Books of 2009 I am looking forward to, Part II

I vaguely felt last week, when I was posting my list of 2009 books to which I am looking forward, that I was missing something. And in fact, I was--several somethings. To wit:

Shelter Me by Alex McAulay. I don't have long to wait for this one, since its release date was yesterday...which is good, because books that combine WW II and boarding school make me happy.

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George (January 20). We were lucky enough to have two of her books to read for the Cybils--Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, and Dragon Flight, and I enjoyed them both.


Betraying Season (Leland Sisters, Book 2) by Marissa Doyle (May). The sequel to The Bewitching Season, which I read for the Cybils with great enjoyment (my review).

Of course I'm looking forward to the sequel to Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins (fall), but before that comes out, I think I hope to be reading her new book 12, coming out in May from Feiwell and Friends. Although don't ask me what it is about, because I can't find any information about it.

And another book I don't know much about, other than that it is YA- Gateway, by Sharon Shinn (October).

Finally, here's one I'm looking forward to more for my 8 year old's sake than my own:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney (Jan 13)


And I think that is it, although I am probably wrong.

Timeslip Tuesday -- Black Hunting Whip

Timeslip Tuesday took a break while I was reading for the Cybils, but it is back now! With a caveat--the book I'm posting about today is much less timeslipy than I remembered it as being before I picked it up to re-read yesterday. In fact, no timeslipping happens until page 155 of a 157 page book. So if you want to stop reading in disgust right now, go ahead....

Black Hunting Whip, by Monica Edwards, begins when the mother of a family of four children comes home to announce that she has bought a farm at action-- Punchbowl Farm, old and decrepit, far out in the countryside with no mod. cons. But it does come with a mystery. Dion, the oldest boy, exploring the foundation of the old wing of the house that burned long ago, finds a way into its cellar. And there he finds the diary of a boy who lived there long ago, who was driven from the farm before achieving his dream of riding his pony to victory in the local show, carrying the black hunting whip that his dead father had cherished.

Life at the farm for the modern children, two girls and two boys, is busy enough, what with exploring the countryside, getting new ponies and other animals, and fixing up the house. But the search for the hunting whip, buried by the long-ago boy before he left home, is always at the forefront of their minds. At last Dion finds it, and sets his mind on riding with it to achieve the victory that the dead boy never saw. It is a somewhat forlorn hope, as his pony-nothing like the fiery black pony from the past- is too small, and he as almost no chance of even placing.

And then, at the horse show, two pages before the book ends, past and present meet...and there's so little of it I don't want to describe it, lest I give it all away (although the astute reader can probably guess what happens).

So alright, it isn't much of a time slip. But it's a great book for people who love ponies, and old houses, and winter in the English countryside, with a bit of mystery thrown in...and it is the start* of a great series (there are lots more books about the family at Punchbowl Farm), by a classic author of British children's books. I'd also recommend it to fans of books like Elizabeth Enright's Four Story Mistake, where the small doings of family life in a new old house delight the reader (only with more ponies).

*I use "start" somewhat loosely, because there is another book, No Mistaking Corker, that comes first. But it isn't as good, and it isn't about the farm, so I shan't count it.

A Posse of Princesses

A Posse of Princesses
by Sherwood Smith (2008, Norilana Books, more middle grade, I'd say, than young adult).

Rhis is the third child of the king and queen of a small, but very wealthy, mountain country. But even though she is left pretty much to her own devices, she is still a Princess, and thus eligible to receive an invitation to the coming of age party of the Crown Prince of Vesarja, a much more important and central kingdom. Rhis is not thrilled at the prospect of being surrounded by an inundation of princesses, and unlike some of the bevy of royal maidens, she doesn't have her sights set on snaring the heart of the Crown Prince. That is, until she sees him...yet strangely, it is a young scribe whose company she finds herself enjoying much more.

Then Iardith, the most perfect of princesses, and not in a good way, is abducted. Rhis and her new friends decide to escape the politics and intrigue of the royal birthday bash and head off to the rescue themselves. And in so doing, they find adventure, some danger, a mysterious and horribly powerful enchanted gem stone, and they also learn the small but important fact that princesses are rather valuable themselves, and will be missed, and pursued, when they set off into the hills...

Maybe the plot sounds a bit frivolous, but this is a truly fun book about girls from very different backgrounds coming together to form friendships, learning to take the responsibilities of their lives seriously, and learning a bit about luv as well. I enjoyed it lots, in a light read way. I would, for instance, enthusiastically recommend it to the 12 year old girl who loves Princess Academy, by Shannon Hale.

A big reason why I like this book is that I think I could be friends with Rhis, the heroine--bookish, musical, unconcerned with being a Princess. Here's a description from the beginning of the book of her room, which is high in its own stone tower, where she is left in peace:

Rhis loved the lookout. It was cozy, and had a nice fireplace (with a magical firestick in it that burned evenly all winter long), a comfortable cushioned chair, a desk, a small case containing all her favorite books, and a tiranthe- the twenty-four-stringed instrument that Elda insisted only lowly minstrels played. Here Rhis could practice and not disturb, or disgust, anyone. Here she could sit and read and dream and watch the ever-changing weather and seasons over the tiny mountain kingdom. She could also write wonderful ballads.

I got a copy of this book from the publishers, as it was nominated for the Cybils Awards in Science Fiction/Fantasy. I try hard to give most of my Cybils books to the public library, but some I know I'll want to re-read, when I need a pleasant escape from reality. I'm keeping this one for that reason.

Incidentally, I think whoever picked the cover art missed the mark--it would have been so easy to get a bit of diversity going here, what with portraying princesses of many lands. But they all look European, and not that particularly princess-like.

