Paper Valentine, by Brenna Yovanoff

Yesterday I woke up early, and in the dark peacefulness of the morning I began to read Paper Valentine, by Brenna Yovanoff (Razorbill, YA, Jan, 2013).  It is always hard to wake everyone else up and go to work...but when that time came, after a solid hour of reading, I was so deeply immersed in this story that it was almost torture.   Sigh.  Happily my son had a half day, so 11:30 saw me back on the sofa, zipping through the last sixty pages....

No, this was not the escapist middle grade fantasy fun that I so often enjoy.  It was a dark YA, whose main character, Hannah, is haunted (pretty much 24/7) by the ghost of her best friend Lillian who died from anorexia six months before--it is an unwholesome relationship, but Hannah cannot end it (nb--there is no pussy-footing around the terribleness of Lillian's death by anorexia).

As if that were not dark enough, Hannah's town is now home to a serial murderer--girl after girl is being found bashed to death, each with a paper valentine left by the killer.   Hannah, already ghost-haunted, finds that she and the dead girls are drawn to each other...and (with constant interruptions, comments, and advice from ghostly Lillian, who's tormented in her own way) Hannah tries to unravel the mystery of their deaths.

(Although Hannah actually finds the killer by coincidence, not by supernaturally-assisted sleuthing  skills (the ghosts never do communicate anything all that useful), and the resolution of the murders is something of an anti-climax.  Just saying, in case mystery lovers end up feeling disappointed, which is very possible).

And in the meantime,  Hannah falls in love--with a boy who's been labeled bad and dangerous all his life, but who actually turns out to be one of the sweetest boys in YA literature (I can't think of any other teenage boys shown affectionately looking after the baby their aunt's fostering),  and it's not a love triangle situation, or too much of a Big Deal Plot Element, but rather it's a looking past years of stereotyping into the real person situation, and all very genuine and nicely done (once the sight improbability of them hooking up in the first place is over with.  And why did he have to be wearing a wife-beater the first time we meet him?)

Not only did I appreciate the warm fuzziness of this relationship, and the tension of whether it would work out or not, but Hannah has a great 12 year old little sister who I liked very much. 

So in short--a dark ghost filled mystery story, that is not just the unravelling of what the serial killer is up to, but the unravelling of what went wrong for Lillian, and a close examination of her years of friendship with Hannah.   It is very much a character development book--the murders give Hannah a chance to move forward.   What with Lillian's ghostly presence, she's been in a position of forced passivity for months, and the murders serve as a catalyst for her to define herself as a person, and get out from under the skeletal shadow of Lillian.

I was rather pleased with how much I enjoyed it.  I have not been enjoying much YA sff lately, and was afraid I was getting stuck in a MG rut, so I'm glad to know that I can still love reading a dark, edgy YA!

 (At least, I think it's edgy?  Maybe real readers of dark edgy YA would find it a unicorn kitten book????)

disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher

Jinx, by Sage Blackwood

When I went to Kidlitcon last fall, I was treated to an afternoon at Harper Collins, wherein the editor of Jinx, by Sage Blackwood (January 8) sold me on that one by saying it was reminiscent of Diana Wynne Jones....And now I have read it (with great enjoyment), and look forward to re-reading it (which I don't say about all that many books).

Jinx is only six or so when his stepfather takes him out of the safety of the mingy clearing where he's lived all his life out into the Urwold--the dangerous forest where monsters lurk..  The stepfather plans to abandon him out there...but instead, it's the stepfather who doesn't make it out alive.   There in the forest they meet Simon, a mysterious magician, who saves Jinx from a viscous troll attack...the stepfather isn't so lucky.

Simon takes Jinx home with him, to his mysterious house full of magic....but Simon is no loving surrogate parent, nor does he immediately start introducing Jinx to magic.  Instead, Jinx spends the next few years mostly left to his own devices, with only occasional visits by Simon's wife Sophie (who has secrets of his own), and the odd visiting witch, arriving by bouncing butter churn, to break the monotony.  

But outside there is the great forest, and Jinx learns over the years that he can hear the thoughts of the trees.   Not only that, but he can sense the emotions of others, taking visible form around them.   And then Simon betrays him (perhaps), by somehow sucking that part of himself away in a magical spell.  Jinx, devastated by his lose, and furious at Simon, heads off by himself in the woods...

And the tone of the story shifts, when Jinx is joined by two young companions, a boy and a girl each suffering from a curse of their own, and they all set out to confront the Bonemaster, the dark wizard who might be able to set them free.   From a contemplative story of a boy growing up in mystery, the reader is plunged into Adventure and Danger!

Because the Bonemaster isn't helpful.  Instead he imprisons the three kids...and unless they escape, they are toast.  And so is Simon, who had his own reasons for doing what he did, and his own backstory with the Bonemaster...

Like I said, I enjoyed it lots! I can, to some extent, see similarities with DWJ, most particularly in the character of Simon-- charismatic guy with secrets, ala Chrestomanci and Howl, and in the character of Jinx--sympathetic boy with magical potential, and indeed this is one I'd be happy to recommend to her fans, though it's not....quite.  But what is.

My main hesitation with regard to this book is that it is two different types of story.  From the somewhat slow and peaceful pace of Jinx's life with Simon, which are very "home" focused, Jinx and the reader are plunged into a brisk adventure with very high stakes indeed.  I liked both very much, but I think the reader who will most truly enjoy the second half of the book might have trouble staying interested in the first.  I myself had the opposite problem--I was initially very doubtful about the adventure part, mainly because I was suspicious of the two new characters thrown into my reading, and wanted to stay quietly at home with Simon and Sophie and Simon's multitude of cats and books, but I was pleasantly surprised by how gripping I found it, and how avidly I turned the pages.

And indeed, between writing the summary part and the Deep Thoughts part of this post, I did just go back and re-read it.  And enjoyed it again the second time through.

