Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
High on the side of rocky Mount Eskel, far from the valleys where gardens are green and lush, where lowlanders make laws, Miri’s family has lived forever, pounding a living from the stone of the mountain itself. For as long as she can remember, Miri has dreamed of working alongside the other villagers in the quarries of her beloved mountainside. But Miri has never been allowed to work there, perhaps, she thinks, because she is so small. Then word comes from the valley that the king's priests have divined Mount Eskel to be the home of the prince’s bride-to-be—the next princess. The prince himself will travel to the village to choose her, but first all eligible girls must attend a makeshift mountain academy to prepare themselves for royal lowlander life.
At the school, Miri soon finds herself confronted by bitter competition among the girls and her own conflicting desires to be chosen by the prince. Yet when danger comes to the academy and threatens all their lives, it is Miri, named for a tiny mountain flower, who must find a way to save her classmates—and the one chance to leave the mountain each of them is determined to secure as her own.
Oh, what a lovely book. It is so beautifully written that I didn't want it to end. So much happens and you can't help cheering for Miri as she struggles to let herself shine but still stay true to herself.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Bloodangel by Justine Musk
Jess, a rising young artist who is haunted by her parents' death and her uncle's abuse, paints strange, wild portraits of a teenage boy lost in the desert. It is the face of Ramsey, a skate-punk, bookworm foster kid who appeared in a police station at the age of seven, covered in blood. When a burned-out rock'n'roll star enters into an unholy alliance with a mysterious hitchhiker, and the forces of pre-biblical good and evil start to stir, Jess must unravel the truth about the boy's identity -- and her own. Her quest will take her to a place deep in the Mojave where magic is real, demons exist, and an underground rock'n'roll band has the power to bring on Apocalypse.
Everything is based on perception and everyone is reincarnated from someone else. Their lives constantly criss-cross through time until the time comes to awaken the inner demon to fight for the future of earth.
Wow! This beautifully written book is kind of a cross between horror and fantasy. It will be interesting to read more by this author.
Jess, a rising young artist who is haunted by her parents' death and her uncle's abuse, paints strange, wild portraits of a teenage boy lost in the desert. It is the face of Ramsey, a skate-punk, bookworm foster kid who appeared in a police station at the age of seven, covered in blood. When a burned-out rock'n'roll star enters into an unholy alliance with a mysterious hitchhiker, and the forces of pre-biblical good and evil start to stir, Jess must unravel the truth about the boy's identity -- and her own. Her quest will take her to a place deep in the Mojave where magic is real, demons exist, and an underground rock'n'roll band has the power to bring on Apocalypse.
Everything is based on perception and everyone is reincarnated from someone else. Their lives constantly criss-cross through time until the time comes to awaken the inner demon to fight for the future of earth.
Wow! This beautifully written book is kind of a cross between horror and fantasy. It will be interesting to read more by this author.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Penderwicks: a summer tale of four sisters, two rabbits, and a very interesting boy by Jeanne Birdsall
Along with their loving but preoccupied botanist father and a clumsy dog, the motherless Penderwick sisters responsible Rosalind, twelve; feisty Skye, eleven; creative Jane, ten; and shy Batty, four. Along with their loving but preoccupied botanist father and a clumsy dog named Hound, they spend their summer holiday in the Massachusetts Berkshires in a rose-covered cottage on the grounds of a mansion called Arundel Hall. A fast friendship develops between the girls and Jeffrey, the only child of Arundel's icy owner, Mrs. Tifton. This story offers much to the reader. Humor and friendship, this charming, old-fashioned story feels familiar in the way the best books seem like old friends.
This is so much like some of my favorite childhood books such as Tacy & Tib. Like a breathe of fresh air! Plus this won the National Book Awards for Young People's Literature Excellent!
Along with their loving but preoccupied botanist father and a clumsy dog, the motherless Penderwick sisters responsible Rosalind, twelve; feisty Skye, eleven; creative Jane, ten; and shy Batty, four. Along with their loving but preoccupied botanist father and a clumsy dog named Hound, they spend their summer holiday in the Massachusetts Berkshires in a rose-covered cottage on the grounds of a mansion called Arundel Hall. A fast friendship develops between the girls and Jeffrey, the only child of Arundel's icy owner, Mrs. Tifton. This story offers much to the reader. Humor and friendship, this charming, old-fashioned story feels familiar in the way the best books seem like old friends.
