Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Early May
Getting the Girl by Markus Zusak - Cameron isn't as cool, buff, or dynamic as his brothers but even as he acknowledges his weaknesses he sees possibilities for friendship and love. Not bad, a rough and tumble family.
Cobwebs by Karen Romano Young - I really liked this book! Highly recommended! Nancy had a lot to deal with in her strange family. Her mother stays in their basement apartment, her father walks the roofs, her grandparents are ailing but still make mysterious visits to strangers. What is Nancy's place in her family? What are her talents (hint: she knits!) And who is that mysterious boy?
Prince Across the Water by Jane Yolen is another of her fabulous historical fictions. I highly recommend it as well as her other two "Queen's Own Fool" and "Girl in a Cage". All three books do not hide the misery and fear of war but neither are they overly gory. In each story, the motivations and characters are truely human and understandable in the context of the story.
Fighting Ruben Wolf by Markus Zusak - this is the first of the Ruben Wolf books that I read. Cameron and his brother Ruben wander about town not exactly looking for trouble but always finding it. The family is having a hard time and Cameron and Ruben sign on with a fight manager to make some money. Ruben is all looks and glory but Cameron fights with the strength of his fear and persistance.
A Scholar of Magics by Caroline Stevermer - I found the beginning of this book so dull and tedious that I didn't finish it before it was due back at the library and I had no interest in renewing it. I'm told that it got interesting later on but I never made it past the first few chapters.
Easter Everywhere by Darcy Steinke - a memoir. Darcy's mother is at times suicidal as she contemplates how insecure her life is and Darcy's father flits from job to church and back with a strong conviction but more ideals than focus. My father is a preacher and flawed as any other human but we were lucky (?) that he and my mother considered our whole family as important a calling from God as any other mission. Darcy seems to realize the dysfunction relatively early but seeing it and dragging yourself to health are two different things.
Feather in the Storm: A Childhood Lost in Chaos by Emily Wu - a memoir. Emily's parents were considered enemies of the state and their reeducation was brutal and longtermed. With each wave of reordering in Maoist China the family moves up and down in society living separately in reeducation camps or together in university housing, getting a living wage or starving and working for nothing, getting an education and working in the fields.
Sold by Patricia McCormick - Lakshmi lives with her family in rural Nepal. Her stepfather drinks away their money and her mother always seems to defer to him even when her baby's health is at risk. Lakshmi's father arranges to send her to the city to work as a maid so that she can financially help the family. At least that is what he tells her and her mother. Instead she is sold and smuggled out of the country into India where she is held at a brothel. Lakshmi tries to withstand the pressures and horrors of being a prostitute but she is drugged and starved into submission. Her life as a prostitute is spirit breaking but she keeps the secret goal of buying herself out of slavery and going home. There are a few "bright" points; Lakshmi makes a friend of a prostitute and her family and they nourish her with affection and the local Chai boy sometimes gives her free tea. Later this same boy helps by bringing in a foreigner who wishes to help release girls and women from sexual slavery.
Without a Map: a memoir by Meredith Hall. Meredith's father has left for another woman and her mother is determined that no blame should fall on her or her children. Everything seems "ok" until Meredith's mother falls in love and takes a Summer job leaving Meredith unsupervised for long hours at the beach. Fascinated and scared by a brash young man, Meredith responds to his flirting. Soon she is pregnant at 16 and her life as a good girl and student are gone. She tries to hide her pregnancy but on the day it is discovered she is evicted from school, her mother arranges to throw her out, and all her friends desert her. She is sent to live with her father and his wife but they are not much better; they try to keep her hidden in their house and leave her alone for weeks at a time. Under terrible pressure Meredith gives the baby up for adoption and finds she still is not allowed her old life back. She goes from feeling loved (if somewhat mneglected) to unloved and unloveable. Her struggle to emerge and see herself as a worthy person is heartwrenching.