Note on cover--tons of kid appeal for the nine year old boy who finds elves appealing (probably for other nine-year olds too, but I don't have any others on hand).

Edited to add on June 21--I'm now counting Jinx as a diverse mg fantasy, thanks to Sage Blackwood alerting me to his description, which I totally missed:  "He saw himself reflected in the glass, a thin boy with black hair, brown eyes, and tan skin" (page 23 of the ARC, which is what I have), and indeed, Jinx as shown on the cover is several shades darker of skin than me (not that this is hard...).   And given the fact that he lives in a dense forest, the tan part isn't from time in the sun...

My pet peeves, viz books...

At Reads for Keeps, you can see some of my pet peeves with regard to books....at least, the peeves that were foremost in my mind when I was asked last week!

One pet peeve (that I go into in more detail over there) is a dislike of intrusive narrators--which, thinking about it more, is not just knee-jerk hostility on my part, but hostility arising from a very good reason--I don't want to be reminded that I am reading.  I want to be dead to the world.  And someone coyly sticking their head around the page and saying "isn't this a wonderful journey we're having together, dear reader?"  is almost as bad, viz achieving total immersion, as one of my children needing help pouring the milk but not asking me for it in time.

Pictures of my house, starring my new econobookshelf and dining room wallpaper

I imagine that I am Not Alone in always needing more shelf space, and so I offer a tip to those reluctant to spend the money it takes to get a decent bookshelf--the shoe rack!  Below is my new shoe rack, bought at a thrift store for $4.99 (click to embiggen).  Light-weight (Will not damage anyone if it falls over on them! Easily tied to door handles with strong rope to keep falling from happening!) and easy to move, it can be stored in a closet once you've caught up on your reading, and brought out again when you come back from ALA or Book Expo America.

Here are all my current review copies, books waiting to be reviewed, and some miscellaneous tbr pile over flow.  So much better than keeping your books in the bathtub, which is what I was doing before the renovation of the dining room:

This is no longer an option, as the dining room renovation required that the bathtub go (since it had been installed sticking out into the dining room), so I appreciate my shoe rack lots.

Speaking of new bookshelves, and the dining room renovation, we did treat ourselves to a real new bookshelf...

and you can see our new color scheme and wallpaper nicely too (though the African bird might go--it's perhaps too ominous where it is...., and a picture must be hung in that empty space...)

And here is another dining room picture, just cause we like our new mirror so much:

And finally, here's the dining room, before:

Except that the floral loveliness was hidden behind 1970s fake paneling, and it all looked even worse!  Someday when we finish wallpapering (we've had to order more sigh sigh), I'll have a picture showing where the bathtub used to be....

Divide and Conquer: Infinity Ring, book 2, by Carrie Ryan, for Timeslip Tuesday

 Infinity Ring:  Divide and Conquer, by Carrie Ryan (Scholastic, November 2012)

In an alternate reality, history played out very differently.   Deliberate interventions were made with the course of events by an evil (in a power-mad, ruthless sort of way) organization that dominates the present of three kids--Dak, Sera, and Riq.   But the Hystorians are fighting back, and their hopes rest on these kids, who are able to travel back in time to fix the mistakes with the help of the powerful Infinity Ring.  (This is all explained in Book 1-- A Mutiny in Time, and if you really want to understand what's happening, you have to read that first).

But how to fix mistakes when you don't know what really should have happened?  In Paris of 885, are the kids supposed to be keeping the Viking raiders from sacking Paris?  That's the puzzle that Dak, Sera, and Riq have to solve in this episode of their ongoing saga, all the while somehow managing to stay alive as Beserkers attack.  The whole survival thing becomes particularly challenging for history obsessed Dak--he just can't resist going out to get a closer look at a real Viking longship.  Unfortunately, he gets a closer look at the Vikings than he bargained for....

So, there's lots of historical mayhem, puzzles to solve, Vikings to outwit, etc., with a dash of the three kids growing up a tad for good measure.  Raq is still somewhat unlikable (though he's improving), Dak too impetuous, and Sera, always the most sympathetic of the bunch, is falling in love---with a dude from the 9th century (no future in that).  

It's a fun, fast, read--time travel made relatively easy with the help of technology, with an emphasis on excitement rather than deep thoughts.   A fine addition to a series that many older elementary/younger middle school kids should enjoy, and dog fans in particular should appreciate this instalment--there's a great Viking dog.

My only complaint is that few concessions are made for the reader who doesn't know her history all that well.  In book one, any school kid would know that it was Columbus who was supposed to have discovered America.  But who knows all that much about the Viking invasion of France? I now know a lot more than I did, for which I am grateful.  But though a little historical background, detailing what actually happened, would have given things away if put at the beginning, would have driven the history lesson home if placed at the end....

added bonus:  the adventures of the three kids play out on-line, with the code given in this book opening the way to a new episode....

added bonus 2:  the kids are multicultural, as shown on the back cover. 

The Secret Room, by Antonia Michaelis

Antonia Michaelis is the author of three YA books translated from the original German into English--Tiger Moon, Dragons of Darkness, and 2012's The Storyteller.   The Secret Room (Sky Pony Press, October, 2012) is, as far as I know, her first middle grade book to be translated.  

Achim has lived all his life in an orphanage, and he's pretty sure that, because of his asthma,  he'll never be adopted. But then Paul and Inez come, and want him to be their son.  Their own little boy died years ago.  If he had lived, he would be the same age as Achim.

In the house of Paul and Inze there is a secret room, where no room could really exist, a prison tower with strange paintings on the walls.  And in that secret room, Achim meets Arnim, his lost brother.

Arnim is trapped, unable to move beyond the tower room to fly free into what lies beyond.   To free him, Achim must become a bird, and fly to the palace of the dark and terrible Nameless One, built of stones of longing and sadness, stolen by Nameless One, and it is surrounded by trees full of caged birds, who had themselves tried and failed to free their own loved ones.