This is so much like some of my favorite childhood books such as Tacy & Tib. Like a breathe of fresh air! Plus this won the National Book Awards for Young People's Literature Excellent!
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo
Hilarity and hijinks abound in this tale about a voracious swine with an overweening yen for hot buttered toast. Mercy is the beloved pet pig of the doting Mr. and Mrs. Watson. When Mercy sneaks into her owner's bed one night, her added heft causes the bed to fall partway through the ceiling. Although the besotted Watsons assume Mercy is trotting off to seek help, the only search and rescue Mercy seems to care about involves butter and hot bread. In her quest for some midnight munchies, Mercy awakens the crotchety neighbor. Wild chases and mayhem ensue before help arrives in the guise of firefighters.
This book is so different that her previous books. Fun and light and more to come.
Hilarity and hijinks abound in this tale about a voracious swine with an overweening yen for hot buttered toast. Mercy is the beloved pet pig of the doting Mr. and Mrs. Watson. When Mercy sneaks into her owner's bed one night, her added heft causes the bed to fall partway through the ceiling. Although the besotted Watsons assume Mercy is trotting off to seek help, the only search and rescue Mercy seems to care about involves butter and hot bread. In her quest for some midnight munchies, Mercy awakens the crotchety neighbor. Wild chases and mayhem ensue before help arrives in the guise of firefighters.
This book is so different that her previous books. Fun and light and more to come.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Shape-Changer's Wife by Sharon Shinn
Aubrey was a student, gifted in the fine art of wizardry. But the more knowledge he acquired, the more he wanted to learn. So he travelled to a faraway land in search of the greatest master of all, the powerful shape-changer Glyrenden. From him, Aubrey expected to discover the secret of long-lost spells and the mysteries of arcane magic. But there was one discovery he never expected, one mystery he risked everything to solve. Her name was Lilith.
This is not a long book and I read it in one evening. Shinn has a way with words so you feel that you are almost there like a fly on the wall.
Aubrey was a student, gifted in the fine art of wizardry. But the more knowledge he acquired, the more he wanted to learn. So he travelled to a faraway land in search of the greatest master of all, the powerful shape-changer Glyrenden. From him, Aubrey expected to discover the secret of long-lost spells and the mysteries of arcane magic. But there was one discovery he never expected, one mystery he risked everything to solve. Her name was Lilith.
This is not a long book and I read it in one evening. Shinn has a way with words so you feel that you are almost there like a fly on the wall.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Rattled by Debra Galant
Set in the fictional subdivision of Galapagos Estates, Rattled is about what happens when soccer moms, animal rights activists, dishonest real estate developers and endangered species fight for ascendancy in the rapidly developing New Jersey suburbs.
Heather Peters is staring 35 in the face—though "depending on the light, she could still pass for a high school cheerleader. Her husband, Kevin, can barely stand her half the time, and her son, Conner, is a complete misfit—but at least they've just landed their dream home in Galapagos Estates, a new development in New Jersey. Galant follows their comic trials and those of two longtime area residents: Agnes, an animal lover and PETA sympathizer, and egg farmer Harlan White, who freelances as a handyman and makes a "fortune off those suckers." Which is how Harlan finds himself smashing the head of an endangered rattlesnake on Heather's back porch... and how Heather gets arrested after Agnes fingers her as the murderer of an endangered species... and how Galapagos Estates becomes the center of a media firestorm. Heather's rise to fame as a "rattlesnake killer" makes a handy metaphor about urban sprawl and the battle of new residents versus old ones, and pokes fun at the oversize egos of slimy developers and yuppies alike.
This book is one crazy ride. Kind of like the Stepford wives mixed with Desperate Housewives. I wouldn't say I laughed out loud but it was a fun read. What was interesting is that not one of the characters was really likeable. They all were annoying and crazy. I'd read more as they come out.
Set in the fictional subdivision of Galapagos Estates, Rattled is about what happens when soccer moms, animal rights activists, dishonest real estate developers and endangered species fight for ascendancy in the rapidly developing New Jersey suburbs.
