365 Days of Books

MY Guardian Angel is set in a Jewish community in Troyes, France. The crusaders are travelling through the land and the whole community is afraid of what violent action might be visited on them through the crusaders. Twelve year old Elvina is the grandaughter of a great teacher/rabbi Rashi. She is allowed to sit in the back of the Jewish school and has been trained in herbal cures.

Elvina takes a chance and helps out some crusaders, twice, because she thinks it is the right thing to do. Will those choices bring destruction on her family? Who is the guardian angel? Will Elvina start her own school? Will she live long enough to get married?

Nicely written, this book addresses a scary time without lots of violence and while the danger is serious it is not scary.

Heart of Gold is a love story set on a different planet. There are romances in other of Shinn's books but they are an enhancing part of the story, and stronger relationships. Heart of Gold is more harlequin feeling.

Power and position on this world are determined by colour. There are three distinct races: indigo, gulden, and albino and each is structured differently (at least I think so, the albino structure is not well explained) with the indigoes as a matriarchy with men relegated to mostly non-educated roles, the guldens as male dominated rebels who keep their women secluded and powerless. Young gulden males are involved in terrorist actions against the indigo and tensions are high. Kit is an indigo woman from a high powerful family but she was raised by her father among the gulden and she feel attached to them and is the lover of a high ranking gulden man. Nolan, an indigo male who works in a biolab, stumbles onto a plot to decimate the guldens and he captures Kit to use as a hostage and key to the guldens so that he can warn them about the plot. Blah, blah, blah, they fall in love.

The Kite Runner is a story of love, betrayal, and redemption set in Afghanistan between the end of the monarchy and somewhere close to present day.

Secrets run through this story; secrets that change lives in the keeping or the telling.

Amir loves his father and is always looking for approval and love returned. His father seems to be always comparing Amir to other boys and finding him lacking. Even Hassan, a servant boy, gets more positive attention from Amir's father than Amir does. Through harrowing situation after situation the father and son make their way out of Afghanistan and to the US where their lives are changed although they remain the inner people that they were before. There is a time where Amir stops worshipping his father and starts to love and respect him for the human being that he was.

In The Wish eigth grader Wilma wishes that she was the most popular person at school. Her wish is granted but, like many fairy granted wishes, it has disturbing effects. Wilma isn't sure who likes her for who she is and who likes her because of the wish, she is not popular with people who do not attend her school, her friends boyfriends hit on her, and graduation is rapidly approaching and Wilma wonders what will happen when she no longer attends her school.

Gail Carson Levine asks some tough questions about popularity and she gives some insights into what makes people, especially middle school students, act the way they do.

I remember reading Sister Light, Sister Dark and White Jenna when they first came out way back in the late 1980's. I was out of college but reading young adult fiction voraciously. Yes, I read almost everything voraciously but I didn't really have access to modern YA books when I was growing up. We rarely bought books from major bookstores though my family frequented a book exchange several times a year. I always had access to private libraries (I never went to a public library until I was in college) but they were limited by their focus. Several of the libraries belonged to private christian schools and in one there was no science fiction or fantasy other than Tolkein and C.S. Lewis. The books were more reliable for research than for fun reading.

Anyway, I loved Light Sister, Dark Sister and the year of waiting for White Jenna seemed impassable. Rereading these books I felt less of the thrill and some chafing at the structure of Myth, Legend, History, Story. I did find the differences in the tellings interesting and let my mind follow how these differences could happen but I felt like they broke the story into less flowing parts.

They are complicated books to try to summarize. The worshippers of Alta are set apart communities of women. They practice religion and life that follow the sayings of Great Alta and their warriors are well known and respected. One of their great secrets is their practice of calling shadow sisters from a mirror to join them in this world. Jenna seems to fulfill an ancient prophecy through her unusual birth and mothers but she and her hame leader are not sure and ask for greater signs. When Jenna and her friend unknowingly become tangled in political intrigue, the fury of the reigning king and his 4 lords are brought against the communities of women. Whether or not she wasnts to be involved, Jenna is central to both the beginning and the end. Priestesses keep reminging everyone to read the prophecies "on the slant".

An added bonus for those of you who are musically inclined, each book has the words and music for the songs in the story.

I recommend this book, I guess to people in 5th grade through high school.

Rent Girl is a graphic novel and I do mean graphic.

Rent Girl has an autobiographical feeling to it which is bolstered by the publishers comment "A graphic and uncompromising autobiographical bender, the story of Tea's years as a prostitute...". The book itself doesn't actually say it is autobiographical but the details are so real, so sadly funny, that they ring true.

A young lesbian needs money and when her worldy, older girlfriend reveals that she is a prostitute it looks like a chance. After all, this girlfriend is emotionally healthy. Isn't she? The life of an in-call or out-call prostitute has its benefits (money) but so many more things that speak against it. Reading it, I wondered if I was living this how I could even think while feeling all that tiredness and despair and lack of nourishing brain food. In and out of the business life goes on and across the country prostitution leads to drug dealing (though she is terrible at it).

