In 2017, I took part for the first time in the Goodreads reading challenge, setting myself a goal of 500 books. My previous top total in the five years I've kept track was 324, so it was ambitious, but I wanted to be pushed to get some of the tbr shelves actually read. I ended up having read 466, of which 6 were picture books that I didn't count for the challenge. And I only read about ten from the tbr shelves, so it was pointless in that regard. So the only thing to do, of course, is to read 501 books in 2018.
Here are the books I read for the first time that I liked best. My criteria for "liking best" is a book that I can imagine re-reading (links go to my reviews). The books are in the order in which I read them.
Realm Breaker (Last Dragon Charmer 3), by Laurie McKay. I hope there are more to come in this very fun series, and I can imagine starting at the beginning in preparation for book 4...fingers crossed!
Thick as Thieves, by Megan Whalen Turner, because she repays re-reading awfully much.
Bone Jack, by Sara Crowe, I don't feel an immediate need to re-read, because it is all still so clear and vivid in my mind. But I will want to someday, I'm sure.
What Goes Up, by Katie Kennedy It was both funny and tense, and in a re-read the tense is less so and you get to enjoy the fun more!
Paladin of Souls, by Lois McMaster Bujold. I hadn't read any of her books before this year, and I loved this one in particular! I'll probably be reading it again sooner rather than later, because I listened to it, and want to experience it as text as well.
The Emperor of Mars, by Patrick Samphire. Another I'll want to re-read to prepare myself for a much hoped for book 3!
The Reluctant Queen, by Sarah Beth Durst. ditto!
Winter of Ice and Iron, by Rachel Neumeier. I already want to go back to this world and read it again and it's only been a few months. I also want to read it in finished hardcover form, because the printing of the ARC I read was mangled in places (whole paragraphs with no spaces between the words), and I think I will enjoy it unmangled even more. Also I know the ending now, which is so much more relaxing.
It was a slightly odd reading year for me in that a lot of the books I read I didn't pick because I thought I'd like them--I wrote quite a few list posts for the Barnes and Noble Kids Blog, which meant basically trying to read all the middle grade fiction of 2017. I read a lot of middle grade and YA fantasy and science fiction for my own enjoyment, and lots of those books were very good, but there were surprisingly few that I will give shelf space to. I hope my 2018 list of to be re-reads is longer!
And just as a postscript, here's the most interesting non-fiction book I read in 2017--The Buried Book: The Loss and Rediscovery of the Great Epic of Gilgamesh It didn't have much competition, because I didn't read much interesting non-fiction, but I'm glad I read this one! I picked it up because Thick as Thieves made me think of Gilgamesh and Enkidu, and I realized I didn't actually know that much about Gilgamesh. And now that I do, I have another reason for wanting to re-read T. as T....
12/31/17
12/17/17
This week's roundup of middle grade sci fi and fantasy from around the blogs
Welcome to another week's worth of what I found online of interest to us fans of middle grade spec. fic.! As always, let me know if I missed your post.
The Reviews
Beast and Crown, by Joel Ross, at Puss Reboots
Beyond the Doors, by David Neilsen, at Project Mayhem
Children of Refuge, by Margaret Peterson Haddix, at Middle Grade Mafioso
The Eye of the North, by Sinéad O’Hart, at Mr Ripleys Enchanted Books
The Glass Sentence, by S.E. Grove, at The Book Wars
The Ice Sea Pirates, by Frida Nilsson, at Charlotte's Library
The Lost Kingdom of Bamere, by Gail Carson Levine, at Puss Reboots
The Lost Property Office. Section 13 Book 1 by James R. Hannibal, at alibrarymama
The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris, at Log Cabin Library
The Night Garden by Polly Horvath, at The Children's War
The Nutcracker Mice, by Kristin Kladstrup, at Becky's Book Reveiws
Orphan Island, by Laurel Snyder, at Puss Reboots
Penelope March is Melting, by Jeff Michael Ruby, at Book Nut
The Real Boy, by Anne Ursu, at Say What?
The Science of Science Fiction, by Matthew Brenden, at Charlotte's Library
The Scourge, by Jennifer Nielsen, at Pages Unbound
The Serpent's Secret by Sayantani DasGupta, at proseandkahn
The Shadow Cipher, by Laura Ruby, at Great Imaginations
The Silver Mask by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare, at Ms. Yingling Reads
Superfail, by Max Brunner and Dustin Mackay, at Ms. Yingling Reads
Winterhouse, by Ben Gutterson, at Book Nut
The Wizard of Once, by Cressida Cowell, at Say What?