Science Fiction/Fantasy coming from debut authors in 2009

I have never before taken part in any of the various blog organized book challenges, because I figure I am going to read just fine on my own. But this year I'm going to join the '09 Debut Authors Challenge, organized by The Story Siren. As I said a few posts ago, I want to focus on reading and reviewing MG and YA science fiction/fantasy books in 2009. So I perused the list of 2009 Debutantes here, and pulled together the following list of 18 forthcoming titles that looked interesting. I've copied the blurbs as they are given there.

Spring 2009:

Ellen Jensen Abbott WATERSMEET. Marshall Cavendish, April 2009
Fourteen-year-old Abisina flees the prejudice and hate of her village and heads north in search of her father, accompanied by the dwarf, Haret. On their journey they face mythic creatures, benevolent spirits, challenges to their survival, their own prejudices, and dreams that look like nightmares

Susan E. Connolly DAMSEL Mercier Press When Annie Brave's famous hero father goes missing, presumed eaten, she takes his manuscript "How to slay dragons - and other advice for the hero in training" and sets off to get him back--but can a damsel ever do the rescuing?

Deva Fagan FORTUNE'S FOLLY (Holt) A girl who survives by telling fake fortunes must make one of them come true to save her father's life--to succeed, she'll have to procure a wicked witch, recover a pair of enchanted slippers, and, worst of all, find a princess to marry the prince she's falling in love with herself.

Stacey Jay YOU ARE SO UNDEAD TO ME (Razorbill) A sixteen year old zombie settler must put the dead to rest and thwart a black coven's attempts to kill her before they harness enough renegade zombies to ruin Homecoming.

Saundra Mitchell SHADOWED SUMMER (Delacorte) 14 year old Iris Rhame conjures the ghost of a boy missing for decades and decides to solve his disappearance, never realizing that in a town as small as hers, every secret is a family secret.

Carrie Ryan THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH (Delacorte) In an isolated village generations after the zombie apocalypse, a 16-year-old struggles with the town's religious order until the village walls are breached and the only chance of survival is to escape into the forest beyond.

Michelle Zink PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS (Little Brown) After finding an ancient tome entitled the Librum Maleficii et Disordinae, or the Book of Chaos, in her dead father's library, sixteen-year-old Lia Milthorpe discovers she's the key to a legendary biblical prophecy.

Summer 2009

R. J. Anderson SPELL HUNTER HarperCollins A fierce young faery must save her people while fighting to keep secret her forbidden friendship with a human.

Cyn Balog FAIRY TALE Delacorte A teenage oracle whose boyfriend slowly turns into a fairy goes to great lengths in order to keep him human.

Sarah Rees Brennan THE DEMON'S LEXICON Simon & Schuster Two brothers are hunted throughout England by a powerful magician's circle after their mother steals a charm, and when the eldest is marked by a demon, the younger uses swords and dark arts in an effort to save him but unwittingly uncovers the darkest of secrets.

Sarah Cross DULL BOY Dutton A YA novel about teens with superpowers.

Mandy Hubbard PRADA AND PREJUDICE Razorbill A modern teen ends up in Regency England where she must learn to navigate high-society--and her growing attraction to the nineteen year old Duke of Harksbury.

Lisa Mantchev EYES LIKE STARS, the first book THE THÉÂTRE ILLUMINATA (Feiwel & Friends) Where real fairies fly on wires and pirates sail the painted seas, Beatrice Shakespeare Smith will have to take Center Stage so that the next curtain call won't be the last.

Aprilynne Pike WINGS HarperCollins An ordinary girl discovers she is a faerie sent to guard the gateway to Avalon in the mortal world, and when she is thrust into the midst of a centuries-old battle between faeries and trolls, she's torn between a mortal and a faerie love, as well as her loyalties to both worlds.

Cindy Pon SILVER PHOENIX Greenwillow/HarperCollins When Ai Ling leaves home to find her father, she has no inkling she begins the journey to complete a task promised by her former incarnation.

Fall 2009

Pam Bachorz CANDOR Egmont In a town where his father brainwashes everyone, Oscar Banks has found a way to secretly fight the subliminal Messages, but when he falls in love, he must choose whether to let Nia be lost to brainwashing—or to sacrifice himself.

Megan Crewe GIVE UP THE GHOST Holt A teen outcast who sees ghosts and uses the secrets they dig up to expose her fellow students' deceits must choose between revenge and compassion when the popular student council V.P. comes to her for supernatural help.

Teri Hall THE LINE Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. In the near future, an invisible barrier exists between the Unified States and "Away."

Jackson Pearce AS YOU WISH HarperCollins. High school student Viola Cohen inadvertently summons--then falls for--a young jinn after her boyfriend tells her a life-changing secret.

Malinda Lo ASH (Little, Brown) From the 2009 Debutants website:
"Pushed into indentured servitude in her stepmother's household, Ash is consumed with grief after the death of her father and mother. Her only joy comes from the brief, stolen walks she takes in the nearby woods with the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean. Ash's single, unspoken hope is that someday he might steal her away, as fairies are said to do.

But when she meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, her heart begins to change. Kaisa teaches Ash to ride and track, and as their friendship grows, Ash's desire for life and for love is reawakened."

Why I Love The Explosionist

The Explosionist, by Jenny Davidson (Harper Collins, 2008), was one of the books my fellow sci-fi/fantasy panelists and I just shortlisted for the Cybils. Set in a very different version of Edinburgh in the 1930s (Napoleon won the battle of Waterloo), 15 year-old Sophie finds herself drawn into a chaotic mystery involving terrorist bombings, a murdered medium, and her own growing abilities to communicate with the dead, as well as sinister government machinations that have immediate and horrifying ramifications for Sophie and her school friends.