To succeed where they failed, Achim  must solve a series of riddles and conquer his fears, while navigating the dangers of the Nameless One.  Day after day, he slips through the paintings in the secret room, journeying ever closer to the answer he needs.  

But it is in the real world where Achim will find what he needs to free his brother, because what is really imprisoning Arnim is grief and loss, both that of Paul and Ines, and Achim's own, barely recognized sadness that he himself lost his own parents.  As Achim, Paul, and Inez become a new family, ready to love each other, the chances that Achim can free his ghost brother grow....

So in part this book is a fantasy quest, a hero's journey through a magical realm, where he is armed only with bravery, compassion, and his wits, and the help of magical birds.  In the larger story arc, though, the fantasy elements are an extended metaphor, highlighting and complementing the truly moving poignancy of Achim's journey into a new family.

This real world side of things was tremendously worthwhile reading--my heart ached for Achim, breaking a plate and hiding it under his mattress in stress and shame, and  trying to keep his asthma a secret, in case Paul and Inez didn't want a child they had to worry about.   And my heart ached for the grown-ups, too, as they carefully try not to think too hard about the son they lost, and try to make a family with their new son.

The fantasy side of things is, up till the great confrontation at the end, somewhat dreamlike and unhurried--it might not appeal to every young reader.   Indeed, it's the sort of book that will be just right for just the right child--the introspective one, the one who loves metaphorical stories, may well love this book, find it incredibly powerful, and appreciate the rich descriptions immensely.

I don't think its for everyone, though--kids who are avid consumers of modern American fantasy might find it lacking in zippy immediacy and too surreal, and they might find Achim's very mater-of-fact narrative voice distancing.  These kids, however, might well find their interest picking up toward the end, when things start to really get going, and a knife turns into a flying horse (!) and the Nameless One attacks...

On the other hand, I'm happy to recommend it to adult readers of fantasy who enjoy Fun with Metaphor.   As an adult, it was the real world side that gripped me most, and so I'd primarily recommend it to those who love stories of orphaned children trying to find a loving place in the world....And I'd also suggest keeping this one in mind to give to kids who might themselves have loss and grief in their lives, who might find comfort here.  That being said, it's not a book with a message of "helping kids deal with death" front and center, but rather a story in which letting go, with love, those who have died, is the central theme.

I sure hope, though, that The Secret Room does well enough here in the US that its sequel gets published in English too (so please do go seek it out).  This particular fantasy adventure has ended, but I care very much about Achim and Paul and Inez and want more of them.

The German title of the book is Das Adoptivzimmer, which translates as The Adopted Room, and the German blurb on Goodreads underlines this metaphorical connection that I missed.  The secret room is not part of the real house, but is there on sufferance---adopted, like Achim himself.

I'm not sure which cover I like better--the American one, which emphasises the emotional weight of the story, but is kind of depressing, or the German one, which I think has more overt kid-appeal, but which might be misleading....this not being a bubbly fantasy fun type book.

Here's another review, at Kid Lit Reviews

(disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher)

This week's round-up of middle grade speculative fiction from around the blogs (1/13/13)

Here's this week's round-up of middle grade sci fi/fantasy from around the blogs; please let me know if I missed your post!

The Reviews

13 Hangmen, by Art Corriveau, at Time Travel Times Two

The Cabinet of Earths, by Anne Nesbet, at Sonderbooks 

The Dragonet Prophecy, by Tui T. Sutherland, at Good Books and Good Wine

The False Prince, by Jennifer Nielsen, at Sonderbooks

The Girl Who Cirumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, by Catherynne M. Valente, at Fantasy Literature

Gobin Secrets, by William Alexander, at Night Writer

In a Blink, by Kiki Thorpe, at Sharon the Librarian

The Lost Heir, by Tui T. Sutherland, at Charlotte's Library

Lovecraft Middle School--Professor Gargoyle, and The Slither Sisters, by Charles Gilman, at Mr. Ripleys Enchanted Books

Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King, by William Joyce, at Wondrous Reads

Ordinary Magic, by Caitlen Rubino-Bradway, at The Book Smugglers

The Peculiar, by Stefan Bachmann, at Reads for Keeps

The Spindlers, by Lauren Oliver, at Fantasy Literature and Good Books and Good Wine

Spirit Fighter, and Fire Prophet, by Jerel Law, at Bookworm Dreams

The Tell-Tale Start, by Gordon McAlpine, at The Book Cellar

The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket, by John Boyne, at Bunbury in the Stacks

Z-Apocalypse, by Steve Cole, at Ms. Yingling Reads


Other Good Stuff:

The False Prince, by Jennifer Nielsen, is being made into a movie.

The People (at least34, 435 of them) have petitioned the Obama administration to build a Death Star.  Here's the Official Response, from Paul Shawcross, Chief of the Science and Space Branch at the White House Office of Management and Budget

The Administration shares your desire for job creation and a strong national defense, but a Death Star isn't on the horizon. Here are a few reasons:

"The construction of the Death Star has been estimated to cost more than $850,000,000,000,000,000. We're working hard to reduce the deficit, not expand it.

The Administration does not support blowing up planets.

Why would we spend countless taxpayer dollars on a Death Star with a fundamental flaw that can be exploited by a one-man starship?"

Thanks to the Fourth Annual Blog Comment Challenge I found myself visiting Sarah Albee's blog, where I found a lovely post on WW II carrier pigeons that includes this extraordinarily helpful piece of information.  Being unable to wrap anything neatly, I shudder to think how bad I would be at this (although I think I could cope with Item 8, which appears to be "open box").

Recommendations of adult fantasy books for adult fans of middle grade fantasy

I make a sincere effort to look at the grown-up science fiction and fantasy section of the bookstore.  And then I go off an buy a middle grade or YA book.  But I am trying, this year, to crossover into the adult realm a little more, and it is hard for me because I have never liked a single book in which the female character is shown on the cover wearing a tank top and holding a weapon (although, on reflection, I don't think I've never actually read such a book).