Wormwood Mire by Judith Rossell, at The Write Path
Authors and Interviews
Joan Aiken talks about reading John Masefield's classic fantasy books The Midnight Folk and The Box of Delights, and how they influenced her writing, at a website (The Wonderful World of Joan Aiken) (originally written years ago for The Journal of the John Masefield Society)
Adam Gidwitz, on how The Unicorn Rescue Society was born, at Nerdy Book Club
Other Good Stuff
Lisa Bunker (Felix Yz) at Cynsations
Other Good Stuff
This is what happened when a bot was fed the Harry Potter books, and asked to generate its own chapter. It is the funniest thing I've read all year. And here's the Guardian article where I found it.
a top ten list of adventure stories, with lots of fantasy, at Nerdy Book Club
The Reviews
Beast and Crown, by Joel Ross, at Puss Reboots
Beyond the Doors, by David Neilsen, at Project Mayhem
Children of Refuge, by Margaret Peterson Haddix, at Middle Grade Mafioso
The Eye of the North, by Sinéad O’Hart, at Mr Ripleys Enchanted Books
The Glass Sentence, by S.E. Grove, at The Book Wars
The Ice Sea Pirates, by Frida Nilsson, at Charlotte's Library
The Lost Kingdom of Bamere, by Gail Carson Levine, at Puss Reboots
The Lost Property Office. Section 13 Book 1 by James R. Hannibal, at alibrarymama
The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris, at Log Cabin Library
The Night Garden by Polly Horvath, at The Children's War
The Nutcracker Mice, by Kristin Kladstrup, at Becky's Book Reveiws
Orphan Island, by Laurel Snyder, at Puss Reboots
Penelope March is Melting, by Jeff Michael Ruby, at Book Nut
The Real Boy, by Anne Ursu, at Say What?
The Science of Science Fiction, by Matthew Brenden, at Charlotte's Library
The Scourge, by Jennifer Nielsen, at Pages Unbound
The Serpent's Secret by Sayantani DasGupta, at proseandkahn
The Shadow Cipher, by Laura Ruby, at Great Imaginations
The Silver Mask by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare, at Ms. Yingling Reads
Superfail, by Max Brunner and Dustin Mackay, at Ms. Yingling Reads
Winterhouse, by Ben Gutterson, at Book Nut
The Wizard of Once, by Cressida Cowell, at Say What?
Wormwood Mire by Judith Rossell, at The Write Path
Authors and Interviews
Joan Aiken talks about reading John Masefield's classic fantasy books The Midnight Folk and The Box of Delights, and how they influenced her writing, at a website (The Wonderful World of Joan Aiken) (originally written years ago for The Journal of the John Masefield Society)
Adam Gidwitz, on how The Unicorn Rescue Society was born, at Nerdy Book Club
Other Good Stuff
Lisa Bunker (Felix Yz) at Cynsations
Other Good Stuff
This is what happened when a bot was fed the Harry Potter books, and asked to generate its own chapter. It is the funniest thing I've read all year. And here's the Guardian article where I found it.
a top ten list of adventure stories, with lots of fantasy, at Nerdy Book Club
12/16/17
The Ice Sea Pirates, by Frida Nilsson
Ten-year-old Siri and her little sister Miki live with their old and somewhat ineffectual, though kind, father on a remote island far up in the North Atlantic. Even on their island they've heard of Captain Whitehead, the most dreaded pirate of them all, who steals children to work in his diamond mine. But Siri isn't thinking about the pirate when she lets her sister pick snowberries alone....and the Miki is kidnapped. Blaming herself, Siri knows she can't rest until her sister is home again and there is no one else able or willing to do the job.
Of course, Siri might be willing, but the able part is questionable. There's the matter of finding the island with the mine on it (involving perilous journeys through an icy sea, a diversion when she finds herself alone on an island looking after a mer-child, and almost freezing to death on several occasions. And then once she finds the mine, there are of course challenges to overthrowing the control of Captain Whitehead and saving everybody. She could never have done it alone, but fortunately she finds help in unexpected places...