Many have praised the excitement of the story, with its fast pace and engrossing alternate history details, and its great central character (Grow Wings, Teen Book Review, Of Books and Bicycles, and the Ya Ya Yas, to name a few). But I have a reason of my own for loving this book, one that I haven't seen mentioned before.

You see, I am an inveterate reader of British school girl stories, and in many ways The Explosionist is heir to one particular sub-genre of these books--the plucky school girl who foils the Enemy Plot. The majority of these books are set in World War I and World War II, and often strain the bounds of credulity (see footnote). The Explosionist, however, takes this story line and in its fantastical, alternate history way, makes it convincing and wonderful. I loved the interactions of Sophie and her boarding school friends, I appreciated the elements common in many school stories--the intelligent and attractive boy next door to the school, the stern aunt charged with bringing up an orphan girl, and the fact that Sophie, like so many of my favorite school-story heroines, is bad at games. And Sophie is just the type of school girl I like best--smart and interested in learning, uncertain at times but capable of learning from mistakes, plucky without being obnoxiously unbelievable.

I asked Jenny Davidson if she was, in fact, a fan of the genre--her answer was "Yes!" So although I am happy to recommend this book to anyone who likes great adventure, strong characters, and a wonderfully imagined alternate world, I am even happier to recommend the book to readers like me, who love the British school girl.

Footnote on School Children Foiling the Enemy: Some, like The Marlows and the Traitors, by Antonia Forest, Nicolette Detects by Magaret Locherbie-Cameron, and The Denehurst Secret Service, by Gwendoline Courtney, which all involve children thwarting the Germans, are good reads. Others, not so much. The most ridiculous, perhaps, is the Australian book With Wendy at Winterton School by Dora Joan Potter, in which the school girls capture Japanese spies disguised as nuns.

Books I'm looking forward to in 2009

I woke up early this morning, as usual, but for the first time since October there was no compelling reason to leap out of bed and start reading. I felt lost. Directionless. (And cold--it is freezing here in New England today). Fortunately, I have a stack of books I got for Christmas and more to come on my birthday this weekend (I also have a stack of laundry to put away, but that's not the point). And there are many books coming out in 2009 that will help give some purpose to my post-Cybils life.

My 2009 list seems to be mainly new books by Cybils authors:
Fade, by Lisa McMann, which is the sequel to 2008 shortlisted Wake (February).

Once a Princess, by Sherwood Smith (April). I really enjoyed discovering this author during the Cybils (two of her books were nominated, and I liked them both lots).

Fragile Eternity, by Melissa Marr, a continuation of the story begun in Wicked Lovely and Ink Exchange (late April).

The Magic Thief-Lost, by Sarah Prineas (May 1st) I, um, rather like The Magic Thief, another 2008 shortlister, so I am excited at all get out about this.

The Sorceress, the third book in the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flannel series, by Michael Scott (May again)

Sacred Scars, by Kathleen Duey, which is the sequel to 2007 Cybils finalist Skin Hunger (August). I have almost never been so anxious to go to the next book as I was when I finished Skin Hunger, so this will be a great relief!

Fire, by Kristin Cashore, a prequel to Graceling, another of our 2008 finalists (coming in October).

And here are two I can't wait to read that aren't sci fi/fantasy:

The Indigo Notebook, by Laura Resau (coming in the fall)

Nothing But Ghosts, by Beth Kephart, (coming in June, but which I have in hand already--thanks Beth!)

Finally, I am really really really looking forward to Jellaby, Monster in the City, by Kevin Soo. Jellaby Vol. I ended in a terribly unresolved way (April).

There are doubtless many more that I would be looking forward to if I knew about them. Of course, the book I am waiting for most waitingly isn't coming out till 2010--Megan Whalen Turner's new one. But 2010 is now less than a year away...

And here is Part II of the list--more books that I remembered I want!

THE FINALISTS

Here are our beautiful books, in all their finalist glory!

And if you haven't read any of them, please go out and buy them, to show the publishers the dramatic effect the Cybils Awards have on sales, preferably using the Cybils widget to the right so that the finalists can get Great Prizes!

Elementary/Middle Grade:

Cabinet of Wonders
written by Marie Rutkoski
Macmillan

Petra Kronos lives in a small Czech village with her father, an artisan who can move metal with his mind and work with invisible tools. When her father is commissioned by the prince to build a marvelous clock, he goes off to Prague--and comes back blinded. The prince has stolen his eyes. Even worse, the prince now has control of a clock that has the power to control the weather. Petra sets off to Prague, determined to steal back her father's eyes. She has help-from her tin pet spider Astrophil, and from Neel, a Roma boy with fingers that extend into invisible ghosts that can pick locks. But it will still be a treacherous journey--and at stake is the fate of all of Europe. Packed with character, humor and adventure, Cabinet of Wonders is a novel lush with detail and beauty, a full literary meal that will leave readers hungry for the next book in the Kronos Chronicles.
--Summary by Nettle

Graveyard Book
written by Neil Gaiman
HarperCollins

Bod is not your usual boy. He lives in a graveyard. Having been raised by the graveyard's ghosts, Bod has learned a few, shall we say, tricks of the trade, like walking through walls and fading so that no one sees him. The Graveyard Book is pure delight from start to finish. To me, the thing that was most indicative of Gaiman's mastery was the fact that this story is unabashedly scary. The world isn't always sunshine and playgrounds and Gaiman isn't afraid to give kids a darker reality. This book is full of humor, loveable characters, and a top-notch ending for our brave, orphaned hero.
--Summary by Em of Em's Bookshelf