Earlier this week I wrote about the reason why I put down, unfinished, my first adult book of the year- City of Dark Magic.   Lots of folks kindly left recommendations, and I thought it would be fun (and maybe useful, to others who share my reading tastes) to make a list of relatively current fantasy books published for adults that are the sort of thing that adults who turn to kids' fantasy for their own reading pleasure (I know for a fact there are at least ten of us) would enjoy.

In my mind, these sorts of book are strong on character, and the characters are smart, often witty, and (if they are central characters) likable.  They are welcome to have hot and steamy romances, although subtle smoldering is preferred.  These books are strong on setting, with lots of lovely details about place, and/or fascinating twists of world building (such as alternate histories) that really make the territory of the book an undiscovered country.

I'll start with some recommendations of my own, with the "relatively current" caveat meaning I'm not going to mention Diana Wynne Jones.  I'm not going to mention Ursula Le Guin either, although Lavinia is, as was noted in the comments, fairly recent and utterly worth reading (note cunning mention of both of them).  If anyone wants a list of older books, Rachel Neumier has a nice one here.

Contemporary books I'd Recommend:

House of Shadows, by Rachel Neumier

Anything by Patricia McKillip, perhaps The Alphabet of Thorn, or Ombria in Shadow, to start with.

Resenting the Hero, by Moira J. Moore (I have Angie to thank for introducing me to this lovely series!)

Among Others by Jo Walton (though I found it too depressing for my personal taste) (recommended also by Jessmonster)

Cold Magic, by Kate Elliott, is almost one I can recommend, but it didn't quite work for me personally--my review)

Pause.

Ok.  This is why I need help if I am ever going to read any current adult fantasy.   That is all I can think of that's on my own shelves.

The recommendations I got on my first post:

From Tanita:

Wearing the Cape, by Marion G. Harmon
The Iron Butterfly, Chandra Hahn
Dignity,  and Fealty, by Eva Caye
The Demon's Librarian, Lillith Saintcrow
The Ladies of Mandrigyn, Barbara Hambly

From Jennifer:

 Deborah Harkness' Discovery of Witches

Patricia C. Wrede's adult fantasy novels, the Lyra books, with particular mention of  The Raven Ring.

From Cecelia:

The Silvered, by Tanya Huff (and here's her review of it)

From Jessica:

 Naomi Novik's Temeraire books

From Sondy:

Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind and Wise Man's Fear  (agreed--these are good ones)

Coronet of Steel, by Sherwood Smith

Mercedes Lackey's Five Hundred Kingdoms series

New Recommendations from the comments to this post (thank you all very much!)

From Ana: Terry Pratchett's Discworld series (and I can second this from my own experience-I started reading these last year, with great enjoyment)

From Melissa:  Neil Gaiman--Neverwhere and Stardust.  (I have not read these.  Yet.  But I did read Anansi Boys, and enjoyed it).

From Monica:  Good Omens, which nicely combines the two authors above!  (another that's on my tbr pile already....)

Maureen suggests several authors--
Sharon Shinn (agreed)
Leona Wisoker (a new one for me)
Ellen Kusthner (Swordspoint in particular)
Midnight Riot and sequels, by Ben Aaronovitch
The Rook by Daniel O'Malley
Martha Wells, in particular the Wheel of the Infinite
 Sylvia Kelso's Amberlight
 Theodora Goss's short fiction, also Catherynne Valente's

Aurora Celeste suggests Jacqueline Carey

Deva Fagan suggests The Curse of Chalion, by Lois McMaster Bujold,  the Sevenwaters series, by Juliet Marillier, and Kristen Britain's Green Rider series, and brings up Brandon Sanderson...

who is seconded by KT, who also recommends the Riyria Revelations by Michael Sullivan

Maria recommends Guy Gavriel Kay's Tigana, and his subsequent books would also count as well, which reminds me I am behind on him too.  Plus The Wheel of Time series, but I think that ship may have sailed without me (though Becky recommends it too...).

Maria's just reviewed and recommends Wool, by Hugh Howey (her review), also that seems more sci fi, and she also suggests Sherri Tepper, an author I love (except when I don't), although she's more sci fi than fantasy, which segues neatly into....

Suggestions beyond fantasy, qua fantasy--

Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline
Redshirts, and Old Man's War, by John Scalzi
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, by Robin Sloan
James Schmitz' collections and his novel, Witches of Karres.
 Lois McMaster Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan series

And more recommendations--

Small Review-- Jane Lindskold's Wolf series, and James Clemens' Banned and the Banished series

Kristen Evey--  Maria V. Snyder's Poison Study series

Anamaria --  The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

Beth--Wen Spencer: A Brother's Price for a stand alone, and two series- Alien Taste and  her Tinker books.

And on my own tbr pile, I have The Magicians, by Lev Grossman (which I've started), Norse Code, by Greg van Eekhout, and The Accidental Sorcerer, by K.E. Mills.   And A Game of Thrones.  I am curious, though trepidatious, about that one.

(If I do end up reading Norse Code, it will be my first ever book whose cover shows a woman wearing a tank top and holding a weapon!)

And speaking of which, Rachel also suggests  the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs, with the caveat that Mercy more often is holding a wrench....

There are more recommendations in the comments for older books, which is nice too, but having decided to read Contemporary, I'm not putting those in this list.  Once I've read all of these, I can go back and make a list of the older ones....

SO--THANK YOU all for stopping by (so very nice to see so many blog friends!) Thanks to your recommendations, I have now become determined to read, or at least make a good faith try to read, 1 contemporary adult speculative fiction novel a week during 2013.   Starting with the ones already in the house.

Stick Dog, by Tom Watson

If you want to get your elementary school reader (age 7ish to 8ish, say) to read a book, look for Stick Dog, by Tom Watson (HarperCollins, January 2013) . I pretty much promise they will pick it up, attracted by the very funny cover and premise--dogs (drawn stick dog style) on an epic fantasy quest for...hamburgers.