What made this one rather refreshing is that Siri is not so plucky as to be unbelievable. She is allowed to cry, and does so with good reason fairly often. You don't often see kids off on heroic quests thinking about how awful everything is and breaking down. And I don't think it makes her a weaker character at all, just a realistic ten year old n dire straits. Another interesting thing is that several of the people she meets along the way are neither good nor bad, but with both entwined--"goodness" often has a smattering of cruelty to it, and questions of responsibility are raised in a somewhat more overt way than I'm used to. Even Captain Whitebeard didn't set up his diamond mine for evil purposes....though of course it became evil in the end.
There are bits that made me chuckle, and bits that made beautifully clear pictures in my mind's eye. I'm not personally a fan of pirate adventures in frozen waters, but I enjoyed this one. It is perhaps slow to start, and there's not sustained action following hard on action, so it might not be to the taste of those who want excitement on just about every page, which could be I myself enjoyed it....It's the first contemporary Swedish middle grade fantasy I think I've ever read....I'd like to read more!
Here's something a New Zealand reviewer said about this book that I never would -- "The smell of fish is ever present in the written text...." Although the review meant well, it just not fair to the book. Though there are a lot of dead fish what with one thing and another, I did not smell any. That being said, I do not in general read with my nose, unless there is chocolate...
disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher for Cybils Award consideration.
12/11/17
The Science of Science Fiction, by Matthew Brenden Wood
The real life science of each topic makes up the bulk of the book, and I found it very interesting, even though I was familiar with some of the material. It was good, clear explanation and description of some pretty complicated concepts. Lots of little side bar note, pictures, and QR codes dot the pages, adding to the material presented (although I could not check out the QR codes because I have not embraced today's technology*). Basically the sci fi tie-in is fun lead into actually science, and it's done very well--explaining without patronizing.
The part of the book that makes it really stand out, though, are the experiments. I am not a hands on person myself, but I find myself strangely tempted to do some of them myself; there's one about putting a bar of chocolate in the microwave to measure the speed of light, for instance, which looks really cool (and the chocolate is not horribly harmed, and can be eaten afterwards).
So if you have a STEM loving kid around, or a twelve year old who read the Martian, and liked the first part of it lots, give them this book! It's also good for classroom use; there are, for instance, thought-provoking questions to pose for discussion and writing prompts, which would work better in the classroom than swinging a bucket of water around your head to gain familiarity with centrifugal force, or the lack thereof....
disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher
*I had to ask my kid what those little boxes are called. He says everyone with a phone (except me) is able to use them, so perhaps my feeling that including this tech. reliant part of the book excludes kids who don't have all the resources is misplaced....
12/10/17
This week's roundup of middle grade science fiction and fantasy from around the blogs (12/10/17)
Welcome to this week's round-up! Please let me know if I missed your post.
The Reviews
The Adventurers Guild, by Zack Loran Clark and Nick Eliopulos, at Nerdophiles
The Apprentice Witch, by James Nicol, at alibrarymama
The Cladera, by John Flanagan, at Say What?
Death and Douglas, by J.W. Ocker, at Mom Read It
The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart, by Stephanie Burgis, at Book Nut
Emily Windsnap and the Falls of Forgotten Island, by Liz Kessler, at Say What?
The Empty Grave, by Jonathan Stroud, at Charlotte's Library
EngiNerds, by Jarrett Lerner, at Log Cabin Library
The Eye of the North, by Sinead O'Hart, at Charlotte's Library
The Glass Town Game, by Catherynne Valente, at Pages Unbound
Ivy, by Katherine Coville, at Jean Little Library
The Land of Stories, by Chris Colfer, at proseandkahn
Max Tilt: Fire in the Depths, by Peter Lerangis, at Ms. Yinglng Reads
Rise of the Jumbies, by Tracey Baptiste, at Book Nut
The Search for the Lost Prophecy, by William Meyer, at Always in the Middle
Sword of Light (Pendragon Legacy 1), by Katherine Roberts, at Say What?
The Trials of Morrigan Crow, by Jessica Townsend, at Ms. Yingling Reads (scroll down)
Voices for All: The Legend of ZoaBrio by Scott Vincent, at Log Cabin Library
The Wee Free Men (Tiffany Aching, Book 1) by Terry Pratchett, at Hidden in Pages
The World's Greatest Adventure Machine & The Afterlife Academy by Frank Cole, at Geo Librarian
York: the Shadow Cipher, by Laura Ruby at Book Nut
Three at The Book Search--The Crooked Sixpence, The Unicorn in the Barn, and Dragon's Green
Other Good Stuff
Help raise $1,000,000 for Heifer International by helping the Worldbuilders meet a challenge goal.