Lamplighter
written by D. M. Cornish
Penguin USA

The second book in the Monster Blood Tattoo series continues the adventure of young foundling, Rossamund Bookchild, as he joins the Lamplighters, a branch of the Emperor's service sworn to keeping the lamps lit on all the far-flung, monster-hunted roads of the land. The stunning imaginative achievement of D.M. Cornish's world-creation is, to my mind, unparalleled. He has dreamed the monsters and monster-hunters of the Half-Continent into being fully fleshed. Rossamund is a character to love and follow, and the dark secrets and conspiracies that unfold in this story make a 600-page book a lightning read. I can't wait to read it again.
--Summary by Laini Taylor-Di Bartolo

Magic Thief
written by Sarah Prineas
HarperCollins

This fast-paced, fun, and engrossing story tells of a young thief who has survived on the strange streets of Wellmet alone, thanks to his quick hands and quick wits. But when Conn picks the pocket of the wizard Nevery, and pulls out the stone that is the locus of Nevery's magic, his life changes. As the wizard's new apprentice, Conn has only thirty days to find his own locus magicalus, or lose his new status. Much worse is the fact that someone, or something, is sucking the magic out of Wellmet, and Conn has to use every bit of his quickness, and every bit of his new found magic, to defeat the Magic Thief. A great adventure, with great characters!
--Summary by Charlotte Taylor

Savvy
written by Ingrid Law
Penguin USA

Mibs Beaumont is anxiously awaiting her 13th birthday because, in her family, 13th birthdays bring about big changes. The Beaumonts always get their savvies--their supernatural powers--on their 13th birthdays. But this year, Mibs' dad is in the hospital and it looks like her savvy isn't coming. Ingrid Law has written a tale that is sure to appeal to kids of all ages. I loved the idea that all kids have their own savvy, even if it isn't as splashy as the ability to move mountains.
--Summary by Em of Em's Bookshelf

Young Adult:

Airman
written by Eoin Colfer
Hyperion

Conor Broekhart love of flying started when he was born in a falling hot air balloon at the 1878 Paris World Fair. Conor dreams of inventing the world's first airplane, a dream that is interrupted when he is accused and jailed for a crime he didn't commit. But Conor's not about to let the person truly responsible get away with it. A rousing adventure story with a sensible hero, with a dash of Jules Verne and The Count of Monte Cristo, Eoin Colfer's Airman will satisfy readers young and old alike.
--Summary by A. Feller

Curse Dark as Gold
written by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Scholastic

Charlotte Miller is struggling to keep Stirwaters Mill--the livelihood for everyone in the town of Shearing--running after her father's death. But one spate of bad luck after another fouls all her plans and labors, until she must face the terrible possibility of failure. And that's when the mysterious Jack Spinner shows up, with the power to spin straw into gold and the ability to rescue Charlotte and Shearing from despair. But at what cost? When Charlotte learns the true price of Jack Spinner's aid, she will have to fight to protect her town, her home and her family. Elizabeth C. Bunce spins a dark gorgeous retelling of Rumplestiltskin that takes the bones of an old fairy tale and gives them fresh new life against the backdrop of the Industrial Revolution. A flawed heroine, a genuinely creepy ghost story and a stunningly beautiful use of language are woven together in the fabric of this book, and will make A Curse Dark as Gold linger in your mind long after you've turned the last page.
--Summary by Nettle

Explosionist
written by Jenny Davidson
HarperCollins

An "alternate-history supernatural mystery" set in 1938 Scotland, the world of The Explosionist hinges on a crucial incident in history: suppose Napoleon had won at Waterloo. Jenny Davidson has created a fascinating tale set in the Europe that grew out of that victory. Young Sophie and her Danish friend Mikael try to unravel a murder mystery, and while they're at it, figure out who's behind the terrorist bombings in Edinburgh, which have very high political stakes, not just for Scotland but the world. All this with the help of the dead and the sort-of dead, through the respected science of supernatural divination, while the country ramps up for war. A great, fun read, with a sparkle of romance and much to discuss.
--Summary by Laini Taylor-Di Bartolo

Graceling
written by Kristin Cashore
Harcourt

Katsa is a Graceling--a person who has been blessed with a Grace. However, Katsa isn't a normal Graceling. Her Grace gives her the power to kill a man with her bare hands, a power she's possessed since she was eight years old. Rather than giving her a life of ease, her Grace means Katsa is forced to use her powers for a scheming king. When Katsa meets Po, another Graceling, she doesn't realize just how much of an influence Po is about to have on her life. Katsa is a strong heroine, overcomes her personal struggles with how her powers are used to become as comfortable with herself as she is with her Grace. With a brisk plot, plenty of adventure, and a little romance, readers will be rushing to finish Graceling.
--Summary by A. Feller

Hunger Games, The
written by Suzanne Collins
Scholastic

In Suzanne Collins' futuristic and controlled society, Katniss Everdeen passes her days working hard for her family's survival. When her younger sister is chosen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live television with 23 other teens, Katniss wastes no time in taking her place, even though she knows it mean near certain death. The Hunger Games is a novel full of peril, adventure and action, and a dash of romance, making it highly appealing to teens, but also possesses a very serious side that is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining.
--Summary by The Compulsive Reader

Wake
written by Lisa McMann
Simon & Schuster

Since Janie was eight she has been forcibly pulled into others' dreams. Now at seventeen, she is tired of being bombarded by her classmates' anxiety dreams and their sex dreams as they doze in study hall. She hides her ability carefully until she finds herself attracted to former bad boy Cabel whose dark nightmares hint at a scarred past and a mystery she must unravel. The book is told in quick snippets marked with a time and date making the plot race forward in spurts. Romance and suspense combine to create a satisfyingly fast-paced read.
--Summary by Amanda Blau

Here's who I think will win: Graveyard Book and Hunger Games. Here are my two favorites, which totally dosen't reflect the panel as a whole: Magic Thief and Explosionist.