Best New Paranormal Romance edited by Paula Guran I picked this up by accident (I missed the word romance) but I really enjoyed. These are beautifully written stories with a good range of styles and plots.
Cobwebs by Karen Romano Young - I really liked this book! Highly recommended! Nancy had a lot to deal with in her strange family. Her mother stays in their basement apartment, her father walks the roofs, her grandparents are ailing but still make mysterious visits to strangers. What is Nancy's place in her family? What are her talents (hint: she knits!) And who is that mysterious boy?
Prince Across the Water by Jane Yolen is another of her fabulous historical fictions. I highly recommend it as well as her other two "Queen's Own Fool" and "Girl in a Cage". All three books do not hide the misery and fear of war but neither are they overly gory. In each story, the motivations and characters are truely human and understandable in the context of the story.
Fighting Ruben Wolf by Markus Zusak - this is the first of the Ruben Wolf books that I read. Cameron and his brother Ruben wander about town not exactly looking for trouble but always finding it. The family is having a hard time and Cameron and Ruben sign on with a fight manager to make some money. Ruben is all looks and glory but Cameron fights with the strength of his fear and persistance.
A Scholar of Magics by Caroline Stevermer - I found the beginning of this book so dull and tedious that I didn't finish it before it was due back at the library and I had no interest in renewing it. I'm told that it got interesting later on but I never made it past the first few chapters.
Easter Everywhere by Darcy Steinke - a memoir. Darcy's mother is at times suicidal as she contemplates how insecure her life is and Darcy's father flits from job to church and back with a strong conviction but more ideals than focus. My father is a preacher and flawed as any other human but we were lucky (?) that he and my mother considered our whole family as important a calling from God as any other mission. Darcy seems to realize the dysfunction relatively early but seeing it and dragging yourself to health are two different things.
Feather in the Storm: A Childhood Lost in Chaos by Emily Wu - a memoir. Emily's parents were considered enemies of the state and their reeducation was brutal and longtermed. With each wave of reordering in Maoist China the family moves up and down in society living separately in reeducation camps or together in university housing, getting a living wage or starving and working for nothing, getting an education and working in the fields.
Sold by Patricia McCormick - Lakshmi lives with her family in rural Nepal. Her stepfather drinks away their money and her mother always seems to defer to him even when her baby's health is at risk. Lakshmi's father arranges to send her to the city to work as a maid so that she can financially help the family. At least that is what he tells her and her mother. Instead she is sold and smuggled out of the country into India where she is held at a brothel. Lakshmi tries to withstand the pressures and horrors of being a prostitute but she is drugged and starved into submission. Her life as a prostitute is spirit breaking but she keeps the secret goal of buying herself out of slavery and going home. There are a few "bright" points; Lakshmi makes a friend of a prostitute and her family and they nourish her with affection and the local Chai boy sometimes gives her free tea. Later this same boy helps by bringing in a foreigner who wishes to help release girls and women from sexual slavery.
Without a Map: a memoir by Meredith Hall. Meredith's father has left for another woman and her mother is determined that no blame should fall on her or her children. Everything seems "ok" until Meredith's mother falls in love and takes a Summer job leaving Meredith unsupervised for long hours at the beach. Fascinated and scared by a brash young man, Meredith responds to his flirting. Soon she is pregnant at 16 and her life as a good girl and student are gone. She tries to hide her pregnancy but on the day it is discovered she is evicted from school, her mother arranges to throw her out, and all her friends desert her. She is sent to live with her father and his wife but they are not much better; they try to keep her hidden in their house and leave her alone for weeks at a time. Under terrible pressure Meredith gives the baby up for adoption and finds she still is not allowed her old life back. She goes from feeling loved (if somewhat mneglected) to unloved and unloveable. Her struggle to emerge and see herself as a worthy person is heartwrenching.
Best New Paranormal Romance edited by Paula Guran I picked this up by accident (I missed the word romance) but I really enjoyed. These are beautifully written stories with a good range of styles and plots.
# posted by JJ @ 5:33 AM 