Heather Peters is staring 35 in the face—though "depending on the light, she could still pass for a high school cheerleader. Her husband, Kevin, can barely stand her half the time, and her son, Conner, is a complete misfit—but at least they've just landed their dream home in Galapagos Estates, a new development in New Jersey. Galant follows their comic trials and those of two longtime area residents: Agnes, an animal lover and PETA sympathizer, and egg farmer Harlan White, who freelances as a handyman and makes a "fortune off those suckers." Which is how Harlan finds himself smashing the head of an endangered rattlesnake on Heather's back porch... and how Heather gets arrested after Agnes fingers her as the murderer of an endangered species... and how Galapagos Estates becomes the center of a media firestorm. Heather's rise to fame as a "rattlesnake killer" makes a handy metaphor about urban sprawl and the battle of new residents versus old ones, and pokes fun at the oversize egos of slimy developers and yuppies alike.
This book is one crazy ride. Kind of like the Stepford wives mixed with Desperate Housewives. I wouldn't say I laughed out loud but it was a fun read. What was interesting is that not one of the characters was really likeable. They all were annoying and crazy. I'd read more as they come out.
Friday, March 10, 2006
Pashazade by Jon Courtenay Grimwood
First in a trilology, this novel blends alternative SF and hard-boiled mystery. ZeeZee, who has spent his youth largely in boarding schools and in trouble, is also Ashraf al-Mansur, though that identity is unknown to him. Whisked away from a Seattle prison by his Aunt Nafisa, who he never knew existed, ZeeZee (aka Raf) is transported to El Iskandryia, an exotic, exquisitely detailed North African city. Lady Nafisa explains to her nephew that her brother married American Sally Welham and though divorced five days later, he is a legitimate offspring of an Emir. Aunt Nafisa introduces Ashraf to her niece nine year old Hani and his future wife Zara daughter of wealth; both hate him because the fuss made over him interferes with their respective lives.
However, before his aunt can complete arrangements for his entrance into the elite of Ottoman society, she is killed. As a newcomer and the sole heir to her fortune, the police suspect Ashraf murdered his aunt. Based on his American experience with Chinese employers, Ashraf knows he must prove his innocence or be railroaded into prison or worse. His only help comes from two females who loath him. Built on an alternate historical foundation to include Germany winning World War I and the Ottoman Empire thriving in the early twenty-first century. Ashraf also known as ZeeZee struggles with what he has learned about his patriarchal ancestry (his mother could not provide two consistent responses as her version of the truth kept wavering) and with his aunt's death. Hani and Zara add depth to Ashraf's character.
Great cast of characters and an interesting story. It took me awhile to get into this novel as the main character seems to change his personality as well as his name at various intervuls making it difficult ot follow sometimes. Kind of like riding a roller coaster and not really able to focus on anything until the ride is over and you say "Wow!". This book is kind of like that, especially the final few chapters. There are two more books in the series so I need to read it and see how I feel then.
First in a trilology, this novel blends alternative SF and hard-boiled mystery. ZeeZee, who has spent his youth largely in boarding schools and in trouble, is also Ashraf al-Mansur, though that identity is unknown to him. Whisked away from a Seattle prison by his Aunt Nafisa, who he never knew existed, ZeeZee (aka Raf) is transported to El Iskandryia, an exotic, exquisitely detailed North African city. Lady Nafisa explains to her nephew that her brother married American Sally Welham and though divorced five days later, he is a legitimate offspring of an Emir. Aunt Nafisa introduces Ashraf to her niece nine year old Hani and his future wife Zara daughter of wealth; both hate him because the fuss made over him interferes with their respective lives.
However, before his aunt can complete arrangements for his entrance into the elite of Ottoman society, she is killed. As a newcomer and the sole heir to her fortune, the police suspect Ashraf murdered his aunt. Based on his American experience with Chinese employers, Ashraf knows he must prove his innocence or be railroaded into prison or worse. His only help comes from two females who loath him. Built on an alternate historical foundation to include Germany winning World War I and the Ottoman Empire thriving in the early twenty-first century. Ashraf also known as ZeeZee struggles with what he has learned about his patriarchal ancestry (his mother could not provide two consistent responses as her version of the truth kept wavering) and with his aunt's death. Hani and Zara add depth to Ashraf's character.
Great cast of characters and an interesting story. It took me awhile to get into this novel as the main character seems to change his personality as well as his name at various intervuls making it difficult ot follow sometimes. Kind of like riding a roller coaster and not really able to focus on anything until the ride is over and you say "Wow!". This book is kind of like that, especially the final few chapters. There are two more books in the series so I need to read it and see how I feel then.
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