Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making

Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente

Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday. 

With exquisite illustrations by acclaimed artist Ana Juan, Fairyland lives up to the sensation it created when the author first posted it online. For readers of all ages who love the charm of Alice in Wonderland and the soul of The Golden Compass, here is a reading experience unto itself: unforgettable, and so very beautiful. -Plot summary borrowed from Goodreads

I'm not sure I have words for how much I love this book. It is definitely reminiscent of so many classic stories, and that is because it is mostly about classic stories, and how much we love them, and how important and real to us they can be. If you ever checked the back of your closet for an entrance to Narnia, scanned the skies for your owl-borne acceptance letter to Hogwarts, or wished that you could run off to Green Gables or Digitopolis or the Shire or Oz, do yourself a favor and read this book.

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Anya's Ghost

Anya's Ghost, Vera Brosgol

Anya could really use a friend. But her new BFF isn't kidding about the "Forever" part . . .

Of all the things Anya expected to find atthe bottom of an old well, a new friend was not one of them. Especially not a new friend who's been dead for a century.
 
Falling down a well is bad enough, but Anya's normal life might actually be worse. She's embarrassed by her family, self-conscious about her body, and she's pretty much given up on fitting in at school. A new friend--even a ghost--is just what she needs.
 
Or so she thinks. -Plot summary borrowed from Goodreads

Poor Anya. High school is hard enough without the extra pressures of an immigrant family and body issues. She's such a relatable character, but as recognizable as she seemed to me, I also feel like I got a whole new perspective on life for new Americans, what it's like to have strong cultural ties, etc. There is a lot to love here.

If the theme and/or art style of Anya's Ghost appeals to you, you might also want to check out American Born Chinese and/or Level Up by Gene Luen Yang, and (of course) Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.

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Trying Again

Hey Readers. Sorry I flaked on the blog for so long, but I'm trying to get back in the swing of things now. So keep a look out for new book reviews, movie news, and other oddments. Thanks!

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Review: The Adoration of Jenna Fox

"Who is Jenna Fox? Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a coma, they tell her, and she is still recovering from a terrible accident in which she was involved a year ago. But what happened before that? Jenna doesn't remember her life. Or does she? And are the memories really hers?

This fascinating novel represents a stunning new direction for acclaimed author Mary Pearson. Set in a near future America, it takes readers on an unforgettable journey through questions of bio-medical ethics and the nature of humanity. Mary Pearson's vividly drawn characters and masterful writing soar to a new level of sophistication." -Goodreads

Stats:

• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
• Release date: April 29, 2008
• Page count: 265
• Unique elements: Gray pages contain almost verse format of protagonist's thoughts, subheadings rather than chapters
• Would appeal to: Anyone named Jenna (I mean, that's why I picked it up!), futuristic thinkers, those who enjoy unraveling a mystery

Favorite Quotes:

"Mother says the Cotswold cottage we live in needs lots of restoration...One restoration is not that different from another, she says. Fixing me and the Cotswold are her new careers."

"There is something about her eyes. Eyes don't breathe. I know that much. But hers look breathless."

"A choir of pink-cheeked boys lift their voices as a priest seems to pull the music from their throats with the urging of his hands...It feels like it is shaking something inside of me, something that aches."

"I don't care if the mustard goes down well or not...She knew she couldn't stop me, and the little click of power that ran through me did go down well."

"I slide my arms around his back and hold him, strumming the knots of the spine and the blade of his shoulder, weighing the events that have made us both who we are now."

"She holds her arms out to me, and I slip through space like a feather on a current of wind, effortlessly carried by the force that is Claire."

"There are no keys flying through the air. No hot glimpses of a night that still escapes me but has changed me forever...But fresh words that somehow crawl through my scalp until I feel I may be mad."

So I tried to narrow down these quotes more, but I couldn't. Mary E. Pearson impressed me with the way she builds a sentence.

Although I had high hopes for the novel, I was disappointed.

The premise is intriguing. Girl loses her memory after being in a coma for a year. Suspicious acting parents and a sudden move from Boston before Jenna wakes up. No one answers questions, and  grandma seems pissed she even woke up.

I think a lot of my disappointment was because I figured out the plot pretty early on. That's not to say there wasn't at least one surprise along the way. And the plotting for this, how it's revealed in bits as Jenna realizes things, must have been a lengthy process. I feel if the author would have given a few less hints early on, the startling realization about what happened to Jenna would have been more impactful.

