What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know

So, if you look at some of my earlier (and ill-formatted and quite boring) blog entries, you'll notice that I am a fan of Sonya Sonnes. The first book of hers that I picked up was What My Mother Doesn't Know. And solely because of the title. As you can probably guess, What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know is the sequel.

It picks up after Sophie's decision to publicly date Robin. What is different about this novel in verse, is that it is from Robin's point of view. It's fascinating. He loves being with her, but he's broken hearted for her because she has become just as much of an outcast as he has always been and he hates seeing her friendless. When one of her bestfriends does eventually come around it completely changes their relationship. Not that she likes him any less, but before that moment it had only been the two of them against the world.

Robin also starts going to a college art class, where he suddenly finds himself "cool". As he struggles to make things right with Sophie, he finds himself sought after by a girl in his art class. He has a sort of romance with her, but he loves Sophie and ends it with her. He kisses her goodbye and ends it once and for all (they never went very far to begin with), but as he turns around, Sophie just happens to be standing in the street.

At the end they kind of make up and we think they have the potential to still be together. It wasn't a very satisfying ending and even though I loved (LOVED) reading it, I just can't shake that there is more to this story. They get in a fight so close to the end of the book that I never felt satisfied with how it was resolved. Hopefully there will be a third. If there is, at least one person will buy it.

The Dark is Rising

I read this a few months back and have been meaning to post about it for a while now. I like Susan Cooper. Seriously, The Dark Is Rising Sequence is a great introduction to fantasy for young readers. The Dark Is Rising is actually one of only a handful of fantasy novels given a Newbery Honor. That means it has literary value and you don't have to take my word for it.

The story introduces us to Will Stanton, who learns that he is a Guardian of the Light. He must collect the four things of powers in order to fend off the dark. Well, that's pretty much a summary of the entire series. In this book he is only acquiring one of the things of power: The circle of Light. In order to do this he must collect the six signs.

Will is 11 years old, on this major quest discovering things about the world around him, and being chased by The Black Rider. It's certainly enough of an adventure story, but it's deeper than that. We learn more about Merriman, who trains Will in how to be a guardian of the Light. Merriman is not the perfect Uncle we meet in Over Sea, and Under Stone. He is deeper here and it is a startling look into the sacrifices that have to be made in order to keep the world safe from the Dark. We also meet Will's family, since his quest doesn't take him completely away from his family.

Overall, it is a great story that has depth. I had forgotten how much I actually enjoyed reading it, and am now excited to read the next one in the series. As a side note, I have no idea if the movie is any good, although I remember being excited when I watched the trailer. They made a sequel so it couldn't have been too horrible. Well, one can hope anyways. As another side note, I am a little shocked to discover that my spell check has the word "newbie" but not "Newbery". What is this world coming to?

City of Ashes

The saga continues! Clary is unable to wake her mother and is dealing with the attraction she feels to her new-found brother. Jace is being investigated by the Clave and feels like he is losing everything. As if that weren't enough, Valentine, who now has the Mortal Cup, steals the second mortal instrument, the truth sword. Clary and her new friends must do everything they can to stop him when the Clave refuses to listen to their warnings.

Yeah, this whole series is sexy. The dialogue is mostly great. The story is excellent. There is action and romance and generally, just a good time. As for the Jace/Clary thing, I think it's quite sexy that they want each other even though it is forbidden (for now), because I think they will end up being not related. This installment was filled with clues that they might not be related and I really hope that it turns out to be the case.

As for what's coming next, there are a few things to be excited about. The third, and final installment of this trilogy, City of Glass, comes out in March. I'm not sure how long I'm ready to wait for it, but I guess I have no choice. City of Glass should finish the Valentine saga and clear things up about Jace and Clary. She is not planning any other books, so I hope she doesn't kill Jace. Seriously, that would break my heart worse than when Dumbledore died. Maybe. Even though City of Glass, will end this story, Clare will continue writing about shadowhunters (the nephillum who hunt demons). But she's going to set in a few hundred years ago. It should be interesting.

City of Bones

Wow. This book is sexy. A fantasy set in modern day New York City, 15 year old Clary can suddenly see vampires, werewolves, and demons. After her mother is kidnapped, she discovers that she was lied to her whole life. She is a nephillim, a being with human and angel blood, and her mother hid her away from that world to escape a man named Valentine. But now Valentine is back and after The Mortal Cup, a powerful object that Clary's mother took from him and hid. Now Clary must band with Jace, Isabel, and Alec, three friends who grew up learning to fight demons, in order to save her mother and stop Valentine.

The book is actually way more complicated than that. There are big reveals and fun arguments. The characters are all well developed and great. There is so much romantic tension that I loved it, but at the same time was full of action. Fights with demons, werewolves, vampires, where Clary and her friends are outnumbered. It is a fun read. And oh yeah, stop reading if you don't want it ruined, but Clary finds out that the guy she has come to love is actually... wait for it... her brother! Yeah, she kisses her brother. This book is a little fearless. And the author is great with being true to the characters emotions and experiences. She really presents her story well.

As for movies, I hope they get made. These would be amazing movies, if done well. They would need decent budgets, because lame special effects would ruin everything, but if they cast sexy actors who are actually quite skillful, then this could be huge. I'll be waiting to see what happens!

Stop in the Name of Pants!