The Reviews
The Adventurers Guild, by Zack Loran Clark and Nick Eliopulos, at Nerdophiles
The Apprentice Witch, by James Nicol, at alibrarymama
The Cladera, by John Flanagan, at Say What?
Death and Douglas, by J.W. Ocker, at Mom Read It
The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart, by Stephanie Burgis, at Book Nut
Emily Windsnap and the Falls of Forgotten Island, by Liz Kessler, at Say What?
The Empty Grave, by Jonathan Stroud, at Charlotte's Library
EngiNerds, by Jarrett Lerner, at Log Cabin Library
The Eye of the North, by Sinead O'Hart, at Charlotte's Library
The Glass Town Game, by Catherynne Valente, at Pages Unbound
Ivy, by Katherine Coville, at Jean Little Library
The Land of Stories, by Chris Colfer, at proseandkahn
Max Tilt: Fire in the Depths, by Peter Lerangis, at Ms. Yinglng Reads
Rise of the Jumbies, by Tracey Baptiste, at Book Nut
The Search for the Lost Prophecy, by William Meyer, at Always in the Middle
Sword of Light (Pendragon Legacy 1), by Katherine Roberts, at Say What?
The Trials of Morrigan Crow, by Jessica Townsend, at Ms. Yingling Reads (scroll down)
Voices for All: The Legend of ZoaBrio by Scott Vincent, at Log Cabin Library
The Wee Free Men (Tiffany Aching, Book 1) by Terry Pratchett, at Hidden in Pages
The World's Greatest Adventure Machine & The Afterlife Academy by Frank Cole, at Geo Librarian
York: the Shadow Cipher, by Laura Ruby at Book Nut
Three at The Book Search--The Crooked Sixpence, The Unicorn in the Barn, and Dragon's Green
Other Good Stuff
Help raise $1,000,000 for Heifer International by helping the Worldbuilders meet a challenge goal.
12/7/17
The Eye of the North, by Sinead O'Hart
It's not poisoned, but it does bring the news that she is now an orphan, and must immediately travel to France to stay with a woman she's never met. So she's bundled on to a ship, clutching her trusty satchel of things that might keep her safe.
She is not safe. From the moment she steps onto the ship to the last few pages of the book, she joins the whole world in being threatened as all get out. The world was threatened first-the ice of Greenland is melting, and under the ice is a giant Broken of tremendous power, and whoever wakes the Kraken can gain control of it. Emmeline gets personally threatened as a result of this--a bad guy thinks she has learned something from her parents (whose adventures took them on rather unusual excursions...) about Kraken control. She's kidnapped and hauled off the ship and taken off to Greenland.
But before she was kidnapped, she met a boy, who calls himself "Thing." He throws his lot in with hers, partly at first because he's board, and partly, later on, because he's awfully lonely. And though Thing can't, quite, save her from being kidnapped, when he himself leaves the ship its in the company of a man and woman determined to stop the bad guy from awakening the Kraken.
So moving on more quickly, Thing and the two adults with him are pursued, and they would be rescue attempt goes south, ending up with Thing flying off to Greenland in an airship he has no idea how to control. Emmeline, well trained in escaping traps, does so to great effect, and heads out over the ice of Greenland, populated by magical creatures, to find her parents, who may still be alive.
And moving on even more quickly, because Too Much that's very exciting happens to tell it all, and it would spoil everything, there are other bad guys interested in the Kraken, including one magical villain, an evil ice queen.. Much foiling of bad guys is required, but Emmeline and Thing are up for the task and triumph.
So if you like excitements, you'll enjoy this lots. As the adventure gets going, the story starts being told in the alternate viewpoints of Emmeline and Thing, layered on top of each other in the same chapter, which worked very well to keep the tension nicely ratcheted up. My favorite part of the book, though, was Emmeline's ingenuity in the face of adversity; she wins this year's award for Foiling Villain with Pilfered Spoon. Thing is very appealing too; his backstory is a sad one, but he has come through it as a genuinely lovable character. His bad asthma, something you don't see much in a mg fantasy novel, adds interest.