Our list is done

So I've been proud to have been (with a sigh for the past tense) a member of the nominating committee for the Cybils in Sci Fi/Fantasy. There were so many great books that it was a pretty impossible task to pick just five for each of the two age groups. I hope our list pleases--we think there are great books on it! It has been a joy to work with my fellow panelists--thank you all, and thank you, Tasha, for being our organizer.

And it was a joy to read the books that were nominated (here is the list). My final total is 124 of the 161. Of the ones I didn't read, some were unobtainable, some were the second, or third, or fourth book in a series I hadn't read all of, and some I just plain didn't get to. Not every publisher, or writer of a self-published book, was able to send everyone a book, but to those who did--thank you so much! I have already written recommendations of books I wouldn't have necessarily have read otherwise, and I plan to write many more reviews, now that I don't have a Reading Deadline.

The very great pleasure I got from my reading these past few months has made me realize that this is the genre that I love the most. So in the coming months I've resolved to keep my focus on sci. fi/fantasy for MG and YA readers, finishing up reading and reviewing the many books I have on hand, and seeking out new ones. And high on my list of books to seek out is Blackbringer, by my fellow panelist Laini Taylor (hi Laini!)....

Our list will be up tomorrow at the Cybils site, I think. Let me know which one you think should win!

Giveaway reminder--The Stowaway

Today is the last day to leave a comment if you want to win a copy of The Stowaway, with a signed bookplate by the authors! Here's my interview with R.A. and Geno Salvatore, where you can enter to win!

This is a fun, action-packed book, that I'd happily give to any 12ish year old kid on my gift list who likes a good fantasy!

The final hours of my Cybils Reading

Our All-Panelist Chat is set for 7:30pm, EST. We have 161 science fiction/fantasy books from which we must pick ten finalists (5 younger, 5 older). Some of us are still frantically reading, or re-reading--there's one I read in June, for instance, that I want to look at again. And some of us (me) are, in a slightly over-the-top way, checking local bookstores in the (perhaps mercifully vane) hope that unavailable, and hence unread, books have materialized, taking the afternoon off work to read, obsessively checking email to see what the other panelists might be thinking (although they seem to be too busy reading, or possibly working, to be sharing their thoughts). Some of us (again, me) are also worried that our aged computers will not work properly during Group Chat...

And then there's the issue of actually making Final Decisions. So tricky. For other awards (naming no names), people aren't necessarily expecting to Like the book that wins. But we are supposed to be picking books that will be passed from hand to hand in a viral way. And what if nobody likes them?????

reading

The last two days of Cybils reading are here, and I wish I could just sit quietly and enjoy the last few books I need to read. I am currently halfway through Lamplighter, the second of the Monster Blood Tattoo series, which means 300 pages to go...it is a good thing that it is an utterly engrossing book, because I am enjoying it so much that I am forgetting how rushed I feel.

It arrived from the publishers (thanks Penguin!) just before Christmas, and was really too big to take with me. There was a limit to how many books I could burden my children with...

Misc. musings, mainly related to my Cybils reading

One good thing about the children growing is that more of Mama's books can be put in their backpacks. We flew down to Virgina from Rhode Island, bringing eight books with us, for Mama's holiday reading (I still have about fifty books to read for the Cybils before Dec. 30th). My eight-year old is now able to carry three books, my five-year old two. More books arrived when my husband drove down a few days later. Now all I need is the time to read them in...fortunately, other family members are more enthusiastic about cookie making then I am.

And waiting for me here was a copy of Jenny Davidson's book, The Explosionist, which I had bought on ebay. It was described as a hardcover, so I planned to pass it along to my public library when I was finished with it. I was incredibly vexed to find that it was, in fact, an ARC. I am not a happy shopper.

On a different note, I realized that in my last post, on Give the Gift of Ghosts, I was guilty of an embarrassing omission--I left out The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman, in which virtually every character is a ghost. In my defense, these ghosts are the most substantially real dead people I've ever encountered in a book (one forgets they aren't alive anymore)...but anyway, I've added it to my list.

Give the Gift of Ghosts

Free shipping for Christmas over at Amazon may have ended, but there is still lots of time to head down to the bookstore to buy more presents. Here are some suggestions for kids and teens who love spooky stories, taken from the books nominated for the 2008 Cybils Awards in the Science Fiction/Fantasy category. I've listed them from youngest to oldest (the last one, in fact, is a perfect gift for a ghost loving grown-up).

First up is The Seer of Shadows, by Avi (Harper Collins, 208 pages). Travel back to 19th-century New York, when photography was young, and spirits were a hot topic, and see what happens when the two meet!

Here's what Avi himself says about this book, from an essay online at the Harper Collins site: "The Seer of Shadows tells the story of young Horace Carpetine, apprenticed to a professional photographer, one who is quite willing to set up a hoax—the taking of ghost photos. But when Horace takes up his camera, he really does capture a ghost in his photographic images. What’s more, the more images he takes, the more the ghost comes back—develops, so to speak—to life. And this ghost is intent upon a murderous revenge.

I added another element to the mix: race in 1870s New York City—complex, volatile, but ultimately moving. After all, I am writing about black-and-white photography.

In short, what I am offering in The Seer of Shadows is an old-fashioned ghost story, but one in which you’ll find new strangeness, new scary stuff, and yes, striking images."

It's a pretty creepy, fascinating read, although the prose style might be a tad off putting to some younger readers, because it has a bit of an "olden times" tone to it. Because it deals with the techniques of early photography, this might be a good one to give to the young camera buff who likes an exciting story.

Here's another ghost story marketed for younger readers, although it's a book that I think most anyone will like--The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman. I can't believe I left it off the first version of the list, because all but two of the main characters are, in fact, ghosts. In my defense, they are the most alive dead people I've ever met in a book. These ghosts take on the responsibility for raising an orphaned baby boy in the cemetery that is their final resting place, protecting him from dangerous forces that mean him ill. The result is a moving, engrossing, and original story that tells how young Bod (short for Nobody) grows up in the graveyard, and how, in the end, he must face what waits outside...