I was very excited for this book to come out, but only just managed to buy and read it 2 months after it was released. Which brings me two months closer to the release of the next one, which I can't wait for. A recap on the series: Basically, Georgia writes a diaries about her first encounters with boys. The main three are the Sex God, Robbie, who left her to study the environment in New Zealand, but eventually came back for her. The Luuurve God, aka The Italian Stallion or Masimo, who took over for Robbie as lead singer of The Stiff Dylans when Robbie went to New Zealand. And Dave the Laugh, who was originally a red herring to make Robbie jealous, but who Georgia can't stop kissing or thinking about even when she was dating Robbie or Masimo. All throughout there are her hilarious friends and don't forget Wet Lindsay, the annoying girl who always dates the same guys as Georgia.

This novel starts after Georgia becomes Masimo's official girlfriend, but when he goes to Italy for a month, she kisses Dave the Laugh (who has a girlfriend!). There is a lot of romantic tension between Georgia and Dave the L, but the beginning is honestly, kind of slow. It really got good during the last 100 pages, when Masimo gets back. Lindsay is trying to break up Masimo and Georgia because she is spiteful and Masimo gets jealous when he keeps finding Georgia with Dave the L. He doesn't even know about the kiss. It all escalates at the end when Dave the L and Masimo go out to fight over Georgia, leaving me ACHING for the next installment.

I didn't like Masimo when he was first introduced, but he really comes alive as a love interest for Georgia. But I still love Dave the Laugh. I'm sure that this isn't the best idea for the target audience, but what I want to see is Georgia continuing to date Masimo, while having Dave the L on the side. I love her developing relationship with her mom and Sven is also one of my favorite characters. I think a real confrontation with Wet Lindsay would be amazing to read. In the end, really, I want Georgia to get with Dave the Laugh. I think that this will happen, but probably not until the very last book. I want more books, so I suppose I'm okay with Rennison dragging the story out some more as long as there is some more really good D the L snogging in them.

And...... MOVIE TIME. July saw the release of Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging, an adaptation of the first novel. I have finally got around to (trying to) watch it. I made it ten minutes. You may like it, but I couldn't stand it. I didn't like the way it was directed, I didn't like the writing. Part of what made Georgia so funny in the books is how whiney and melodramatic she is, but in the film it just came off annoying. I also forget how young all the characters are in the books, and trying to watch the movie made me feel old. There was a lot of good casting (some not so hot, like Mr. and Mrs. Nicholson, Libby, and Dave the L), but all of the acting felt wrong. All in all, I didn't like it and hope it hasn't ruined the books for me.

Vegan Virgin Valentine

Another novel from Mackler (The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things), that shows she can create great characters. Mara Valentine is a type A personality. She's been accepted to a prestigious college and is competing for valedictorian with her ex-boyfriend. She's even got a part time job and everything seems to be going perfect. But then V, Mara's niece who is only a year younger than her, shows up and V and Mara couldn't be less alike. V smokes pot, is into acting, and hooks up with Mara's ex-boyfriend. But Mara is about to figure out who she really is and not who she thinks her parents want her to be. With a not-always-easy relationship with V, a new (and older) boyfriend, and lots of trial and error, Mara may just learn how to really live.

Mackler make some really good characters. I love Mara and V, and Mara's boyfriend too. I love the journey she takes and feel the tension. There is lots of conflict and lots of emotions and it was just a good story. It isn't how I would have resolved Mara's situation, but then I am very different from Mara and her decision is true to herself and the journey she takes throughout the novel.

Twilight

This book has a lot of fans and a lot of hype, so clearly I have to add my two cents. Actually, I bought this book back in November, because the back was intriguing. A girl falling for a Vampire who lusts for her blood? Fantastic. I bought it and read it before I realized how much of a phenomenon it is. So, clearly, there is a lot to talk about here.

First, what's it really about? Bella moves in with her father and at school meets a boy named Edward Cullen. He is tense around her always, like he hates her, but she can't help but fall in love with him. Well, it turns out he actually loves her too, but he's a vampire and the scent of her blood is the beautiful blood he has ever smelled. They are in love, but soon another vampire meets Bella and he wants her blood. Edward and his vampire family (who are all gorgeous by the way) fight to protect Bella from the other vampire.

Alright, I LOVED this book when I first read it. Sure it was really cheesy, but it made me giggle and was exciting, and Bella is actually a really interesting narrator. Plus, the premise is kind of great. This isn't a great piece of literature by any means, but it is a fun read. I don't think it deserves all the hype it's getting. Seriously, the story flows well and is anything but boring, but there isn't much conflict between Bella and Edward. It all happens so fast. They meet, he's a vampire, oh and now they're in love. There are plenty of other books that deserve the hype this book is getting.

As for what comes next, there are a few things to mention. First, the series is growing, which should be obvious because Meyer would be stupid to stop writing about Bella and Edward with the fan-base she's got. I just bought the second novel and am excited to read it. There are two other books in the series out, the last having come out recently (within the last month, I think). I will buy them when they come out in paperback or try to get them from the library. I'm excited to read this story, but not excited enough to pay hardback price.

Finally.... the MOVIE!!!! It's coming out November 21st and I'm very excited to see how it turns out. It might be total crap, but I'm hoping that it's not. They have a female director, so if the film is any good, it might do good things for women in the film industry. I'm mixed on the casting. Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen: FANTASTIC. Kristen Stewart, I'm not so sure about. However, the girl CAN act, and that is what is most important. I am very excited to see how this shapes up.