I wasn't quite convinced that I understood the actions of some of the bad guys; kidnapping Emmeline didn't seem to matter enough to have been worth the trouble of doing so. But I was happy to go along for the ride.
disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher for Cybils Award consideration.
12/4/17
The Empty Grave, by Jonathan Stroud
"great characters, great premise, exciting ghosts and I Cannot Wait till the next book, when more about the very charming Anthony Lockwood, and more about the geekily appealing George, might be revealed! We already know Lucy pretty well, but I'm curious about how her relationships with the boys might change..."
And now I have just finished the fifth and presumably final book in the series, The Empty Grave (Disney-Hyperion, Sept. 2017), and I have all the answers, and an ending has being reached, and all is well (though "the Problem" of the ghost is still troublesome). So from that point of view, The Empty Grave is a very satisfying book, and I was delighted to read it. Unusually for me, I find the exciting bits of these books more interesting than the character building bits, perhaps because the exciting bits (hunting ghosts), contain mysteries and team dynamics as well as just the adventures.
From a more critical point of view, it's not the best in the series--it's a bit bogged down by the gang siting around trying to figure out what to do, as opposed to actually doing things. It wasn't until about 2/3 of the way through that it became the page turner I was expecting it to be. And I got really fed up with George's overweight physique being presented as something to laugh at; it's the sort of body shaming that makes me not want to recommend the books to any plumpish geeky boys, because it will make them (I imagine) feel bad. It is also not a diverse bunch of characters, although it is strongly suggested by the end that one of the main characters is gay. But though it's not perfect, I continue to recommend the series with conviction--give these books to the 11-13 year old "reluctant reader" and they will be read. I speak from personal experience here; my own son, who is now 17, is getting this for Christmas and will be very happy.
disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher for Cybils Awards consideration
12/3/17
The books my loved ones are getting for Christmas
So this weekend I came down to Virginia to my mother's house, for pre-Christmas quality time with her, but also quality time with all the presents I've had shipped to her house. Many of these are, of course, books! (Only three members of my immediate family is not getting a book; instead, they get pruning clippers, owl puke (with rodent bone chart) and one of those cars that follows the line you draw). And because I like talking about books, presents, and my children, here are the books my loved ones (those that don't read this blog) are getting. To make it more fun for myself, I'm rating my choices, with 10 stars being a sure winner, and down from there).
For my 17 year old son:
The Empty Grave, by Jonathan Stroud. Though he mainly reads graphic novels, this is a series that hooked him with the first book and that he's been reading enthusiastically ever since. 10 stars.
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, by Mackenzie Lee. He's looking forward to leaving home, though not for the same reasons as Monty, and I think he'll enjoy this grand tour gone horribly wrong (I was lucky and found a like new copy in a used bookstore, so felt I could take a chance on it). 6 stars because it's hard to predict what new books he'll actually read....
Book of Challenges: Dungeon Rooms, Puzzles, and Traps. He wrote his college application essay on the challenges of being a Dungeon Master for the first time, and though I was doubtful, and have not been allowed to read it, he got a personal email from one college admissions person saying she LOVED [sic] it. So I'm happy to keep encouraging him. 10 stars (he asked for it)
It Devours: Welcome to Nightvale by Joseph Fink. The second Nightvale novel; he's a huge fan so at least will pick it up and start reading. 8 stars--hopefully it will hook him quickly.
Digger, Vol. 2, by Ursula Vernon. He loved the first one. Also, Ursula Vernon. 10 stars.
For my 14 year old son:
Falling in Love with Hominids, by Nalo Hopkinson. He heard about in online (probably John Green? ) and wants it. 7 stars--he'll be pleased but not thrilled, and I'm not entirely certain he will devour it quickly.
Pearls Hogs the Road, by Stephan Pastis. Can't go wrong here. He'll be reading it Christmas afternoon. 10 stars.
In Other Lands, by Sarah Rees Brennan. He should enjoy the fantasy, and he's at the age where a book with a positive attitude toward sex and sexual identities is appropriate. 8 stars--had to take two off because he can't be counted on to read things I think he would enjoy. John Green has a much better track record than I do in this regard.
Rebel, by Sherwood Smith and Rachel Manija Brown. The third book in the Change series; the first book, Stranger, is his all time most favorite book. 10 stars--he'll be thrilled.