When my review copy of this arrived home,  it was pounced on by both my nephew and my son, who both read it in a single sitting with great enjoyment. My son then pressed me to read it--"tell me when you get to the funny bits," he said.

And there were many funny bits, too many to list, of the sort that a young reader who likes silly fun will enjoy lots.   More than just the adventures of Stick Dog and his friends, it's a conversation between the author/illustrator and his reader, and I think that many kids appreciate this sort of acknowledgement of their existence, and the sense of being in on the joke, lots! 

In short, fun for its intended audience, and a good one to offer the hesitant reader, what with its friendly inclusion of lots of drawings and its easy to read story.

(I myself don't care for intrusive narrators, nor am I an eight year old.  And also, not being a dog person I would have preferred Stick Cat.   This is, of course, totally irrelevant).

The story of how Stick Dog came to be a book is one that gives hope to everyone who writes a book for their kids, self-publishes it, and then signs on with a major publisher, because this is what Tom Watson did.  You can read more about it in this interview at The BookBaby Blog--the BookBaby being the digital distributor who first sent Stick Dog into the world.

(disclaimer:  review copy received from the publisher)

Thoughts on trying to read a book for grown-ups, City of Dark Magic

I like reading fantasy books written for middle school girls (and boys, to a lesser extent).  This does not mean that I don't also enjoy books for grown-ups, and I am willing to try those that sound good.  Such as  City of Dark Magic, by Magnus Flyte, which promised Prauge, and alchemy, and music, and academia, and dangerous magic.

If I had read its blurb on Amazon more closely, I might also have realized that it promised "tantric sex in a public fountain."  I might, at that point, have passed on it.

I have no particular issue with sex in fiction, especially when it comes after spine-tingling build-up of tension between two characters I care about.  Sadly, that wasn't the case here.

Sarah, the main character, is a musicology grad student who loves her physical frolics, and this is fine, although I don't see why I had to read details about past frolics that aren't relevant to the plot at hand (yes, it tells me a lot about Sarah, but not subtly).   More off-putting was that her main worry when meeting her new colleagues is that, because of clogged airplane sinuses, her preternatural pheromone sensitivity is not going to be in evidence.   Off-putting as well was the unsubtle introduction of a lesbian character (an expert on antique weaponry) who, like so many people, is attracted to Sarah for no clear reason other than to bring sex into everyone's mind again and demonstrate the marvellous health of Sarah's libido.

But what I really never wanted to read were the details of how Sarah found masturbation incredibly helpful when studying for her SATs so many years ago.  Distasteful, and irrelevant.

I could not help but feel that the author was finding his sexy babe character incredibly titillating, and this made me feel squicky.  So that was the end of me reading City of Dark Magic, before I really got to the dark magic part.  Sigh.

Undeterred, I've started another fantasy grown up book--The Magicians, by Lev Grossman.   And I've realized that I don't like it when I'm compelled to visualize the main character peeing in the shower.

This doesn't happen in middle grade fiction.

Waiting on Wednesday--The Watcher in the Shadows, by Chris Moriarty

Way back in October of 2011, I reviewed The Inquititor's Apprentice, by Chris Moriarty (that's the more kid-friendly paperback cover shown at right).  It's a mystery set in a late 19th century New York in which there is magic, and tells of how two kids are recruited by the branch of the NYPD whose job is to solve magical crimes.
 
I adored Inspector Wolf, the inquisitor of the title.  As I said in my review,. he "reminded me a bit of Lord Peter Whimsey, crossed with Howl, with a dash of Eugenides, mainly because he is very, very good at not revealing all that is going on inside his brilliant mind."  I cannot wait to meet him again in the forthcoming sequel!

The Watcher in the Shadows comes out from Harcourt Children's Books on May 28, 2013.
 
"At the turn of the twentieth century, New York’s Bowery District becomes the scene of a terrible murder when the Klezmer King gets fried to a crisp by his Electric Tuxedo—on stage! The Inquisitor’s apprentice, thirteen-year-old Sacha Kessler, tries to help find the killer, but the closer he gets to solving the crime, the more it sounds as if the creature that haunted him in his first adventure is back. Worse still, his own Jewish family is in danger. Sacha has avoided learning magic until now, but as his world falls apart around him, he changes his mind."

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Crow Country, by Kate Constable, for Timeslip Tuesday

In Crow Country (Allen & Unwin, 2012), Australian author Kate Constable has written a brave and heartfelt story that draws on the Aboriginal heritage of Place and Story, and that addresses racism (past and present) head on.  It is only partly successful.

White, city-girl Sadie had no desire to move to the country town where her mother grew up, and, once there, has no desire to make connections to the land and the people living there.  But beneath the mud of a dried-out reservoir, she finds carved stones--part of a story as old as the land, Crow Country, place of the Dja Dja Wurrung.  Crow comes to her, leading her back in time, making her part of a tragedy in which her own family was complicit.   In brief passages of time, Sadie takes the place of another girl, unwilling party to the cover up of the brutal murder of Jimmy Raven, an Aboriginal man.  The secret burial of Jimmy Raven involved a wrong done not just to him, but to his kin. 

Meanwhile, in the present, Sadie finds herself stuck being companionable with Walter, nephew of her mother's old flame David, himself Aboriginal.  And Walter's toughness (he's the one who advocates trespassing, who uses violence) gives Sadie both the impetus she needs to solve the mystery of Jimmy Raven in the present, and the connection to the Aboriginal elder who will set things right.

On the plus side, the time travel part of the book is extremely gripping.  Because Sadie already has a place that's she's filling back in the past, the difficult bits of being in another time aren't the point--she's there to observe three men who fought together in World War I, and how the bond they formed then is overwhelmed by the racism and economic disparities back in Australia.  I found this fascinating. And although it didn't break any new ground, I also was reasonably happy to read about Sadie's life ordinary life in the present--trying to fit in to a new a community, dealing her mother's rekindled relationship with David,  and her own attraction to privileged boy Lachie.