Something though, kept me turning the pages. I read the majority of the book on a cruise and an airplane, and I wished for the feeling that made me want to run out and buy The Fox Chronicles, book #2, but it just wasn't there. If anyone's read the second book, let me know what you thought!

As far as characters go, I found Jenna's mom Claire annoying and overbearing (but who wouldn't be upon almost losing a daughter?). I liked Jenna's grandmother towards the middle of the book but it was hard at first since she was so cold to Jenna. However, when the secret is revealed, you understand why Lily is this way. The school Jenna attends has a good variety of characters. I appreciated the spot-on descriptions of Dane having empty eyes, as he is a little creepy. It was interesting how Jenna noticed facial expressions so well after she woke up. It reminds me of the TV show Lie to Me. A pair of eyes and a mouth can give away the tiniest of details if you know what to look for. Jenna didn't have to try at it, she just had intuition.

The other bit I liked was how Jenna looked up the definitions of simple words right after her coma. It gives off the sense of beginning all over. It also reminds us how many definitions one word can have (or that the English language is crazy confusing!). I did enjoy the ending (the last three pages) and thought it rounded out the novel. I can see how another book could be easily written, but this could also be a stand alone.

The science aspects were believable even though I had to move on without understanding all of it (not a science person!). This is a scary portrait of what our future could hold as far as science and medicine are concerned.

If you do pick up this book, read the interview with the author at the end. It will give you a lot of insight as to why she wrote the story.

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Review: Amplified

"When privileged 17-year-old Jasmine gets kicked out of her house, she takes what is left of her savings and flees to Santa Cruz to pursue her dream of becoming a musician. Jasmine finds the ideal room in an oceanfront house, but she needs to convince the three guys living there that she's the perfect roommate and lead guitarist for their band, C-Side. Too bad she has major stage fright and the cute bassist doesn't think a spoiled girl from over the hill can hack it. . .

In this fresh new novel by critically acclaimed author Tara Kelly, Jasmine finds out what happens when her life gets Amplified."- Goodreads

Stats:

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Release date: Oct. 25, 2011

Page count: 293

Would appeal to: If I Stay/Where She Went fans, music lovers, Audrey Wait! fans

 Favorite Quotes:

"I hope they didn't expect me to dance. Jason told me I dance like a cat with Scotch tape on its paws."

"A solo without a story was like a singer with perfect pitch but a dead voice. Technique got a musician only so far."

"Unveven bits of stubble ran along his jaw, as if he'd rushed shaving. It made him seem less together, more human."

There's also one about Veta trying to forklift information from Jasmine's mind, but I can't find it at the moment.

So you know when you read those books that have some sort of technical jargon, and you think, "Man, this author seriously did her research" or "Man, this author must have lived this because it's so detailed"? The second is true for Tara Kelly in her book, Amplified. She knows her equipment and does a good job having the characters explain it (not everyone in the band is familiar with some of the guitar aides Jasmine uses). The author describes music effortlessly. I've never read a story about music that puts me right there in the audience listening while the singer riffs and the guitarist changes frets and the keyboard player rolls an underwater synth bass. I finished this book in less than a day. It helped that the author's own passion shined through her words.

What, besides the music, makes this book a great read?

-The romance: It's gritty and awkward with the right mix of argumentative moments. There's the guy you love to hate, even more so when you fall for him. But Sean is so three dimensional. He paints, studies marine biology, and works on cars. He's heartbroken over an ex who cheated on him, but she keeps trying to come back and restart their relationship. But every time this punk of a girl with a guitar, Jasmine, says something idiotic, he's there to smirk or call her out. They have amazing back and forth moments.

-The characters: Veta is great. She speaks her mind, will go to bat for those she loves, and takes Jasmine in like she's a lost puppy. Felix has blue hair he likes to wear in pigtails. They do makeup together. Bryn is bullheaded and arrogant with a soft side. Sean, Veta, Felix, and Bryn make an awesome team, each bringing something different to the band, but Jasmine adds a whole new level of professionalism with her guitar playing. I also liked Zoe, Veta's little sister, and their mom, psychic Tina. A Spanish family that only half believes in ghosts. Their family almost made me forget how angry I was with Jasmine's father for kicking her out and not calling.