For my mother:
The Durrels of Corfu, by Michael Haag. As a family we are huge fans of Gerald Durrell, and I'm looking forward to this lots, and have no reason to think my mother won't be equally as interested! So without having read it, I'll give it 10 stars
For my older sister:
The Goat, by Anne Fleming. I mentioned it to her last summer and she was tickled by the idea. Having been tickled by the book myself, I'm confident that she'll enjoy it too. 10 stars
Murder, Magic, and What We Wore, by Kelly Jones. I haven't read this myself yet, but I really liked her first book, Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer, and it sounds like it will appeal to my sister -- 7 stars (can't go any higher because of not having read it)
For her husband:
Smile, by Roddy Doyle. He is hard to shop for, but when I first met him, in Peshawar, Pakistan, where he and my sister were working for MSF, he was reading a Roddy Doyle book with enjoyment....of course that was 25 years ago, and he might have been reading it for lack of anything better to read--5 stars, but hopeful ones.
For her daughter:
Spinning, by Tilly Walden. Seems to me a good pick for a teenaged girl who's exact taste you don't really know who is more comfortable reading in Dutch; pretty sure she'll find the cover appealing enough to at least open it. 7 stars.
For my younger sister:
The Trees Kneel at Christmas, by Maud Hart Lovelace. A timely book by an author she loves. The first present of 2017 I bought; I wanted to get it early, because last year I waited till December to buy it and the price had jumped lots. So I got in April when it was out of season ($1 as opposed to $20), and it has been wrapped and here at my mother's house since June. She found it and tried to open it, thinking it was a forgotten leftover from last year, but fortunately was told not to in time. 7 stars--she'll be pleased, but it might be too young for her...
Josie Moves Up, by Phyllis Matthewman. Third in a British girls school series; she has the first two and likes them, as do I, so this is nice for us both. Ten stars. An easy one.
For her son:
I am Pusheen the Cat. He loves Pusheen. Ten stars. Also easy.
For my 17 year old son:
The Empty Grave, by Jonathan Stroud. Though he mainly reads graphic novels, this is a series that hooked him with the first book and that he's been reading enthusiastically ever since. 10 stars.
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, by Mackenzie Lee. He's looking forward to leaving home, though not for the same reasons as Monty, and I think he'll enjoy this grand tour gone horribly wrong (I was lucky and found a like new copy in a used bookstore, so felt I could take a chance on it). 6 stars because it's hard to predict what new books he'll actually read....
Book of Challenges: Dungeon Rooms, Puzzles, and Traps. He wrote his college application essay on the challenges of being a Dungeon Master for the first time, and though I was doubtful, and have not been allowed to read it, he got a personal email from one college admissions person saying she LOVED [sic] it. So I'm happy to keep encouraging him. 10 stars (he asked for it)
It Devours: Welcome to Nightvale by Joseph Fink. The second Nightvale novel; he's a huge fan so at least will pick it up and start reading. 8 stars--hopefully it will hook him quickly.
Digger, Vol. 2, by Ursula Vernon. He loved the first one. Also, Ursula Vernon. 10 stars.
For my 14 year old son:
Falling in Love with Hominids, by Nalo Hopkinson. He heard about in online (probably John Green? ) and wants it. 7 stars--he'll be pleased but not thrilled, and I'm not entirely certain he will devour it quickly.
Pearls Hogs the Road, by Stephan Pastis. Can't go wrong here. He'll be reading it Christmas afternoon. 10 stars.
In Other Lands, by Sarah Rees Brennan. He should enjoy the fantasy, and he's at the age where a book with a positive attitude toward sex and sexual identities is appropriate. 8 stars--had to take two off because he can't be counted on to read things I think he would enjoy. John Green has a much better track record than I do in this regard.
Rebel, by Sherwood Smith and Rachel Manija Brown. The third book in the Change series; the first book, Stranger, is his all time most favorite book. 10 stars--he'll be thrilled.
For my mother:
The Durrels of Corfu, by Michael Haag. As a family we are huge fans of Gerald Durrell, and I'm looking forward to this lots, and have no reason to think my mother won't be equally as interested! So without having read it, I'll give it 10 stars
For my older sister:
The Goat, by Anne Fleming. I mentioned it to her last summer and she was tickled by the idea. Having been tickled by the book myself, I'm confident that she'll enjoy it too. 10 stars
Murder, Magic, and What We Wore, by Kelly Jones. I haven't read this myself yet, but I really liked her first book, Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer, and it sounds like it will appeal to my sister -- 7 stars (can't go any higher because of not having read it)
For her husband:
Smile, by Roddy Doyle. He is hard to shop for, but when I first met him, in Peshawar, Pakistan, where he and my sister were working for MSF, he was reading a Roddy Doyle book with enjoyment....of course that was 25 years ago, and he might have been reading it for lack of anything better to read--5 stars, but hopeful ones.