Next up is The Summoning (Darkest Powers, Book 1), by Kelley Armstrong (Harper Collins, 400 pages). Don't be fooled by the cover, which makes this look a bit like a steamy vampire book. It's not. Fifteen-year old Chloe saw dead people as a child, but for many years her life has been free of ghosts. But when the terribly burned janitor (who happens to be dead) accosts her at high school one day, her natural hysteria lands her in a group home for kids with mental problems. Pleasant and homey though the home might appear, it harbours dark secrets about both the living and the dead, and soon Chloe realizes that ghosts are the least of her problems...

This has moments of spookiness (although the dead people never quite convinced me), but what most interested me was the relationships that develop among the teenagers, all of whom are "special" in unusual ways, and the gradual revelation of the true nature of the home where they have been confined. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

Bliss, by Lauren Myracle (Amulet Books, 464 pages, but lots of empty space)

When you've been home schooled at a commune all your life, high school can seem strange. But imagine if your new high school comes complete not only with the regular crowd of jocks, geeks, and Beautiful Girls, but a really nasty teenaged ghost as well, whose voice only you can hear. A ghost who wants out, who wants to taste blood again. The setting of the book, way back in the 1960s, adds interest to a truly toe-squirming story.

The Ghosts of Kerfol, by Deborah Noyes (Candlewick Books, 176 pages)

This is the scariest of all these four books. It is a series of five stories, moving forward in time from Edith Wharton's classic ghost story, "Kerfol," which tells of a young Frenchwoman accused of murdering her jealous husband. His body was found at the bottom of the stairs, savaged by dogs. But there were no dogs alive at the manor house of Kerfol that day...Gothic horror combined with great writing makes this one a page turner. I am not at all sure why this is marketed as a Young Adult book, because I think it is a better fit for grown ups. Although certainly many teenagers, in particular those who like their books dark and Gothic, will enjoy it as well. Not a book to read on a cold, dark night, especially if you are staying by yourself in an old French mansion.

As well as being a great ghost book, this is a Perfect Gift for the Edith Wharton fan on your list.

The books my boys are getting as presents

What books are you buying your children for Christmas? Here's what my two boys are getting.

For my 8-year-old, almost taking off into reading, history loving boy:


The Vikings (Lost Worlds), by J.M Clements. I haven't actually read it myself yet, but it sure is handsome.




Moomin, the Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip, Book Two. I myself find the comics strange, but he likes volume one very much.






Harry the Poisonous Centipede Goes to Sea, by Lynne Reid Banks. For him to read to himself.






For my five-year old, who likes birds and mythical creatures:



The United Tweets of America. Educational bird fun for the whole family.









Monsterology, by Dr. E. Drake So they are each getting a beautiful big book.










And finally, Gingerbread Friends by Jan Brett. He loves Gingerbread Baby--partly because, like the boy in the book, he is named Mattie, and he looks so much like the book boy that he could have been Jan Brett's model.


My list of books seems a rather short to me, but they get so many books throughout the year--borrowed from our book sale sorting work at the library, books that I get here from publishers, books I buy when we walk up the hill to the bookstore as a treat (we also like our chocolate chip cookies). So I don't want to overwhelm them.

And I am getting them new journals, so they can write their own.

I would also list the seven books I've bought for my husband, but he reads this so I shan't. I don't, quite, trust him not to peak...

So, what are your kids getting?????

100 down, 61 to go

Today I read my 100th book of the 161 on the Science Fiction/Fantasy list. I took it with me while I did Christmas shopping on Bald Hill Road, Warwick, Rhode Island, because, as anyone who has ever shopped there knows, the traffic is something fierce. I picked the book I took on account of its short chapters--the lines at the red lights were long, but not so long as to allow for more than 4 minutes of good stopped time. Even so, I only got 28 pages read before I was where I wanted to be. And I'm not going to say which book it was, because I don't want anyone to think that just because I didn't save their book to read in the blessed hour I have to myself in the morning I didn't read it carefully. I will, however, say that tomorrow I am finally going to treat myself to Graceling, which I have been looking forward to for ages. And please let it be a morning when the boys sleep late...

And the nice man who is fixing the rotted front of our house has suggested that we might try to prime and paint all the new unrotten wood he has put up, if it gets warm enough, and there is still the sad business of the kitchen windows, which aren't back in (thank goodness for storm windows), and I have to do some more, rather important, Christmas shopping (a trip to the bookstore, which will be rather nice, and a trip to the toy store, to find out if the family of mice they have in stock can be undressed, because my youngest boy wants a mouse family but not with clothes), and so on...so my goal tomorrow is Graceling, and perhaps one other (and said youngest has just found me, and is meowing at me to come downstairs. Small sad kitten wants his Mama...).

The Final Blog Stop of The Stowaway--Fantasy for Younger Readers

Welcome to the final blog tour stop of R.A. Salvatore and Geno Salvatore, who are here to chat about their new book The Stowaway: Stone of Tymora, Volume I (Mirrorstone 2008, 287 pp), a fantasy adventure novel for middle-grade readers on up.

R.A. Salvatore is famous for his Forgotten Realms series and the DemonWars Saga, most notably his series of books about Drizzt Do'Urden. I feel a little chagrined to admit that I haven't read any of them. I played Dungeons and Dragons myself, back in the early 1980s, and by the time the Forgotten Realms books came out, I dismissed them as something I had outgrown. And I very well might not have picked The Stowaway to read, if left to myself. But fate intervened.