Moose: a memoir of fat camp

It is purely coincidental that the two books I read about being fat are being posted next to each other. I loved the Mackler novel, but I think I like Moose better. Klein tells about her experiences dieting as a child and going to fat camp. She condenses several years of her life into one summer so that the story flows better and it's great. She is honest about everything and her story-telling is superb. I can not wait to read Straight Up and Dirty, because Klein is an amazing writer.

Even if you can't relate to being fat, this is just a great read. Klein combines parts of her real childhood diary with her story-telling and it is highly effective. At one point she asks her diary if it is a girl diary or a boy diary because that would determine whether or not it was her best friend or her boyfriend. She says that if it is a boy diary it would be really sad that her boyfriend was a diary. At other times the story is sad, like when her father puffs his cheeks at her when he thinks she is eating too much. Not only is the story tight and well told, but it is a great reflection on human nature and our society's obsession with weight.

The Earth, My Butt and other Big Round Things

Virginia's life is... complicated: She's the overweight, youngest child of a perfectly beautiful family, she fools around with a guy named Froggy and kind of likes him, but is afraid to act on that, because that's not what good fat girls do, her best friend has moved to the other side of the country, and she's obsessed with making lists. But then her brother is kicked out of Columbia for date rape. Her whole family is thrown off balance and Virginia must learn to deal with the family she always thought was perfect and never felt a part of. And hey, maybe she'll learn to love herself and maybe get a guy too.

Seriously, I doubt that summary does this book justice. Every girl should read this book. Not only does Mackler know how to create amazing characters and tell a good story, but if you're interested in the thought process of an overweight 15-year-old, this is your Bible. As a character, Virginia could have easily been a pathetic, self-obsessed fat girl, but she's not. She's a real person and she learns how to stand up for herself. This book has such a great message, but it is also an enjoyable, well-told story.

Flawless

A continues to torment the four former friends with dark secrets. This time they delve into the Jenna incident and we get some answers on this. Each character's situation gets worse and worse and we have another Red Herring for who A is. But Ally is definitely dead, and Ally was definitely a bad kid.

There are a lot of awesomely trashy moments in this book, but they are few and far between. The plot develops excruciatingly slow. This is why I don't watch Lost. I have a short attention span, and the author is just being spiteful. I kind of want to know who A really is, but I doubt I'm going to waste money on another book from this series. If you read it, let me know, because I am a little curious about how this all ends up.

Lord Loss

Darren Shan switches from Vampires to Werewolves, and I love it! Scary and funny with plot twists and great characters, this is a great introduction for a new series for Shan. It all starts when Grubbs Grady discovers his entire (chess-obsessed) family dead, their bodies being played with by demons and a demon master, Lord Loss. He soon finds out that his bloodline has a genetic disease, where teenagers often become werewolves. And this isn't howl at the moon once a month werewolves. Transformations occur around the full moon, but they are permanent and the child must either be killed or controlled. Lord Loss is the only one with a cure, but you'll have to play his game first. One person fights off his demons, one person plays him in five simultaneous games of chess. If either one of these people looses, then Lord Loss gets them both... and the child. As if that weren't enough, if the person playing chess manages to win three games, it still isn't over. The fighter and the child can go free, but the person playing chess is taken to Lord Loss's demon dimension, where they must fight for their life. Lord Loss killed Grubbs' entire family and now he must decide if he is ready to face him himself in order to save a new-found family member.

Well, this plot description was longer than I intended, but seriously, this book was good. I like it better than the Cirque du Freak books, and just bought the second one and am itching to read it. The characters are easy to like, real, and funny. To be honest, I was worried that Shan would give us Darren, the narrator in Cirque to Freak, all over again but with werewolves. However, this didn't happen. The writing is conversational, first person like the Cirque du Freak, but Shan gives us an entirely different narrator and shows that he really is the master of horror and a great writer. This book reads a little older than the Cirque du Freak, and is just real. Shan doesn't shy away from teenage pregnancy, or adult infidelity. The horror elements are fantastic, but Shan's success comes from being able to ground them in the real world.

Charlie Bone and the Time Twister

Charlie Bone is back at Bloor's, where strange things always happens. Once again, Charlie and his friends must come together to fix things when they meet Henry Yewbeam, a boy from the past, who was sent to the future with a mysterious time twister.

I read this a long time ago, and it all kind of runs together. These books are good and fun to read, not great, but definately enjoyable. This book continues Charlie unraveling the mystery of the Red King and the endowed children, as well as Charlie finding his father and dealing with his aunts. This is probably the worst review ever, but I'm planning on reading the rest of the series and don't want to just skip several of the books.

Cathy's Book

Cathy keeps a journal of sorts (with beautiful sketches that physically give this book great character) so that if anything happens to her, her best friend will know what is going on. Cathy has a boyfriend, who she cares about a lot and he seems to care about her too. That is until he suddenly breaks up with her, citing age differences. Cathy breaks into his house and starts stalking him and gets in over her head with what she thinks is Chinese organized crime, but the truth turns out to be deeper and stranger than she could ever imagine.

This book is AWESOME! It is INTERACTIVE, with phone numbers, websites, etc., that work. Parts of the book are sketches, parts are evidence that Cathy finds as she investigates her ex-boyfriend, sometimes her instant messenger conversations are part of the story and we see her conversations. If she has two conversations at the same time, we see them side by side, with time stamps, the way we would if we had two conversations up on the computer screen. I didn't check any of the interactive parts, because I couldn't put the book down, but I am told that everything is still operational. Either way, the story is stand alone, so if all you have is the book, you can still enjoy the story. I was seriously impressed when I read this book. I read a lot, and tend to love all stories, but I've become better at finding great stories (thanks to two internships that allowed me to read all summer for school credit! Best summer ever!). This is a great story that really modernizes the novel medium. The characters are great, the story is phenomenal, the presentation is excellent. Seriously, read this book.