For her daughter:
Spinning, by Tilly Walden. Seems to me a good pick for a teenaged girl who's exact taste you don't really know who is more comfortable reading in Dutch; pretty sure she'll find the cover appealing enough to at least open it. 7 stars.
For my younger sister:
The Trees Kneel at Christmas, by Maud Hart Lovelace. A timely book by an author she loves. The first present of 2017 I bought; I wanted to get it early, because last year I waited till December to buy it and the price had jumped lots. So I got in April when it was out of season ($1 as opposed to $20), and it has been wrapped and here at my mother's house since June. She found it and tried to open it, thinking it was a forgotten leftover from last year, but fortunately was told not to in time. 7 stars--she'll be pleased, but it might be too young for her...
Josie Moves Up, by Phyllis Matthewman. Third in a British girls school series; she has the first two and likes them, as do I, so this is nice for us both. Ten stars. An easy one.
For her son:
I am Pusheen the Cat. He loves Pusheen. Ten stars. Also easy.
This week's round-up of middle grade science fiction and fantasy from around the blogs (12/3/17)
Welcome to this week's round up of mg sci fi/fantasy! And welcome December, the last month in which to complete 2017 reading challenges....I myself have to read at least 2 books a day this month to meet my Goodreads goal of 500 books....
Please let me know if I missed your post, and I'll happily add it!
The Reviews
Air of Vengeance (Windhollows, book 1) by Trayner Bane, at Chanticleer Book Reviews
Bat Girl at Superhero High, by Lisa Yee, at The Reading Nook Reviews
Beast and Crown, by Joel Ross, at Bibliobrit
The Caldera, by John Flannagan, with bonus paean for his books in general, at Ms. Yingling Reads
Children of Refuge, by Margaret Peterson Haddix, at The O.W.L. and Always in the Middle
Dominion, by Shane Arbutnott, at Charlotte's Library
Dragon's Green, by Scarlett Thomas, at This Kid Reviews Books
The Fog Diver, by Joel Ross, at Pages Unbound Reviews
The Fourteenth Goldfish, by Jennifer L. Holm, at The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow
The House of Secrets (The House of Secrets, Book 1) by Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini, at Hidden in Pages
Journey's End, by Rachel Hawkins, at alibrarymama
The Legend of Jack Riddle, by H. Easson, at Mom Read It
The List, by Patricia Forde, at Pages Unbound Reviews
The Matchstick Castle, by Keir Graff, at alibrarymama
Me and Marvin Gardens, by Amy Sarig King, at Book Nut
Nightfall, by Shannon Messenger, at Carstairs Considers and Michelle I. Mason
Oddity, by Sarah Cannon, at Mom Read It
The Painting, by Charis Cotter, at Charlotte's Library
Polaris, by Michael Northrup, at Ms. Yingling Reads
The Skeleton Tree, by Kim Ventrella, at Pages Unbound Reviews
The Secret of the Scarab Beatle, by William Meyer, at Always in the Middle
Spirit Hunters, by Ellen Oh, at Geo Librarian and Book Nut
The Thief Lord, by Cornelia Funke, at proseandkahn
The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery, by Allison Rushby, at Say What?
Two at alibrarymama--Voyage to Magical North, and The Memory Thief
Three short ones at Ms. Yingling Reads--The Lost Frost Girl, Mutant Bunny Island, and Sisters of Glass
Four short ones at Random Musings of Bibliophile--Dragon's Green, Ghosts of Greenglass House, Miss Smith's Spy School for Girls, and Spirit Hunters
Authors and Interviews
Jackie Ogburn (The Unicorn in the Barn) at Tales from the Raven
More Good Stuff
a fun post by Ursula Vernon at Tor--The Sausage Princess, or, Reshaping the Bizarre Structure of Fairy Tales
Please let me know if I missed your post, and I'll happily add it!
