me by Lauren Henderson and Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson.

Plus, it looks like there’s a Scarlet in ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley, which makes this list mostly because of two words: gummy bear.

Sequels (okay, I’m cheating with two S’s)
I might not have loooooved The Luxe, but I’m still dying to find out what happens next, so I’ve got to read Rumors by Anna Godbersen.

Also Hell Week by Rosemary Clement-Moore, Kitty Kitty by Michele Jaffe, and Janes in Love by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg.

I had Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce on this list, until I checked Amazon again, and saw that it was postponed (again) to May 2009. Is this book ever going to come out? Although I would much prefer a delayed but excellent book to an on time but blah book, so I’ll stop complaining.

And in the it’s-a-companion-novel-not-a-sequel-but-I’m-sticking-it-here-anyway category: the dead & the gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Titles
Titles totally matter, and I love these titles.

Band Geek Love by Josie Bloss

Debbie Harry Sings in French by Meagan Brothers

The Explosionist by Jenny Davidson. And the story sounds good, too:

[I]t is the story of a 15-year-old girl growing up in an alternate version of 1930s Edinburgh, one where the legacy of Napoleon’s victory a century earlier at Waterloo is a standoff between a totalitarian Federation of European States and a group of independent northern countries called the New Hanseatic League. This world is preoccupied with technology (everything from electric cookers to high explosives) but also with spiritualism, a movement our world largely abandoned in the early twentieth century; Sigmund Freud is a radio talk-show crank, cars run on hydrogen and the most prominent scientists experiment with new ways of contacting the dead.

Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty by Jody Gehrman

Fat Hoochie Prom Queen by Nico Medina

La Petite Four by Regina Scott

Crimes of the Sarahs by Kristen Tracy (Ooh, website. Yay!)

Vampire-less Paranormal Fiction
A.k.a., the “I need a category that doesn’t start with a letter I’ve already used” category. The vampire books don’t seem to be slowing down, so I’m trying to do my part to encourage people to read more non-vampire books.

Wake by Lisa McMann, about a girl who can see into other people’s dreams. Which sounds like exactly the kind of paranormal fiction I want to read more of.