The Amulet of Samarkand

The Amulet of Samarkand follows a young magician, Nathaniel, who gets over his head by summoning a mid-level demon, Bartimaeus, to steal the Amulet of Samarkand from one of the most powerful (and evil) magicians in his country. He uncovers a plot deeper and more sinister than he could ever have imagined and must team up with Bartimaeus to save his government.

The storytelling switches from Nathaniel's point of view to Bartimaeus and both are unique, lovable story-tellers. Bartimaeus especially is a funny narrator, and the magical world that Nathaniel and Bartimaeus inhabit is extremely interesting. The story is great, this novel having a satisfying self-contained story, while still setting up the overarching plot of the trilogy. I feel that often trilogy's are just one really long book, where really, they are three separate stories, joined by one over-arching story (Take note Christopher Paolini!). The Bartimaeus Trilogy is a real trilogy, thankfully and all of the interweaving plots are excellent.

As a side note, I'm not sure when I will be reading the rest of the trilogy, for two reasons. One, I bought the book, but it is at my parent's house in Virginia and I live in California now. Two, the second book switches between three points of view: Nathaniel, Bartimaeus, and a girl who only briefly showed up in the first book, but who I hated. I'm sure if i give her a chance, she'll be great, because I love Jonathon Stroud as a writer, but I really don't want to give her that chance because she pissed me off like Julie Cooper in the first book.

Format Change

Change of format. Now I'm going to just explain the premise of the book in one to two sentences, give a few comments, and maybe mention a favorite moment or two. I want to keep updating, but life is a bit hectic, as I now have a full time job, am writing a novel and a screenplay, have a part-time job, and like to read.

Expect me to catch up on this within the next week or so, hopefully and I will be better at updating. Books to look for: The Mortal instruments, the new Confessions of Georgia Nicholson, Twilight Saga, Princess Academy, Moose: Memoir of Fat Camp and many many many more!

Midnight for Charlie Bone

This has been a series I have been interested in reading for some time now. I am a huge Harry Potter fan, and wanted something similar. I made myself wait to read this because I didn't want to be constantly comparing it to Harry Potter. No matter how good a book is, it will never stand up next to your favorite book.

Summary: Charlie Bone discovers that when he looks at a picture he can hear what happened as the picture was being taken. This ability lands him at Bloor's Academy, a school for art geniuses and children with magical abilities. As if Charlie hasn't found himself in a weird enough situation, he has suddenly been thrown in to a mystery involving a kidnapped child who he is determined to reunite with her Aunt, and last living relative. But the Bloor's are keeping a close eye on him and are determined that he won't succeed.

Other: The story is quite interesting, the characters are likable. I'm excited to read the next book (in fact, I'm picking it up at the library tomorrow). However, sometimes the story seems forced. Things happen the way they do in Interactive Fiction text-based games. For example, people give Charlie information for no reason, just because they feel he ought to know. Sometimes I wish the motivation behind every one's actions was more real.

Favorite Parts:
1. Charlie follows his Uncle.
2. Charlie finds out how his Uncle's date went.
3. Charlie explores the castle during detention.
4. Charlie's fight in the ruins.
5. Waking the kidnapped girl.

Grim Tuesday

I enjoyed the second book in this series immensely more than the first. I got through it quite quickly and am excited for the third. I picked it up at the bookstore yesterday, in fact.

Summary: Arthur has just taken control of the lower house and wants some time to himself, but after only a few hours after returning to his secondary realm, the special red phone rings. There are problems. The original Mister Monday had massive amounts of debt and Grim Tuesday wants to take control of the lower house in payment. But before Arther can figure out what to do the phone is cut off due to lack of funds! Arthur finds himself in another adventure that leads him into Grim Tuesdays territory and eventually a showdown with Grim Tuesday himself for control of Tuesday's domain!

Other: I like the names and the whole world that Nix has created. Nix creates amazing worlds for his books. I loved the seventh tower series when I was young.

Favorite Parts:
1. The phone is cut off due to lack of funds.
2. Arthur must pretend to be one of Grim Tuesday's indentured servants and creates allies.
3. Arthur finds the second part of the will and it's a right pain in the you know what.
4. The showdown between Arthur and Grim Tuesday.
5. Arthur must stop the nothing from erupting! Strange events indeed.

Love Is A Many Trousered Thing

Yes. In fact it is. This was by far my favorite in the series so far!

Summary: Georgia, having spent so much time chasing boys, does not know what to do when she must decide between Masimo, Robbie, and maybe even Dave the Laugh. She certainly can't ask Dave for advice. What is she to do?

Other: I'm am ridiculously pleased to announce that they have released information on the next book in this series. It is called Stop In the Name of Pants!, a title which I think is fabulous, and will be available on July 1, 2008.

Favorite Parts:
1. During a serious conversation with Masimo, Georgia sees Robbie and runs away from them both.
2. Georgia sneaks out of Jas's house.
3. Georgia and the girls go on a camping trip and the boys show up.
4. The very end! But I won't give it away. It involves a boy though.