The Reviews
Air of Vengeance (Windhollows, book 1) by Trayner Bane, at Chanticleer Book Reviews
Bat Girl at Superhero High, by Lisa Yee, at The Reading Nook Reviews
Beast and Crown, by Joel Ross, at Bibliobrit
The Caldera, by John Flannagan, with bonus paean for his books in general, at Ms. Yingling Reads
Children of Refuge, by Margaret Peterson Haddix, at The O.W.L. and Always in the Middle
Dominion, by Shane Arbutnott, at Charlotte's Library
Dragon's Green, by Scarlett Thomas, at This Kid Reviews Books
The Fog Diver, by Joel Ross, at Pages Unbound Reviews
The Fourteenth Goldfish, by Jennifer L. Holm, at The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow
The House of Secrets (The House of Secrets, Book 1) by Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini, at Hidden in Pages
Journey's End, by Rachel Hawkins, at alibrarymama
The Legend of Jack Riddle, by H. Easson, at Mom Read It
The List, by Patricia Forde, at Pages Unbound Reviews
The Matchstick Castle, by Keir Graff, at alibrarymama
Me and Marvin Gardens, by Amy Sarig King, at Book Nut
Nightfall, by Shannon Messenger, at Carstairs Considers and Michelle I. Mason
Oddity, by Sarah Cannon, at Mom Read It
The Painting, by Charis Cotter, at Charlotte's Library
Polaris, by Michael Northrup, at Ms. Yingling Reads
The Skeleton Tree, by Kim Ventrella, at Pages Unbound Reviews
The Secret of the Scarab Beatle, by William Meyer, at Always in the Middle
Spirit Hunters, by Ellen Oh, at Geo Librarian and Book Nut
The Thief Lord, by Cornelia Funke, at proseandkahn
The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery, by Allison Rushby, at Say What?
Two at alibrarymama--Voyage to Magical North, and The Memory Thief
Three short ones at Ms. Yingling Reads--The Lost Frost Girl, Mutant Bunny Island, and Sisters of Glass
Four short ones at Random Musings of Bibliophile--Dragon's Green, Ghosts of Greenglass House, Miss Smith's Spy School for Girls, and Spirit Hunters
Authors and Interviews
Jackie Ogburn (The Unicorn in the Barn) at Tales from the Raven
More Good Stuff
a fun post by Ursula Vernon at Tor--The Sausage Princess, or, Reshaping the Bizarre Structure of Fairy Tales
12/2/17
Dominion, by Shane Arbuthnott
Are you in need of a steampunk fantasy set in an alternate New World where air ships powered by aetherial spirits travel through the skies in search of other spirits to capture and sell? This is the life that Molly has grown up with, and now she's the engineer on board her family's air ship, the Legerdemain. But Molly is not behaving as a proper engineer should. Instead, she's talking to the spirit powering the airship, and feeling it respond. When she finds herself capturing an extremely powerful spirit, she hears it speak to her.
It is a spirit that knew one of Molly ancestors long ago. And that starts her down a path that ends up in Molly finding truths she's never thought possible about her world, and challenging the owner of the most powerful company in Terra Nova who is threatening that world with his greed (and who has taken the Legerdemain from Molly's family).
So yeah, Go Molly! Challenge arrogant corporate greed! Have the intelligence, sensitivity, and empathy to listen to spirits instead of dismissing or fearing them! Realize your ancestors did bad things, and work to undo them! Believe in your mechanical abilities and yourself! And Go Spirits too, from small spirits forced to power little bots, including one who is utterly charming and helpful, to the greater spirits like the one who powered Legerdemain.
In short, Molly's a great heroine and the whole set up with the spirits is fascinating. I wish we'd been given more of a look at this alternate world--we only see the sliver of sky traversed by Molly and her Family, and the one city where they dock, though there are hints of the bigger world. And likewise it seems like the author knew more backstory about Molly's family than is given in any detail. I'm hoping Molly's world will be broader in future installments, because she's a great heroine who really deserves a great world to adventure in!
Note on age: It's definitely middle grade; Molly's only 14, and there's no sex, and it feels middle grade. But it will be enjoyed more by the older end of MG, pushing YA-ward-- so 11-14 year olds.
Kirkus and I agree on this one-- "Though some of the physics may leave some readers dizzy, feisty young Molly will keep them grounded in this page-turning mystical adventure." (here's the Kirkus review).
disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher for Cybils Award consideration.
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