I'm always in favor of books that address racism head on, as Kate Constable does, and I appreciated that she is careful and respectful in her presentation of Aboriginal beliefs, acknowledged in the forward written by Elder Gary Murray of the Dja Dja Wurrung Yung Balug Clan.

But unfortunately, I was never able to be entirely comfortable with Sadie in her role of  Crow's chosen one.  She is a white girl setting right a past wrong done to Aboriginal people, assisted by an Aboriginal boy who brings danger and violence to the quest.   In fairness, Sadie's family had a large part in things going wrong, and so, at one level, I'm fine with her having to take steps to set things right.  But I'm not comfortable with the white girl having so much more positive a role than the Aboriginal boy.  All this came to a head for me when Sadie says to an Aboriginal Elder--"you can trust me" (page 179).

This is a flash point phrase for me, because I used it myself once, in a very well meaning but utterly naive way, when I was new to my job as an archaeologist working with the federally recognized tribe of my state.  I will never forget the well-deserved dressing down I got from the Tribal Preservation Officer to whom I said it.  The gist of it was that "trust" is an incredibly loaded word, fraught with colonialist oppression and power dynamics, and that the Tribe is able to make decisions about its own cultural patrimony without having to place any trust whatsoever in a naive white girl.

As long as I was able to keep my mind in sync with Sadie's self-centered adolescent persona, I was able to turn the pages briskly, finding the mystery and the mythology and (to a lesser extent) the personal dynamics gripping, as a thinker I was troubled...and it's one of those books where the more you start thinking, the harder it is stop.  It was particularly troubling that the wrong being set right wasn't about bringing justice to Jimmy Raven as an individual who was murdered and secretly buried.  If you want to know more about the troubling-ness of this story, I can't say it any better than Ana does over at The Book Smugglers

However, many have found merit in the book--Crow Country was the  2012 Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year Award – Younger Readers, and was shortlisted for the 2012 Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature Children’s literature award as well as the 2012 WA Premier’s Literary Award. 

The Lost Heir (Wings of Fire, Book 2), by Tui T. Sutherland

If I were a different sort of person, I might have created some sort of spread sheet for the books I was reading for the Cybils, giving them points for the two categories by which we evaluated them-- Kid Appeal and Literary Merit.   The Dragonet Prophecy (the first book of the Wings of Fire), by Tui Sutherland (Scholastic 2012), would have gotten extremely high marks for its kid appeal, and indeed, if I had to recommend one book on our list of 151 to a random fourth grade kid, it would have been this one.

Of all the books that didn't make it onto our final list, this is the one I regret most.

The second book, The Lost Heir, is now out in the world, and has been out in my son's fourth grade classroom since he took my review copy to share.   The list was long, and the readers still waiting in line are restless--the girl who presently has it has misplaced it....although at this point they can all just go to the book store and buy it, so its not quite as tense as it was back in December.  So in a nutshell--yes, the kidlit appeal of this series is still going strong.

Each book in the series is told from the point of view of one of five young dragons, taken as eggs to a secret hiding place and raised with the assumption that they will be the Dragonets of Prophecy, who will bring peace to the warring dragon factions.  In this book, sea-dragon Tsunami is reunited with her mother, Queen Coral...but though Tsunami does her best to see things through rose-colored spectacles (and indeed, her mother is very glad to have her back), all is not, in fact, rose petals and happiness.   For starters, Tsunami's dragonet companions are imprisoned, and her loyalties are torn, and this is just one small part of the whole business of warring dragon factions that Tsunami can't pretend doesn't exist.

And then Tsunami finds herself facing a dark mystery--someone, or something, has been killing Queen Coral's daughters.   Tsunami herself was saved by being kidnapped while still in her egg...and unless she can figure out what's happening, her unhatched baby sister will be the next victim of the mysterious killer.

So yes, there are dragon deaths, and political intrigues, and injustices and machinations that must be faced.  Tsunami has a hard time with the facing part of it--she wants her life to have a story book happy ending, and she wants as well to be a clear, decisive leader for whom everything works out just the way she wants it too, but that's not what happens.  She must learn hard lessons.

There's not as much violence as there was in the first book, but dragons do die, and Queen Coral, though a loving mother with many fine qualities, is not above torturing and executing dragons who fail her.   Tsunami is busy trying not to think to critically of her mother, so readers are left to form their own opinions--which, in my case, boiled down to "girl, get your friends together and get the heck out of there."

Which, happily, is what ends up happening.  Because it's the friendships of the dragonets that give the series its heart, and with the tight focus on Tsunami in this book, that got a tad overshadowed.   Next up is Glory's story--the secrets of the Rainwings revealed! (The Hidden Kingdom, coming June 3)

(disclaimer: review copy received from the publisher)

This Week's Middle Grade Fantasy and Science Fiction Round-up (!/6/2013)

 Welcome to the first mg sff round up of 2013!  In case anyone is new to these posts, what I do is read skim as many blogs as I can, looking for reviews of mg sff, so that I can gather them all together in one easily found place so that fellow fans of the genre can enjoy them.   Please let me know, this week, or any week, if you have a post for me, or if I missed a post by you or your loved ones.