Startle By His Fury Shorts

I read these all very quickly, because I got them out of the library so I could afford to read them all. I laughed for days as my poor roommates tried to sleep.

Summary: Georgia and the Ace Gang are being forced to participate in a production of MacBeth. The bright side? Dave the Laugh and the other boys are coming to help out! Georgia has her normal boy trouble, normal Rosie drama (which is out there! Like planning a viking wedding!), and could she be interested in Dave the Laugh?

Other: Dave the Laugh is my favorite character. Also, I'm excited to post something, but I'm gong to wait for my next post. So read carefully I'll probably make it red anyway.

Favorite Parts:
1. All the backstage scenes where Dave the Laugh replaces common words with Pants!
2. Georgia is startled by his furry shorts!
3. Georgia wears hot shoes that are several sizes to small. She ends up having to walk home in them, then falls asleep with them still on. They have to cut them off.

Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers

Number six in this series was one that I was quite excited to read because the last one ended with Georgia learning of a family vacation to the US! Seeing Georgia's take on the States, especially the south, was something I immensely looked forward to!

Summary: Georgia is off to Hamburger-a-go-go land with her family and Jas. Memphis to be more precise. But Georgia's plan is to hop a bus to Manhattan and find Masimo Scarlotti, the Italian Stallion and new front man for the Stiff Dylans. This proves harder that she originally thought, and she returns home having not seen Masimo. Now she is back to normal life where everyone is out to embarrass her. And could she be competing with Wet Lindsay for the affection of ANOTHER Stiff Dylans front man?

Other: I love Georgia! She's so funny. The story doesn't seem to progress much, it's more slice of life style, but as a character Georgia is funny and original and I could read about her life all day!

Favorite Parts:
1. Georgia tries to call every Scarlotti in Manhattan and ends up ordering food for delivery.
2. Libby sings her bum song and these two old American ladies teach her the American word for bum--fanny! This could end badly.
3. It ends badly. Libby incorporates the word fanny into her song and sings it to a police constable at Heathrow.
4. Georgia and Jas bring Bison horns back from America and incorporate it into their "Let's go down to the disco" dance.

The Phantom Tollbooth

The Phantom Tollbooth. What can be said in introduction? It is a classic. It is so full of lessons that you're practically gagging. Yet it is so entertaining, so endearing, that it automatically becomes a favorite.

Summary: Milo is bored and lazy. He is not interested in school or life or anything. His family is well off, he could do anything. He just doesn't feel the spark of life. Then one day a mysterious toy tollbooth appears in his room, and after setting it up he embarks on a journey through another land to free the princesses Rhyme and Reason. With his new friend, Tock (a watch dog!), he learns a lot about himself and life.

Other: This book has the potential to be cheesy and terrible. Often allegories are just ridiculous. However, this book is amazing and funny and one of my favorites for several years now.

Favorite Parts:
I'm not even going to write this. This book is genius and every chapter is new and amazing and surprising and funny. This list would end up just being a chapter list.

Mates, Dates, and Infateable Bras

Well, I've finished the latest book in the Confessions of Georgia Nicholson series. I'm dying for the next one, but luckily the librarian pointed out this series to me. It's for girls younger than Rennison's books and are much, much shorter.

Summary: Lucy's life isn't the way she wants it. She needs to figure out who she is for a school assignment and has no idea where to start. She does know that she is 14, but looks 12, that her friends can't go out and have fun because of it, and that her best friend might be replacing her. What's a girl to do?

Other: This book is not a carbon copy of Georgia Nicholson's diaries, however, it will appeal to similar people. Mates, Dates, and Inflatable bras is more of a novel rather than a diary, and the main character searches for discovery rather than just telling us her life and making us laugh.


Favorite Parts:
1. Lucy's dream guy is her new friends brother!
2. Lucy's friends give her an inflatable bra.
3. A real designer likes Lucy's clothing designs.

The Sisters Grimm: The Unusual Suspects

I loved the first one, but this one is even better (and I'm itching to read the third one). This book is creative and entertaining and just wonderful.

Summary: Sabrina and Daphne have enrolled at school, but their first day they find Sabrina's teacher.... dead in his classroom after school. The Grimms are on another case, and this time there are lots of deadly magical beasts. And as before, it's all wrapped up with the Red Hand, the infamous group responsible for the disappearance of the sister's parents. Will they be able to solve this mystery?

Other: I love that each story is individual and self-contained, but there is also a long story arc that carries on from book to book. However, this isn't too overwhelming. It reminds me of how television series are set up, and I think it really works in this series.

Favorite Parts:
1. Puck enrolls at school to be Sabrina's body guard.
2. The pipers son sets all the rabbits in the forest after them.
3. Granny Grimm drives a car!!!!!!!
4. Prince Charming helps Sabrina out.
5. The end which is amazing!!!!!! And sets up the next story. It completely took my by surprise. Also, I love Sabrina and Puck, their interaction is the most amusing of almost any characters I've ever read about.

One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies

I loved this book! But not as much as What My Mother Doesn't Know. Still... fantastic. Although, I did set it down on a burner while I was cooking and almost burned my apartment down. Oops.

Summary: Ruby's mother has just died of cancer, so now she is in California living with her movie-star father... the one that never bothered to see her or speak to her ever, in her whole life. Her whole life is going down the toilet, especially when her boyfriend cheats on her with her best friend. Will she ever be able to forgive her father, get over her mother's death and get on with her life?

Other: This book is both sad and wonderfully happy. I loved the whole thing and I can't wait to read other novels of poetry by Sonya Sones.