-The dialogue: Real conversations. Hilarious moments. I smiled and laughed out loud.

-Lots of parties. And not the cliched red Solo cups overflowing with beer ones.

-The message: Obvious but not preachy. You can get mistakes, live through screw-ups. The important part is that you live doing what makes you happy.

This is a fun read to get lost in. I haven't read a whole lot of contemporary lately, but this put me in a great summer mood! Thank you, Kristan @ Lost Amongst the Shelves for recommending this one! It didn't disappoint, and I appreciated the ending.

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Free Book!

Marina's Tales is a series of four books following a teenage girl named Marina who discovers a mermaid and begins to have strange experiences involving the ocean.  I have read and reviewed the first three (Between The Land And The Sea, The Moon And The Tide, and The Fate Of The Muse) but haven't had a chance to read the final one, The Turning Tides, yet (I'm excited about it though!).  The author, Derrolyn Anderson, has decided to give away her first book in the series for FREE!  You can read my review of Between The Land And The Sea here.  

Download the book at:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/50600 

code # FM28V

Check it out- you won't be sorry!  And a big thanks to Derrolyn!

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Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

"Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it."

- Goodreads

Stats:

• Publisher: Poppy/ Little, Brown & Co.
• Release date: Jan. 2, 2012
• Page count: 236
• Would appeal to: Fans of an amazing love story, Sarah Dessen fans, Sarah Ockler fans

Favorite Quotes:

"She felt a tiny seed of resentment take root inside of her. It was like the pit of a peach, something small and hard and mean, a bitterness she was certain would never dissolve."

"She wishes they could turn around and fly back in the other direction, circling the globe backward, chasing the night they left behind."

"'Those are cumulus clouds. Did you know that?...They're the best ones.' 'How come?' 'Because they look the way clouds are supposed to look, the way you draw them when you're a kid. Which is nice, you know? I mean, the sun never looks the way you drew it.' 'Like a wheel with spokes?'"

"...Hadley wonders if they'll be able to stop at all. But they do, of course they do, and everything goes quite again; after traveling nearly five hundred miles per hour for almost seven hours, they now commence crawling to the gate with all the unhurried speed of an apple cart."

"Even when she was old enough to read herself, they still tackled the classics together, moving from Anna Karenina to Pride and Prejudice to The Grapes of Wrath as if traveling across the globe itself, leaving holes in the bookshelves like missing teeth."

I'm still left squealing from how cute and perfect this book is!

First of all, this is a quick read. Cuddly but somewhat bumpy love story, multi-dimensional family relationships, funny dialogue, and believable characters.

What girl doesn't imagine falling in love at an airport or with a guy next to her? The great thing about this story is we've all been there-- getting into a conversation with another passenger and never even exchanging names. Learning all about someone's family history and goals and job, and it doesn't even matter because we don't plan on seeing that person again. You might be the other type who never says a word, but it's such close quarters. I remember when my husband said the lady next to him clutched his hand on takeoff because she was so scared. Close proximity provides a level of comfort.

Though I'm a huge fan of the love story element, the backstories of the characters were entirely believable and allowed me to forget I was reading fiction. Some of the flashbacks from Hadley's life delivered such an emotional punch and were perfectly placed. She can't seem to accept that her dad has moved on and is getting married. He's made several mistakes in the route he took, sure, but she is determined to hate her new stepmother because she's a reason their family is broken. I enjoyed watching the relationship between Hadley and her dad go from awkward to a lesser version of the term. It was very realistic in its development.

The story is told in 3rd person present tense, which threw me at first. After I gave it a chapter two, I couldn't imagine it being told another way.

Oliver, the cute British guy who helps Hadley with her bags, is so funny. He is doing a summer research study at Yale, though it could be about a number of things because he likes to make jokes. Also, on the plane, Hadley and Oliver talk about the most interesting topics. In some ways, they avoid what's important, in other ways, they cover everything that's important. The seven hour flight becomes much too short. Hadley and Oliver might never see each other again. Except for the fact that both revealed tiny details about where they were going. Or big ones, as in Hadley's case.

Great twist in the story that it took me a while to see coming. Seriously, go get this one! It's a combination of heavy and light, fun and sad. Love, love, love the romance!!!

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