The Big News:

The Cybils Shortlists have been announced, and here are the lovely books us first round mg sff panelists came up with!  (click here to see the blurbs we wrote for them)

Beswitched by Kate Saunders
Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities by Mike Jung
The Cabinet of Earths by Anne Nesbet
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann

The Reviews:

The Aviary, by Kathleen O’Dell, at Beyond Books

The Cup and the Crown, by Diane Stanley, at Kid Lit Geek

Elliot and the Goblin War, by Jennifer Nielsen, at My Precious

The False Prince, by Jennifer Nielsen, at Bookends and Literate Lives

The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There, by Catherynne M. Valente, at Ex Libris

Just So Stories, by Rudyard Kipling--Michael Morpurgo at The Guardian

Iron Hearted Violet, by Kelly Barnhill, at Karissa's Reading Review

The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate, at Challenging the Bookworm

Palace of Stone, by Shannon Hale, at Stacked

The Path of Beasts, by Lian Tanner, at Ms. Yingling Reads

The Peculiar, by Stefan Bachmann, at books4yourkids 

Pip and the Wood Witch Curse, by Chris Mould, at Charlotte's Library

Posiden and the Sea of Fury, by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams, at The Write Path

Shadow Breakers, by Daniel Blythe, at Ms. Yingling Reads

Spirit Fighter, by Jay Law, at Challenging the Bookworm

Tilly's Moonlight Garden, by Julia Green, at Ms. Yingling Reads

Who Could That Be At This Hour? by Lemony Snickett, at Biblio File 

Two fantasy moth books--Margaret and the Moth Tree, by Brit Trogan and Kari Trogan, and The Grey Ghost, by Julie Hahnke, at Charlotte's Library

Other Good Stuff:

At From the Mixed Up Files, Sayantani DasGupta asks--Is there a shortage of girls in mg sff?  I think not, myself, and the comments are full of recommendations.  Watching the books I'm offering to my own young fantasy reader, I'm rather thrilled to see how many books with central characters who are girls he's loving, and I think that if you want your boy to "read girls," mgsff is your best bet.  Followed by graphic novels.

Which is illustrated by my own look at the mg sff sequels and series continuators coming out this spring--6 star girls (one being a girl dragon) and 3 star boys.

For those interested in diversity in mg sff--here's my round up of all the 2012 books I found whose central protagonists aren't white kids.

It would actually take 2.5 million seagulls to lift the Giant Peach (via The Guardian).   Logistically challenging.

The sequels that my young companion in fantasy reading and I are most looking forward to this spring

I am so very happy that my nine-year old is a Reader, and more than that, that he shares (more or less) my own tastes!  This means that when his birthday comes along in early May, I can get him books that I want too! 

Spring is going to be a happy time for us--here's are the books we are looking forward to most (because even though trying a  new author is fun, revisiting a series is even better):

The Runaway King, by Jennifer Nielsen (March 2013).  My son just read the last page of The False Prince an hour ago, and loved it.  So gratifying, since it was one of my favorites of 2012, and one I was very happy to have had a hand in putting on our Cybils shortlist.
 
Fyre, by Angie Sage (April 2013)  He's just starting this series, but should be caught up by spring...

How to Train Your Dragon: How to Seize a Dragon's Jewel, by Cressida Cowell (April 2013).  I've only read the first book of the series, so this one will really be for him (and the friends he shares it with!)

Wednesdays in the Tower, by Jessica Day George (May 2013).  My picky 12 year old shares our excitement...if you want to give a boy a fantasy book with a girl main character, Tuesdays at the Castle is the one that I'd recommend first.

The Hidden Kingdom (Wings of Fire, book 3) by Tui T. Sutherland (June 2013).  This comes out after his birthday, but perhaps if we're lucky we will get a review copy because we are So Excited to see what happens to the dragonets of prophecy next....One of my son's friends has misplaced the copy of book 2 (The Lost Heir--I'll be reviewing it on Monday) that he took to school to lend to everyone, and apparently there is much grief among those who were still in line to read it, although now that's it out in the world, they can at least go find it at the bookstore.

And then there are some series continuors that I want for myself, to wit:

Mirage, by Jenn Reese, the sequel to Above World.  I'm looking forward to re-entering this fascinating world.

Stolen Magic, by Stephanie Burgis (April).  Kat, Incorrigible I thought was just fine, but not that special, Renegade Magic I liked lots indeed, and my hopes are high for book three!

 Summerkin, by Sarah Prineas (April)  Sequel to Winterling, which I should offer my son soon....

A Box of Gargoyles, by Anne Nesbet (May)  The sequel to the truly excellent Cabinet of Earths, another Cybils shortlisted title.

Two fantasy moth books--Margaret and the Moth Tree, and The Grey Ghost

Many Saturdays ago I promised a look at two middle grade fantasy books featuring moths, and (mostly for my own sake, because books that have been reviewed can be shelved or passed on to the library), I am determined to follow through, though the hour is late.

The first moth fantasy, Margaret and the Moth Tree, by Brit Trogan and Kari Trogan, (Kids Can Press, 2009), is a rather fetching tale.  Poor Margaret has ended up at a horrible orphanage, run by an egotistical maniac who has the art of deception down to a science.  When visitors come, the orphanage seems a paradise, but it is really a nightmare for the poor inmates, all of whom must serve the twisted doyen who rules their lives.  Fortunately for Margret, she learned during her solitary childhood to listen with a focused intensity to sounds most people can't hear, and this gift enables her to make friends with a moth.

Although that last statement may sound odd, out in the uncontextualized cold, within the world of the story it makes sense.   With the help of the moth and his kin, Margaret brings about the downfall of the dastardly mistress of the orphanage, and all is well.

If only this book had a different cover it would doubtless charm many a young  reader, for it is a charming story!  A cover with a flowering tree under the moonlight, studded with star-like moths, and an appealing, perhaps even fairy-like, girl beneath it....which is how I imagine Margaret.  But the actual cover is so drab that this book might be a very hard sell.

If you get past the cover, you get a very nice indeed orphan story, one I myself enjoyed quite a bit.

My second moth fantasy was also a Cybils review copy....back in 2009.  But I never gave up on the possibility of reviewing it.  It has bravely sat on the shelf next the  computer, waiting, and at last its time has come (though I had to re-read it).

The Grey Ghost, by Julie Hahnke (PublishingWorks, 2009), is a historical fantasy, set in 16th-century Scotland.  It's the story of eleven-year-old Angus, who finds himself the sole survivor of his clan--all his kin have been massacred by Black Duncan Campbell. 