If she is a victim, it is a victim of lassitude, of not knowing how to break out or of lacking the energy to get into the new way. And when she leaves sex work for "legitimate" jobs the constant beating down and humiliation for such small amounts of wages leer at her more than the johns. She wonders what is worse verbally abused of silently judged and concludes that is is silently judged but that judgement touches copy store minimum wage workers as much as it does tarty women at bars.

I laughed quite often while reading this book. One of my favorite (non-laughable) bits came at the beginning of the book: "she was of course revealing herself to be a liar, something neither of us understood at the time...it lodged a suspicion, a bit of doom, in my heart. A magnetized sliver of grimness that drew to it every lie Steph would tell, getting chunkier and heavier as time went on." This is exactly how it feels to realize someone you trust is a liar; even if you understand the lies and aren't on the recieving end of the ones you see/hear, the sliver grows.

A solid feeling look at sex work seen without the filter of victim or superhero.

I'm shocked, shocked to get bumped for a meme. Twice. EACA and Amazonfemme. I don't know anyone to pass it on toward so I'll claim some of Sheelzebub's extra nominations.

I must let you know that I do not lightly stray from the blogging of books. (Go ahead, roll your eyes)

You're stuck inside Fahrenheit 451. Which book do you want to be?

Shadow Man by Melissa Scott

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character?

Asher Lev and Danny Saunders

The last book you bought is?

Rent Girl by Michelle Tea. Actually I bought 5 or 6 books this afternoon and that is the one I started reading right away.

What are you currently reading?

I just finished Rent Girl and I've just set down White Jenna by Jane Yolen

Five books you would take to a deserted island:

Some Foxfire books. I'm going to claim a set of three as an omnibus and bring two though I've never seen them in that format. These are great books and very handy. We gave some to my parents for their 25th anniversary in preparation for their retirement...they just celebrated their 50th anniversary.

The Scar by China Mieville, Solitaire by Kelley Eskridge (what can I say? I'm still thinking about this book), and Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett.

Who are you going to pass this stick to (3 persons) and why?
I'm claiming some of Sheelzebub's pings. see above

Firegold is the story of Jonathon Brae. Jonathon is a misfit among the brown eyed valley fold. He has blue eyes which have traditionally been linked to adult insanity. As Jonathon grows toward adulthood he is shunned more and more and is confronted by differences between himself and his family and their neighbours. He finds that he has a connection to the barbarian Dalriada and travels to find out if he has a place among them.

Jonathon learns a lot about the history of the people in both valley and mountains and his own family. Can he find a place for himself in the story?

I recommend this highly! The language is beautiful, the characters are solid, and the story meshes into the scenery.

Girl in a Cage is historical fiction of a very fine kind. I remember the first time I read Johnny Tremain; I was so much a part of the story that I felt like I was Johnny (despite the gender difference). I was proud, I despaired, I hoped. I really freaked out my teacher as I sobbed at the back of the class because my future as a silversmith was lost. Girl in a Cage was like that for me.

Marjorie Bruce is the king's daughter. The problem is that not all of Scotland acknowledges her father as king and King Edward of England certainly sees Robert Bruce as a traitor and pretneder to the throne. As Robert Bruce marshalls his small but determined band of supporters, King Edward sets upon Bruce's family and captures Marjorie, her stepmother, and Aunts. Marjorie is separated and kept in a cage in a small village in England. This is not how she expected Princess life to be. Edward visits her to taunt her and villagers throw food and rocks at her. 11 year old MArjorie is very human and swings from worrying about her Father and stepmother to fretting about her lack of beautiful clothing (and warmth, food, and privacy). She determines that the Princessy thing to do will be to defy King Edward until one of them is dead.

This book makes clear the complicated way that Scotland and England were intertwined. I also recommend The Queen's Own Fool.

East by Edith Pattou incorporates parts of several familiar folk and fairy tales sparked by innovative new details and threads.

Ebba Rose, known as Rose, is the youngest child in her family. Her superstitious mother has named all the children for the direction they were facing at birth. Rose was born to take the place of an older East-born daughter who had died but there is a small problem...Rose was actually born facing North. The North-born wandering ways are a part of her early life and her mother fights against them in a vain attempt to protect her child. The family's luck is failing when a white bear shows up and offers a change in fortunes if Rose will come away with him. Rose finds that her longing to explore and wander links well with the responsibility of making a positive choice for her family. Rose's mother keeps trying to protect Rose and in doing so leads Rose ionto a terrible situation.

I saw bits and pieces of The Snow Queen, Beauty and the Beast, and Snow White and Rose Red in this book. I really liked the inclusion of Nordic gods and folklore.

I had to wrestle Now You See It... away from the next reader in line. She took it before I could blog it and I think she was trying to smuggle it into bed. (wrestle,wrestle) I got it back for a few hours.