Favorite Parts:
1. Ruby walks through the school sprinklers by accident... and she's not wearing a bra.
2. Ruby finds out the truth about her father, awww....
3. Ruby has a dream that saves her life.
4. Ruby writes e-mails to her mother (heart wrenching).
5. Ruby and her best friend make up.
6. Also, I like the poem about why Ruby is waiting to have sex. Amazing.

Sons of Destiny

This was a good conclusion, and I liked the way the books were wrapped up into how they became books (which is important because since the beginning Darren has been very conscious of the story being a book). However, even though it was good, I was disappointed. I loved this series, and I thought this book was the weakest. The last half of the book was one major twist, and even though the first half was the fast-paced, action-packed story telling I've grown to love in this series, the second half seemed to drag on.... and on... and on.

Summary: Darren ends up not killing Steve's son/Darren's nephew (go figure), but instead tells Annie the truth and turns his nephew into a half vampire instead of a half-vampaneze. Then he returns to the stadium to fight Steve for real. And it is a huge battle: Steve, along with the vampaneze, vampets, and local law enforcement, versus Darren, the hunters, the Cirque and the vampirites. Then dramatic reveal! The truth!!! Will Darren be able to find a way to cheat destiny and Des Tiny and prevent the rise of the Lord of the Shadows?..... Short answer, yes, and then we go into part two, which involves time travel and books and all other kinds of nonsense.

Other: The end of the book should have been much shorter and an epilogue instead of part two of the book. It kind of ruined the book for me, because the first half was utterly amazing.

Favorite Parts:
1. Darren and Annie reunite.
2. The cirque pretends to be timid and let the vamaneze round them up, but really they are just waiting for Darren, and are willing to fight to the death to help him. That battle scene is spectacular.
3. The reveal... why the fate of the world revolves around Darren and Steve. Fantastic stuff, really.

and favorite parts in part two...
1. Darren scares himself as a kid. Yup, that's it.

Lord of the Shadows

This is my favorite novel in the second half of the series. I truly enjoyed it. Even though the twist at the end was one I had been expecting since the very beginning, I still immensely enjoyed the reveal.

Summary: Darren travels with the Cirque to the town he grew up in. This is the first time he's been back since he became a half-vampire and things have changed. His sister has a son (she had him in high school, and guess who the father is... nobody knows!), his parents have moved away, and his friend from school is now a famous football (soccer) player! Steve has set an elaborate trap for Darren, which includes Steve's son, the death of his footballer/childhood friend, Debbie and Alice's army of hobos fighting on the vampire side, and the kidnapping of Shancus (Evra Von's snake boy son and Darren's namesake).

Other: Even though the whole book is about the Lord of Shadows, you still don't satisfactorily find out who it will be... Darren or Steve?

Favorite Parts:
1. RV is destroyed by guilt (finally!)
2. EVERYTHING ABOUT THE LAST SCENE OF THE BOOK!! It takes place in the old theater where the series started and it's unbelievable. "Dare accepted". Absolutely "killer". That's all I can say.
3. Darren goes to visit his sister.

The Cow who Clucked

Story: A cow wakes up one day and can no longer moo. Instead, she finds herself clucking. She undertakes a quest to find out who stole her moo.

Pictures: The pictures were amazing. They were colorful and expressionist and I loved them. I love this style of illustration and even without the story I would have truly enjoyed this book.

Thoughts: This story reminded me of "Are You My Mother?" (one of my favorites as a kid). I think it really stepped up the illustrations for books written for early readers.

June 29, 1999

Story: Holly Evans launches several plants into the sky as a science project. Then, on June 29, 1999, giant vegetables begin to fall from the sky. Holly is delighted with the outcome of her experiment, and follows the news developments obsessively. But then vegetables start appearing that weren't in her experiment. So where did they come from?

Picture: As always David Wiesner creates stunning pictures for an amazingly intriguing story. I really enjoyed everything about this book. He is probably my favorite author/illustrator of children's books.

Thoughts: The story was very creative and the ending is equally surprising and humorous and entertaining. I smiled the whole way through this book. It is one of my favorite picture books.

Becoming Naomi Leon

I enjoyed this book tremendously. It is of high literary quality, but is also quite an entertaining read. It's funny, yet deep, touching, and sad. It is easy to connect to the characters even if the reader is not in a similar situation.

Summary: Naomi Leon lives with her great-grandmother and her brother, an "FLK" (Funny Looking Kid). They don't have a lot of money, but they get by. Then one day the mother who abandoned them shows up and is ready to take Naomi with her when she leaves. Naomi and her real family must now go on a quest to find her father if they are to have any hope of staying together. And along the way, Naomi may just figure out who she is.

Other: Part of this story takes place in Mexico at a radish festival, so it's an interesting cross cultural experience of a novel.

Favorite Parts:
1. Naomi comes up with a radish carving idea, and her idea wins!!!
2. The title of every chapter has dual meanings, which it is fun to look for while reading.
3. The court scene where Naomi finally finds her voice.

The Story of Babar

Story: Babar is a baby elephant who, after his mother is killed by hunters, runs away to the city. Here he meets a wealthy old woman who takes care of him, and teaches him to love clothing. His cousins come to visit and she buys them close too. Then he returns with them in his little car (although, I'd like to see the LITTLE car that can fit an elephant), takes his cousin Celeste as his wife, and is crowned King of all the elephants.