The Stowaway was nominated for the Cybils Awards in the Science Fiction/Fantasy Category. I am one of the panelists charged with picking shortlists of books, and so a copy duly arrived for my reading pleasure. I enjoyed it, much more than I thought I would.

The Stowaway was written deliberately to bring a younger audience into the Forgotten Realms. It is marketed as a Young Adult title more to make it visible to the older readers than because it has "young adultish" themes or content. The book should easily engage its target readers-- boys--and since girls are happy to read books about boys, many girls may well enjoy it too.

12 year old Maimum seems to pursued by violence. Orphaned early in life, he was raised by a wise woman in the woods, until she too is murdered. A mysterious stranger helps him flee, and gives him a magical stone, telling him it is his birth right. But others want the stone--a demon attacks, gravely wounding Maimum's protector. Running for his life, Maimun stows away on a pirate hunting ship, where he meets the dark elf Drizzt Do'Urden, and a host of other characters, some good, some not so nice...

Maimum tells his own story, and it is a fast-paced, action packed one. A lot happens, much of it exciting. On the down side, in my opinion, there's not a lot of emotional resonance, or character development, or the moments of beautiful writing that lift a story above the quotidian world. But I'm not a 12 year old boy.

One of the criteria that I bring to judging a book is whether I will keep it, or pass it on to the library. This book is not exactly perfect for me, but I did put it on the "keep" shelf, selfishly thinking that in a few years it will be just right for my oldest son (who's now 8).

And so it is a great pleasure to welcome R.A. (Bob) Salvatore and Geno Salvatore here today, for the final stop on The Stowaway blog tour. Many questions have already been asked and answered at the earlier blogs stops (see below). Here on this final stop I wanted to talk to the authors about how The Stowaway fits into the larger picture of current fantasy for younger readers.

Me to Bob: "Why did you decide to write for a younger audience? It's not as if your other books weren't read by teenagers, and even ten-year-olds, the intended audience for this book, but this is your first book specifically targeting kids. Did you have to keep reminding yourself, as an author, who you were telling the story to? Did it help that you were working with your own son, who, even though he is of course a grown up, is still your kid?"

Bob: Honestly, the idea came from Wizards of the Coast, and I expect, from the bookstores. For years now I’ve been hearing from various bookstores that they want to give the kids and young teens who have just finished Harry Potter one of my books, but they don’t know where to start. So we decided to make it easier on them by offering an obvious starting point. I absolutely agree that my Dark Elf books are read by many younger readers – I always have that in mind when I’m writing the books, so there are times when I draw the shade, so to speak, on certain encounters.

The easy part of this project was that no, I certainly did not have to keep reminding myself of the audience. Geno and I just told a story; we told it through the eyes of a 12-year-old to make that immediate connection with a younger reader, but make no mistake about it, the older readers who enjoy the Drizzt books are missing out if they don’t read this one.

As for working with Geno on this, I never really thought of him as my son on the project. He’s my co-author. I do believe that the fact that he’s only in his early 20’s didn’t hurt the process, as he remembers vividly the perspective of a bright and curious 12-year-old – certainly better than I (I’d have to think back to the days of Richard Nixon and Vietnam!).

Me: I am an avid reader of fantasy, and I have been so happy in the last couple of years with all the lovely new fantasy books shelved in the children's and young adult sections of the book stores. I hardly bother to see what's in the "real" science fiction section any more (which could be a sign of my own mental weakness). Whether we have Harry Potter to thank or not, I'm glad of it. From what you say above, this trend in fantasy publishing to actively reach out to young readers, played an important role in the birth of The Stowaway. And while the two of you were writing it, were you reading other books being written for the 10-year-old boy target audience? If so, are there any that stuck in your minds?

Bob: Here’s the thing, the reason I keep writing, the very best part of my job, is when I get letters that begin with, “I never read a book until…” or “I couldn’t get my son/daughter to read until I gave him/her one of your books.” That’s it for me. That’s my motivation. That’s when I feel like maybe I’m doing a little good in the world with this work.

I remember that feeling on the other end, after all, when I was a freshman in college and Tolkien whisked me away to a wonderful place and a wonderful adventure.

And sure, Harry Potter sticks in my mind. I’m completely jealous of J.K. Rowling, of course, but I also want to thank her from the bottom of my heart. Not only has her work taught millions of kids that it’s okay to use their imaginations, not only has her work widened the fantasy genre as a whole and brought a new audience to my work, but I truly believe that she has done as much for the literacy rate in this country as all the money we dump into public education. Just like I’m convinced that July 20,1969 (“one small step for Man, one giant leap for Mankind) did more for science and math scores on SATs than any classroom ever could.

Me: The Stowaway is only a teensy bit colored by Dungeons and Dragonish elements. There are character types and monsters and settings that are D. and D. ish, but this didn't feel at all to me like a book tied to gaming. How deliberate was this?

Geno: Setting is detail, in my mind, and not story. The story can function in other settings, or without setting at all. That this book is set in the Forgotten Realms determines certain things – geography, history, religion – are predetermined, but the story is enhanced by, not determined by, these aspects.

Me: Fantasy seems to be a great way to get boys to read (girls too, but somehow that is less desperate an issue). I'd call The Stowaway a Boy book. To illustrate what I mean by that, here's a few snippets the now somewhat famous quote from a 13-year-old from Publishers Weekly a few weeks ago:

"However much I mock the literature of yesteryear, it definitely had it right when it came to vampires. The vampire was always depicted as a menacing badass. That is the kind of book teenage boys want to read. Also good: books with videogame-style plots involving zombie attacks, alien attacks, robot attacks or any excuse to shoot something."

Obviously, you all weren't writing a vampire book. But a "boy" book to me is one that is heavy on action, with a lot of things, often violent, going on—The Stowaway. So is this sort of book what you had in mind?

