February Book #9

Book: Princess of the Wild Swans by Diane Zahler
Age-range: 8 and up

This book is based on one of my favorite fairy tales known as The Wild Swans, The Seven Swans, or The Six Swans (among other names). It's the story of a princess whose brothers (in this case five of them) are turned into swans by their evil step-mother. The princess, of course, is the only one who can break the spell.

I'll admit I was a little wary when I saw how thin this book was. This is a large story and I didn't see how someone could do it justice in such a small number of pages. Turns out I was wrong (which we all know never happens). Ms. Zahler did a excellent job making this tale accessible to the middle-grade audience she was aiming for. It was beautifully written and an excellent introduction to the tale for young kids. This is, so far, my favorite of her books.

Happy reading!

Thursday Thought

A public library is the most democratic thing in the world. What can be found there has undone dictators and tyrants: demagogues can persecute writers and tell them what to write as much as they like, but they cannot vanish what has been written in the past, though they try often enough... People who love literature. have at least part of their minds immune from indoctrination. If you read, you can learn to think for yourself.
-Doris Lessing-

February Book #8

Book: The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

Age-range: 12 and up

My friend Jenel recommended this book to me and I'm so glad that she did. It was really good. Every book I've read by Mr. Pratchett has been funny, thought-provoking and well done. This one was no exception. Though the protagonist is a 9-year-old girl, this still feels like an adult novel to me. Not to say a younger person wouldn't enjoy it, and I can't exactly put my finger on WHY I feel that way, but there you go.

There were a lot of things in this book that I thought would bother me. The Wee Free Men of the title are little 6-inch tall pictsies and speak with a thick Scottish accent, spelled out in the text. This normally bothers me to no end, but here it seemed charming. There were also several times when I had no idea what time-frame we were in. Was this the far past or the present? Again, it didn't bother me except in passing.

I would definitely recommend this book if you're looking for a fun, funny read.

Happy reading!

Thursday Thought

We believe in books. Somehow we want to make childhood better, and we believe that a book given at the right moment can work magic in a child's life.
-Ann Schlee-

February Book #7

Book: Jenna Starborn by Sharon Shinn
Age-range: 12 and up

This is a science fiction re-telling of Jane Eyre. It seems that I often go on kicks where I read re-tellings of the same tale for a period of time. In December it was The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Apparently right now it's Jane Eyre.

I found this book intriguing. I've been working on my own science fiction novel (my first foray into the genre) and  reading this book helped me see what I like and dislike about the genre in general. By and large I adored this book, my only real complaint was the speech patterns the author chose to use. Everyone spoke as if this were set in the late 1800s instead of in the future. It was a small thing, but it pulled me out of the story a few times.

Once again, the plot will be no surprise if you've read the original, but there are twists and turns that surprised me along the way. All in all an excellent book.

Happy reading!

February Book #6

Book: Snow White and Rose Red by Patricia Wrede
Age-range: 10 and up

This was the very first book we read for the book club I started. I finished it yesterday, just in time for our first meeting last night! None of us had read the original tale of the same name, so the book was a surprise in that way. It's written in Elizabethan English (think Shakespeare), and it's set in the late 1500s. We all loved parts of it, but we definitely agreed that there were a lot of characters that sometimes got confusing.

All in all we loved it! I think it was a great start to what I hope will be a great, long-lasting book club.

Happy reading!

February Book #5

Book: Jane by April Lindner
Age-range: 16 and up (the f-word is used several times, but is always character appropriate)

I can't sleep when my feet are cold (literally, not figuratively, though I imagine I wouldn't sleep well with figurative cold feet either). The last few nights my feet have been freezing so I've stayed up way too late reading. It's after midnight right now and I feel lucid, but if this post is less than coherent I blame the time. And my cold feet.

Jane Eyre is a good book when you skip over all that boring stuff at the beginning. Ms. Lindner, in this re-telling, skips all the boring stuff! Although this story follows the original novel (sometimes too closely), it was still an interesting and entertaining read. There were parts I wanted expanded and I definitely wanted more at the end, but I felt like it was a very well-contained book. Apparently her next book will tackle Wuthering Heights, a book I have no great fondness for, although I'll probably pick up her re-telling.

Happy reading!

February Book #4

Book: Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale
Age-range: 15 and up

I started reading this at about midnight last night when I couldn't sleep. I decided I would wait until there was a lull and then I would go to sleep. I finished it a few hours later. Needless to say, it was really good (and I'm really tired today). Everyone who has read it has said they laughed out loud, and I was no exception! There were several times when I had to muffle my laughter because what I was reading was so funny.

This is a companion novel to Ms. Hale's Austenland, which was also a fun read. While I feel like the first one was based on Pride and Prejudice, I think this one was inspired more by Northanger Abbey and Emma. Kudos to Ms. Hale for making this an unpredictable mystery as well as an entertaining story about a woman finding out who she is outside of being a wife and mother. Definitely worth a read.

Happy reading!

February Book #3

Book: Cybele's Secret by Juliet Marillier
Age-range: 12 and up

While the companion novel to this book is a fairy-tale re-telling, this one is an independent story of its own and, at times, I think it's a better story for it. The characters are likable (although the protagonist in this one and in Wildwood Dancing are practically interchangeable), the plot moves quickly and the setting is lush. I find that I love stories about sea journeys and I adore love stories where things are anything but assured, hearts are broken and I end up in tears.

Chris came in and I was bawling while reading the last few chapters and he just shook his head and laughed. It wasn't the first time and it won't be the last. I can only hope that I can infuse my own writing with as much emotion as Ms. Marillier manages to do in every one of hers.

Happy reading!

February Book #2

Book: Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
Age-range: 12 and up
As good as the first time?: Not quite, but close

This has been my favorite re-telling of the 12 Dancing Princesses (until recently, that is). I went to re-read it recently and it was no longer on my shelf! Obviously I had loaned it to someone who had never returned it. You might think this would upset me, but it rarely does. I am always hopeful that whoever has it is enjoying it and will, in time, either return it to me or pass it on to someone else. Anyway, long story short, my friend Jenel loaned me her copy and the companion novel, Cybele's Secret, as well.

I always enjoy Ms. Marillier's books and this one, especially, is well-written. It has made me want to go back and re-visit some of her other books and seek out new ones. I love the mystery, the lyrical writing, and the love story. Although this time I was impatient for some of my favorite parts, it still held up well to a second reading.

Happy reading!

February Book #1

Book: Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal
Age-range: 10 and up

Skip it.