Pictures: I expected more of the pictures. They weren't terrible. I would go so far as to say they were good, but they were not a style I enjoyed. However, if the story had been better, the pictures would have been more acceptable.

Thoughts: This book is a classic, with many sequels and it has been turned into a television program (that I liked as a child). However, this book did not appeal to me at all when I read it. It was boring, pretentious, and unrealistic. Besides the mother dying in the very beginning, nothing bad happens. Babar is just handed everything. And I think the old lady was taken advantage of by Babar.

Abel's Island

This book won a Newbery Honor. However, that doesn't mean I have to like it. It wasn't terrible (how could it, I mean it did get a Newbery Honor, and even if I don't always agree with their choices, they never pick books with no value). It was okay. As a survival story there are so many better ones (The Hatchet, Brian's Winter, My Side of the Mountain, etc). The main character is pompous and after spending a year in isolation on an island, you would think he would change more than he did at the end of the book.

Summary: After a freak storm, Abel's foolish decisions cause him to be stranded on an island in the middle of a river. As an upper class mouse who has never held any sort of job, will he be able to count on himself to survive the island?

Other: The main character was so annoying that if I hadn't been reading it for a class, I wouldn't have finished the book (and I almost never stop in the middle of a book).

Favorite Parts:
1. Abel almost gets eaten by an owl.
2. Abel almost gets eaten by an owl again.
3. Abel is so afraid of the owl he doesn't leave his hollow log home for most of winter.

Al Capone Does My Shirts

This type of book is one that I would have really enjoyed in middle school. I don't read books of literary quality much anymore, because I'd rather read something purely entertaining. This book however, is entertaining as well as of a high literary standard. The last line of the book is enough for me to want to read it even if it was awful.

Summary: Moose Flanagan and his family have moved to Alcatraz Island where his dad has taken two jobs. He spends his time trying to stay out of trouble (no thanks to the warden's scheming daughter) and taking care of his autistic sister, Natalie (this is set before anyone knew what autism is). He must deal with school, his sister, and the neglect he feels from his mother.

Other: It is strange. Al Capone is a clearly not a good guy (hence, ending up in Alcatraz) but he is seen as a hero in this story. Even though he does not have a physical presence, he is just as important as any of the characters.

Favorite Parts:
1. Moose and his friends meet Al Capone's mom.
2. Natalie's birthday party, where all of the kids come to celebrate with her, because they actually like her (the whole book, the mom is afraid the kids are taking advantage of her/making fun of her/etc.)
3. Moose tries to contact Al Capone and ask for a favor.
4. The last line of the book... brilliant!!!

Final note: I want to discuss something that will ruin the book if you haven't read it, so I will leave it as a comment. Don't check the comments if you don't want the story SPOILED!!!!

Over Sea, Under Stone

There is a The Dark Is Rising movie. I haven't seen it, but I'll watch it once I finish the series. This is the only one I've read so far, but when my roommate saw me reading them, she quickly read all five books in the series in about a weekend. So, on a hunch, I'd say the whole series is pretty good.

Summary: Simon, Jane and Barney Drew find an old (and I mean old!) map in a secret room while they are on holiday in Cornwall. They're Great Uncle Merry tells them that this is a map to the grail of King Arthur. The only way to fight the rising evil is to get to it before their enemies. So they're off on an adventure.

Other: The writing is a bit dated, but the story is timeless, and worth some of the old fashioned behaviors of the characters.

Favorite Parts:
1. When the children find the map
2. When Barney gets kidnapped and the dog rescues him, but not in the way you would think.
3. The final step of the map, which leads.... over sea and under stone (duh!).
4. The final confrontation with the doers of evil.

What My Mother Doesn't Know

This is a novel expertly told through poems. It was entrancing. I read it in one sitting, and the next day went to the library to get other books by this author.

Summary: The book follows Sophie after she breaks up with one boyfriend and starts dating a second. But she much watch herself because every time she's not paying attention she starts imagining herself kissing Murphy, the class loser.

Other: This book doesn't sound very deep, and I didn't expect it to. I had very low expectations for the plot because I didn't understand how a book of poems could tell a story. I was so surprised when I finished the book. The plot is great, it talks about about boys, and feelings, and problems and home. There's a lot here, and I wouldn't miss a word of it if I were you.

Favorite Parts:
1. Sophie goes on vacation at home, since her family isn't actually taking a vacation.
2. Murphy sends Sophie a post card.
3. Murphy finds Sophie skating and tells her that he doesn't care if she chooses popularity over him.
4. Sophie makes her choice.

Once a Mouse

Story: A hermit is sitting and to help a mouse, proceeds to turn it (the mouse) into larger and larger animals until it is a tiger. When it is a tiger, the mouse/tiger is boastful. Annoyed the hermit turns him back into a mouse.

Picture: The pictures are amazing! They are the reason I picked up this book in the first place. I'm not a huge fan of traditional literature, but the pictures made this story totally worth it. Woodcuts is a style that has always impressed me.

Thoughts: It's an interesting fable and not one I've heard before. The story was really good as far as traditional literature goes. I really only read traditional literature in order to understand references in contemporary literature.

Dr. De Soto

Story: Dr. De Soto is a mouse with a dental practice. When, against his better judgement, he admits a fox, he must find a way to outwit the fox before he and his wife become dinner.

Pictures: I like these pictures a lot better than those in Steig's other books. They are more traditional, yet still have that unrefined quality that I like about Steig.