Geno: The book we had in mind was a Drizzt book aimed at a younger audience. This does not necessarily mean a “boy” book – there are plenty of female Drizzt readers, and hopefully plenty of girls will find and enjoy The Stowaway. But it does mean a book high on action.

Bob: Also, I think vampire books are more aimed at teenage girls now, by far. Fantasy is almost becoming gender neutral, which is a great thing. When I started writing, I’d guess that more than 90% of my readers were male. Now, it’s probably closer to 50-50. When I started playing Everquest in the late 90’s, you always knew that the female character you ran into was being played by a guy. Now, if you see a female in World of Warcraft, it’s probably a female player.

Me: That being said, I liked the strong girl character very much, and I trust we will see more of her in the next book (or books)?

Geno: Oh yes.

Bob: Absolutely!

Me: The Stowaway is the first book of the Stone of Tymora series; I see at the Random House website that this is a trilogy. How are the next books coming? Will you kept all three at the same age level, or does the series become progressively for older readers (perhaps ending with a nudge to the grown up sci fi section of the bookstore)?

Bob: We’re constantly evaluating that and trying to make the best decisions. There was indeed some confusion in the Drizzt readership – they couldn’t figure out where to find the book (and those giant bookstores can be kind of confusing, after all). There will certainly be debates about where or when to position the books. Is it better to launch one of these alongside a Legend of Drizzt novel, as we did this year, or would we be better off moving them apart, particularly in a tough economy?

It’s not my call. All I can say is that Book Two is written and going through the editing process now.

Me: I've already confessed that I haven't been keeping up on my adult science fiction/fantasy reading (although by the end of today I will have read 100 2008 books nominated for the Cybils). What about you two? What good science fiction/fantasy (for kids or grown ups) have you read recently?

Bob: I’m just starting ”The Hobbit” again – it’s been four years since I read it, so I have to go back. That’s about it. One of the problems with being a busy author is that I don’t have much time for reading, and the reading interferes with my own work.

Geno: That’s so true. I was reading a book a week until I started writing. I hardly remember that last book I read. I’ll recommend Terry Brooks’ “Running with the Demon,” though. I think it’s his best work.

Me: Thanks, Bob and Geno! And best of luck with your future projects.

For more interesting conversation about the Stowaway, visit these earlier blog stops:

Monday, Dec. 8 Becky's Book Reviews

Tuesday, Dec. 9 Bilge Munky

Wednesday, Dec. 10 SF Signal

Thursday, Dec. 11 SciFiDimensions

And if you want to read it yourself, leave a comment by December 31st, to be eligible to win one of two copies with signed bookplates...

Margery Gill Obituary in today's Guardian

I didn't know how familiar I was with the illustrations of Margery Gill until I read her obituary in today's Guardian. It includes a link to several of her drawings, including this illustration for Andrew Lang’s Fifty Favourite Fairy Tales:


But now that I have linked the name to the style, I realize she created many, many people who still live in my mind--The Little Princess, the children in Over Sea, Under Stone, the children in my edition of Noel Streatfeild's Apple Bough. I am overcome by nostalgia, and a strong desire to collect hardcover first editions, that (thankfully, given that my children still need to eat) will almost certainly not last. And, speaking of valuable collections, I also would like to know what the Dustman did with his....(click on the link).

The obituary is also well worth reading for its description of the development of children's book illustration in the second half of the 20th century.

Give the gift of a very different New York

Maybe you have a someone on your present buying list who just happens to be from New York City. Maybe they might like to look at their home in a whole new way...and here are three 2008 books, all excellent reads in their own ways, that do just that.

Masterpiece by Elise Broach, is a lovely book about a young beetle who shares a New York apartment with a lonely boy. On his birthday, the boy gets a pen and ink set, but has no interest in drawing...not so the beetle, whose new found artistic talent leads not only to friendship with the boy, but to an exiting adventure in the dangerous world of art theft! For the younger reader (say, 6th grade-ish), this would make a lovely present, an even better one paired with a pen and ink set, with possible add-ons including a book of Old Master etchings, a promise of a trip to the local gallery, an original pen and ink sketch by Da Vinci, etc. Or perhaps a book about beetles!

Maybe you think you know Manhattan. But this book, by Scott Mebus, offers a New York that will knock your socks off, because it is filled with gods--hence the title, Gods of Manhattan! Small gods, like the God of the Good China, and big gods, like seventeenth-century Dutch governors, 19th-century socialites, and the spirits of the Native Americans, cruelly imprisoned as part of the plot of one particularly nasty divinity to take total control of the city...and standing against that evil god is a young boy, who can see things most kids can't. Like small warriors disguised as cockroaches. Great fun, and a very good one for the 12+ year old who likes action-packed fantasy.

Maybe you've wondered what New York City would be like if there were fewer people in it. Maybe, after you read this book--The Dead and the Gone, by Susan Beth Pfeffer, you will be glad for all the people whose shoulders you bump on your morning subway ride. Because (as the title, um, subtly hints at) most of the folks are not there anymore. Leaving one teenage boy struggling to look after his sisters and to stay alive in a post apocalyptic nightmare. This is a follow up to Life as We Knew It, but since it tells of different characters in a different place, it is a true stand alone. Not exactly festive reading (Young Adult rated, on account of death, disease, and destruction), but it should make your giftee appreciate having family, which is, after all, one of the points of the holiday season.

And here is a Free Wrapping Tip, Worthy of Martha Stewart, if I say so who shouldn't--you could use an old tourist map of the city, with an apple ornament tied festively to the ribbon! Or not.

All three of these books have been nominated for the Cybils in Science Fiction and Fantasy--please feel free to use the Amazon link thingy at right, to support these wonderful blog-given awards.