It falls to Angus to unravel the secrets of his clan, and claim its ancient treasure...while bringing down Black Duncan.  It's a lot for one boy on his own to accomplish, but fortunately Angus has help, of an unlikely kind.  A luna moth, a spirit of the earth, appears to him, setting him along his way, and sends to friends to help him--a pine martin and a goshawk.

Yes, it sounds unlikely, and those who flinch from talking animals may well find it hard to suspend their disbelief, but it actually does work (although I have to confess it took a lot for me to accept a spiritual advisor in the form of a luna moth, especially in Scotland!).  And the whole ensemble is a fast-paced, exciting story.    Angus' situation is a sad and desperate one--the stakes are rather high, and there is some grim fighting, but the animal friends lighten things up, leavening the grimness with their fantasy. 

By way of warning, though, the animal friends don't show up until a considerable ways into the book, by which point the more sensitive young reader looking for fantasy escapism might have decided the book isn't for them (which is why I've not offered this to my own 9 year old yet).  The generous number of appealing black and white illustrations, however, might counter-balance this, keeping said reader's interest....

(disclaimer:  both of these were received from their publishers for Cybils review purposes)

Pip and the Wood Witch Curse, written and illustrated by Chris Mould

Determined to briskly review books received for Cybils consideration, and move them right along to permanent homes, today I offer Pip and the Wood Witch Curse, written and illustrated by Chris Mould (Albert Whitman, 2012).  It's the start of a new series, one that should find many fans among 8 and 9 year old devotees (or nascent devotees) of fantasy.

Young orphan Pip is about to be sold of into a miserable, and most unwanted, life at sea.  But chance smiles (perhaps) on him, and he escapes into the brutal winter night, hiding himself away in the wagon of a company of travelling players.

(At which point I though this would be another circus fantasy, with Pip mastering arcane jugging skills or some such.  Boy was I wrong).

The wagon takes him to the town of Hangman's Hollow, a place as dark as its name.  It is a town surrounded by a witch-filled wood--and the witches are hungry for children.  But in Hangman's Hollow there are no children, save for a few tucked hidden into secret corners by their desperate parents.   And Pip finds himself taken in by one such father,  whose own son has been kept enclosed all his life.

Outside, sinister forces hunt for fresh victims...and Pip has caught their attention.  Will the Wood Witch Curse claim him, or can he outwit it?

So, in other words, a dark and spooky tale.   It is not, however, an unfriendly story for the young reader (say, third or fourth grade) who likes things dark and spooky--in fact, it is perfect for such a kid.  It is profusely illustrated, with many detailed black and white drawings, that include full page, multi-paneled depictions of the action, offering the more uncertain reader a nice break from words. 

And it's a friendly looking book, too, for the kid leaving easier chapter books and moving toward full blown middle grade fantasy.   It's short (165 pages), of smaller dimensions than, say, Harry Potter, and nicely solid.  Leafing through it, the pictures catch the eye nicely--no page after page of intimidating text. 

It's a good story, too, with mystery and creepiness, leavened here and there with humor (though not one I'd go out of my way to recommend to adult readers of fantasy, who aren't, after all, the intended audience).  Though Pip's adventures are truly scary, he does have friends on his side, and one is never in any real doubt that he will prevail.

This one is a UK import, published over there in January, 2012.  Here's that cover.  I'm not entirly sold on either one--the US Pip looks a bit unfriendly (even Golem-esque), and the UK cover looks like a movie poster....

My favorite books of 2012, and the Cybils shortlists

I waited until today to share my favorite books of 2012, partly because I was reading right up to the wire, and partly so as not to inadvertently give away anything about the Cybils shortlist for mg sff.  Now the shortlists are up!

Here's what we shortlisted (and boy, was it a stuggle to limit it to seven out of the grand total of 151 books nominated!)

Beswitched by Kate Saunders
Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities by Mike Jung
The Cabinet of Earths by Anne Nesbet
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann

I have no idea which is going to win, and I don't envy the second round panelists their job!  For the full blurbs of our shortlist, and all the other fine shortlists, head over to the Cybils site!

On to my own favorite books.

For the first time in my life, I tried to keep track of the number of books I read in a whole year, using Goodreads.  I finished at least 312 books (not including picture books or graphic novels), which is about what I expected, given all the other distractions in my life.  In the process of recording, I did, however, surprise myself by realizing for the first time how many books I start but don't finish (I didn't keep exact track, but it was easily 100).   Of all the books I read, only nine were re-reads (thanks to the influx of books to review, and to the Cybils, and to so many recommendations from other bloggers!)  Although it's fun reading new books, this makes me a bit sad, because being a re-reader is part of my self-image.  Rather than consuming books and moving on, like a brush fire, I want to surround myself with books I love, and keep them for future warmth.

So these are my favorites of the books that I read in 2012 that I have kept to read again (not counting the already re-read).  Which is a very personal thing, so this list isn't at all the same as a list of books that I'd argue were the "best," or the books I'd recommend most heartily. 

 

The Last Dragonslayer, by Jasper Fforde.  Utterly satisfying magical fun.

Tilly's Moonlight Garden, by Julia Green. Best doll house furniture of the decade. Good fox too. Other things as well.

The Raven Boys, by Maggie Stiefvater.   I will want to read this again just before reading the next one!

Summer of the Mariposas, by Guadalupe Garcia McCall.  Sisters!  Plus new to me mythology and and a setting and context that was utterly fascinating.

House of Shadows, by Rachel Neumeier.   I think I will enjoy it even more on re-reading, because of soothingly knowing what's going to happen!

Caterpillar Hall, by Anne Barrett.   A beautiful comfort read that I should have read in my childhood so that I could already have had the pleasure of re-reading it many times.

The False Prince, by Jennifer Nielsen.   I love Sage, and can't wait for the sequel.

The Sherwood Ring, by Elizabeth Marie Pope.   I put this one off for years, because of not really liking the 18th century.  Silly me!

(just for my own record keeping, I reviewed 144ish books, not including picture books or easy graphic novels).