Thoughts: This story was one of my favorites as a kid. I could read so much into it, but just rest assured that it's a good book reassure kids that evil is easily spotted and outwitted. It's up to you whether you want to promote that message.

Shrek

Story: Shrek is an ogre making his way through the world. When a witch tells him that he will marry a princess more hideous than he is, he is determined to find her.

Pictures: They are a lot like Steig's other illustrations, although they do seem a bit more colorful. They're fun. Children will relate to them, because they look childlike.

Thoughts: I may be biased because the movies are so good, but I didn't really like it. I didn't think the story had much depth, but then again, it's a picture book. Just be warned. It's nothing like the movie, although the movie was based off the book.

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

Story: Sylvester finds a magic pebble, that will grant any wish you make when you are holding it. But he mistakenly turns himself into a rock. No longer able to hold the pebble, will he be stuck as a rock forever?

Pictures: William Steig is a pretty respected illustrator, but I'm not a huge fan. Even though they are not my style there is not denying that they are much better than a lot of the stuff that's out there.

Thoughts: William Steig is REALLY respected and has won all sorts of awards. However, I don't love most of the stuff he's done. A lot of the stuff that he has written is older, so I hope that's why I don't connect with it. It's not bad, it's just not for me. This book feels a bit didactic at the end, but overall, it's probably my favorite of all of Steig's work.

Officer Buckle and Gloria

Story: Officer Buckle is a boring police man who tells children about safety. His lectures never sink in, but this all changes when he brings the new police dog, Gloria. She entertains everyone behind his back during his lecture. Now the students are learning about safety and Officer Buckle and Gloria have become celebrities. But what will happen when Officer Buckle finds out the truth about Gloria?

Pictures: The pictures are amazing and fun. There are so many great details that you won't get tired of looking at the pictures. For example, Officer Buckle's pajamas have safety signs on them.

Thoughts: An intriguing fantasy for young readers. You will be just as enchanted with Gloria as the children are in the story. It's a FUN story, that incidentally also teaches safety, but it does not feel didactic.

Well, I haven't updated this recently. I've been too busy reading. Expect lots of posts in the next few days. I'd do them all tonight, but a book is calling my name softly. I can barely hear it above the whispers of the other books. So here is what you can look forward to:

1. Lots of posts in lots of genres.

2. A new format for picture books

Well, I'll stop wasting time now and get to it!

Lake of Souls

Book ten of the Cirque du Freak. This one was a little bit different. It had a more independent plot, but was still very tied to the other novels. Two books left in this series. It's going to be biter sweet (who actually enjoyed Harry Potter seven? I'm not saying it was bad, just heart breaking).

Summary: It is time for Harkat to find out who he is. And Daren is going to accompany his friend. Mr. Tiny transports them to a place they do not know and they must follow his directions, meeting many adversaries, to arrive at the Lake of Souls, where Harkat must fish for his soul and recognize who he is. Who is he? I'll never tell.

Other: You'll never guess who Harkat is! Who would have guessed? Yes, total blast from the past.

Favorite Parts:
1. Harkat kills the panther.
2. The reveal about what Spits' real dream is! It's insane.
3. Harkat and Darren face a creepy creepy monster that is like a human snake with tons of tiny hands and only one weird eye.
4. Harkat finds out who he is.

The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy-Tale Detectives

I'm not going to lie. I was only vaguely interested in this book. I would never have read it if not for the library. Even for the first couple pages I was skeptical. However, the story is full of details and references and it's just fun. This book was great and I'm looking forward to the next one.

Summary: Sabrina and Daphne Grimm have been declared orphans ever since their parents abandoned them. Now they are going to live with the grandmother they thought was dead. When they get there they discover that they are direct decedents of the Brothers Grimm and part of a family curse. Fairy-Tales aren't stories, they are history, and they must play their part. Someone had a magic bean and now there's a giant running around and he stole their grandmother!

Other: Throughout the book, they use "big" words and define them for Daphne who is five years younger than Sabrina. I found this annoying. What happened to context clues?

Favorite Parts:
1. Their Grandmother serves them food and it's ridiculous colors!
2. Sabrina and Daphne meet Puck and he tries to make them walk the plank in a swimming pool, but instead Sabrina throws him in.
3. Sabrina and Daphne break Jack the Giant Killer out of Prison (the guard is Ichabod Crane!)
4. Meeting the magic mirror and learning even more about what he is!

Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys

You have no idea how upset I am that this is a novel and not a series. I absolutely loved it. It wasn't brilliant, it wasn't really surprising. However, it did have a smile on my face the whole way through, giggling and laughing and talking to myself. It drew me in right away and for that it is definitely a must read.

Summary: Megan Meade has moved around a lot. As a result, she's not very good with boys. And by not very good, I mean, she's never had a proper conversation with one. But then her parents tell her that their moving to Korea, and when she refuses, she finds herself living with family friends who have seven sons and no daughters. Can this possibly have a happy ending?

Other: I thought this book looked lame, but the library didn't have the other Private novel and I like the way Kate Brian writes, so I picked it up. You have no idea how glad I am.

Favorite parts:
1. Mrs. McGowan catches Megan gawking at Evan when she first gets to the house.
2. Doug climbs into a tree in order to watch Megan change through the window.
3. Megan helps Miller (who has a form of autism) break out of his shell. So cute.
4. Megan finds Finn's painting. Amazing scene!
5. There are so many more!! This book has just the right portions of drama, angst, sweet, and "oh, no she didn't".