This book is a lot of fun! Wendy has issues. Her parents are divorced and remarried, she has a stepsister who is not evil but is more beautiful and popular than Wendy, and her beloved Grandmother has alzheimers. Wendy hates her glasses and dreams of a relationship with her Kindergarten crush.

One day Wendy finds a pair of sunglasses on the lawn. She tries them on and not only are they her prescription (yeah, right) but she can see newly dead people leaving their bodies, weird arches, and some of her classmates look totally different when viewed through the sunglasses. Of course, these are not your average sunglasses from the mall store and much hilarity and true courage follow.

Never Trust a Dead Man is another slim volume by Vivian Vande Velde. This lovely little book is a mystery. Farold is dead and Selwyn is found guilty of murdering him; no villager actually wants to kill Selwyn so they blockade him in the tomb with Farold so he can die on his own...alone in a cave with lots of dead bodies from fresh to ancient.

A witch brings Selwyn out of the cave and brings Farold back as a bat and the two men set out to solve the mystery of Farold's murder. Selwyn has been very naive and has never applied deep motives to anything the other villagers have done. In disguise he reenters the village and gets an education on how the other villagers are real people with their own petty intigues and problems. Instead of instantly finding the culprit and becoming a hero, Selwyn founders deeper and deeper in possible suspects until the suddenly obvious ending.

Well written and hilarious. Not creepy.

Dragon's Bait is an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers and is a light but not terribly fluffy book. There is a plucky heroine, a handsome and enigmatic hero, and a mean cruel world. Truth and love win out and a lesson on the perils of revenge is written.

Not bad but not quite up to Heir Apparent standards.

The Tar-Aiym Krang has also been put in the box by the bed. I've started it 3 times in the last couple of weeks and I just can't keep interested. Perhaps another month or so; it took me a while to get into For Love of Mother Not but in the end I quite liked it.

Yes, I liked Sorcery Rising so much that I ran out and got the next book in the series, Wild Magic.

Wild Magic is not as good as Sorcery Rising. I don't feel that the characters are as engaging as they were when they were introduced...learning more about them is disheartening not illuminating. At lest so far; I'm putting the book down for a while because I'm having to force myself to read a paragraph at a time.

Sorcery Rising is a nice book. It is the first in a set (Fools Gold) and paints the backdrops of culture, politics, and power. The people of Elda are separated by their livelihoods, their views of women, and their Gods. A cautious peace is in force following terrible wars.

But Gods and wild magics are stirring and change is coming. The changes will be violent and will affect whole countries and individual people at bery deep levels.

I really liked the rock climbing details.

Being Dead has seven stories about dead people who have not quite moved on. Some of the stories are better than others. I think that Being Dead was the weakest story; Drop by Drop and October Chill were much better.

The stories were creepy. Very much like Stephen King for a younger set of readers (no sex and little gore).

The Cure is set in a future where diversity is a bad word and where music and arts are forms of deviance. People are produced in twins who are then mated for life. Serotonins, subliminals, and conditioning assure that people will be calm and ordinary.

Gemm 16884 dreams of music, he walks to a different cadence from his friends, and now that his time of adult choice is approaching his yearning to dance and make music are becoming more prominant. When the Elders become aware of Gemm's deviance, they offer him a choice of death through recycling or The Cure. Desperate for life, Gemm chooses The Cure and finds himself living in 1348 Strausburg Germany as a young Jewish man. The Black Plague is just starting to spread throughout Europe and pogroms against Jews are flaring up. Gemm, as Johannes, is a music loving young man looking forward to marriage and working as assistant to his moneylender father. Through the hard times and oppression Johannes' music is a bright and happy light.

I won't tell how it is that the experience is supposed to turn Gemm against music forever but it is violent. Can anyone go through that and not be changed?

User Unfriendly is a little bit like Heir Apparent. Giannine, the heroine of Heir Apparent is even a character in User Unfriendly. I thought that User Unfriendly was an inferior book. The story didn't grab my attention and I didn't find myself trying to figure out what was happening; perhaps because it wasn't clear what was wrong. The ending was neat and interesting.

Arvin and his friends have hacked into a Rasmussen role playing game. They are themselves and their characters and are expecting the usual fighting, search for treasure, and strange creatures but something is wrong. They have found several holes and glitches in the program, things that would be taken care of if they were playing in a monitored (and expensive) Rasmussen virtual parlor and Arvin's mother, along for her first ever game, is sick. As time passes slowly in the game (5 days pass in an actual hour) mistakes are made more and more often, the quest is not what they expected, and Arvin's mother gets sicker and sicker until she eventually starts to disappear from the game.

Arvin is a self-conscious teen who worries that every move he makes looks dumb and who feels that the other players are judging him and not coming to a flattering conclusion. Interestingly, after the game is over, he finds that other players had the same thoughts about themselves.