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Waiting on Wednesday - The Girl who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two
Ok - this one should be obvious. The Girl who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making and The Girl who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There are two of my favorite books in the world so obviously I will be beyond excited about the third!
If you like fantasy that is uplifting and hopeful and just enough twisted that you know when to feel unsafe then you should read the first two. Me? I’m going to go down to Anderson’s Bookstore tomorrow and place my preorder for #3!
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Sometimes all you need to know about a book is it’s title. Zombelina by Kristyn Crow is about a ZOMBIE BALLERINA. And … I just ordered it. Because duh.
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Poison by Bridget Zinn is one of my newest favorite books to booktalk. Kyra is one of the three best potioners in the land and in this land potions can do pretty much anything that magic can do in other magical lands.Everything from camouflage to tracking to poisoning. They can track a fugitive, put someone to sleep, beautify a face (or the opposite) - being a potioner is a cushy job. And Kyra’s best friend is a princess who stinks at being a princess so you KNOW I was going to love this book! Tragically Kyra tried to kill her best friend the princess so now she’s on the run, utilizing all her skills as a potioner to keep herself camouflaged and secret until she can complete the deed. See, she is also a seer and she has foreseen that unless the princess dies, the entire kingdom will be destroyed.
Oh my goodness - this book was way too much fun. There’s a dashing love interest, a pig who is just way too adorable, and a twist that I totally didn’t see coming. Not that I ever see the twists coming, but I thought this was an especially lovely one. Many thanks to the publisher for the ARC.
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Just a reminder - those of you who want to join in, we're going to start rereading/reading Graceling today! →
100 pages(ish) a week! Lots of good discussions! It’s going to be fun!
Tag things Graceling 2013 if you want (or not - whatever. We’re not super strict about pretty much anything.)
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It’s Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Sheila of Book Journey. Jen & Kellee from Teach Mentor Texts have adapted this to focus on Picture Books to Young Adult Books.
This is a weird Monday because I’m just starting 3 new books so I’ve got little of substance to talk about! So here’s some book discussion without any plot discussion.
Little Bee by Chris Cleave is my audiobook right now. I’ve been trying to read more adult books and I’m only one disc into this book but my goodness it’s gorgeous. I’m not sure what it’s about yet (I knew at one point in time when I put it in my queue of books to read but then it’s turned up as the next book to read I’d completely lost it) but so far it is about being an immigrant and a lyrical look at language and the way we interact with it and the way it makes us interact with each other. I’m loving it.
My print book is The Cats of Tanglewood Forest by Charles de Lint. This is another that I’ve just started so I’ll hold off on any judgement. I have a group of girl patrons who adore books about magic and cats and they’re fortunate that there is no lack of magical cat books but because of that I keep my eye open for them. This one is gorgeous! Obviously, with Charles Vess illustrating, we’re going to have a gorgeous book but it also is strangely weighty. I don’t know why I keep mentioning this but if you held it and another 304 page book in your other hand, this one would be heavier. I feel like I’m in one of those fantasy stories where the wisened old tech services dweller hands the beautiful young librarian (HA!) a magical tome and the librarian can tell it’s magical because it’s strangely heavy? Clearly I’m reading too much into this.
And my ebook is The Art of Wishing by Lindsay Ribar. High school theatre, musicals, ambition … and just as I was putting the book down last night a genie? I’m into this! Give me every day drama + magic any day. Let’s see how it turns out!
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A Tangle of Knots by Lisa Graff! I just finished an ARC the publisher gave me. The adventure of Savvy meets the whimsy of Abby Carnelia’s One and Only Magical Power.
The world is full of people with Talents and the main character’s Talent is baking cakes so the book is peppered with delectable recipes. I made the peach cake with cream cheese frosting and let me tell you … this book is worth the cost for that recipe alone.
There is a brother with a Talent for getting lost, a creepy man with the talent for stealing other people’s Talents, and a grand adventure to be had. I can’t wait to try the honey cake recipe, the peanut butter cake recipe, and even the garlic parmesan cake sounds worth a try. It’s either going to be wonderful or horrible. I’ll let y’all know.
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I just finished Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George and you should all add it to your lists of awesome middle grade fantasy. Celia is a perfect princess but I’m still also adding her to my list of “Princesses who suck at being princesses” along with Cimorene of Dealing with Dragons and Amy of the Ordinary Princess and all those other princesses who defy the princess stereotype and are the best ever.
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Best books I read in 2012
I keep meaning to be a better book blogger and I’m making it a resolution this year so let’s start with some of my favorite books that I read in 2012. I’ve been trying to be less liberal with my 5 stars but I am by nature an enthusiastic person so the list of 5 star books I read in 2012 is longer than it probably should be.
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin - I read this one so I could write questions for my library/School District’s Battle of the Books and I’m so glad I did. A beautiful wandering fantasy about a girl who wants to change her fate and how she makes everything happen.
The Star Shard by Frederic Durbin - What can I say about this book? It’s just gorgeous! I have a half written review waiting in my drafts that I need to finish because you need to read The Star Shard. It was first published episodically in Cricket, if that tells you anything (and if you were as in love with everything Cricket when you were a child as I was, that should tell you a lot) when I found that out it just made sense because this book makes me happy.
Wonder by R J Palacio - I had an ARC of this book and I didn’t read it and didn’t read it because issue books make me groan but then I finally read it and I am so glad I did because this isn’t an issue book, it’s a beautiful book that just happens to have an issue. It’s now my one book/one community book for 2013 and R J Palacio will be here in February and I’m just in love with it. Read it with tissues.
Winterling by Sarah Prineas - Sarah Prineas is a delight and so is this book. If you like waesome low-middle grade fantasy with kick ass female main characters then read this book. If you don’t then this is not for you.
Cinder by Marissa Meyer - I’m a sucker for a really well done fairy tale retelling and I’ve read so many of them that it takes an amazing one to blow my socks off. Cinderella is a cyborg and the moon is trying to invade? Sign me up!
Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore - I think I’ve discussed my love for this series everywhere I discuss anything. This is a perfect end to a perfect series and I am going to reread all 3 ASAP.
Sorcery and Cecelia, or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia Wrede - So the Enchanted Forest Chronicles have been some of my favorite books since I was tiny. How have I never read anything else from Pat Wrede? Clearly I am lacking in sense. Victorian fantasy. Love and secrets and magic and manners and it’s wonderful.
The Fault in our Stars by John Green - Yes, I’m a nerdfighter but this book was just great. Tears for days and joy for days and characters I’ll love forever.
A Boy and a Bear in a Boat by Dave Shelton - As I said on goodreads, “waiting for godot meets the little prince. I love it so much I can’t even tell you.” (When I’m goodreading on my nook, it’s hard to capitalize things. Please forgive me.)
Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey - I told my friend Anna that I’d find her a perfect book and I kinda think this is it? A gorgeous fantasy set in New Zealand with evocative writing, great characters, a compelling plot, tons of diversity, and wonderful everything? I am so here for exactly this.
Crow by Barbara Wright - 1898 North Carolina, an 11 year old black boy is teaching his grandmother, a former slave, to read. Then the race riots happen. This is my current Newberry pick - but I honestly haven’t read enough of what other people are putting on Mock Newberry lists to say for sure? But of all the books I read this year, this is the one I hope wins it. Like Wonder this is a book with an issue not an issue book. Moses is real and flawed and wonderful and such a wonderful character.
The Wild Book by Margarita Engle - I am a sucker for a good novel in verse. Historical Fiction set in Cuba in the early part of the century, Fefa is “word blind” which I’m pretty sure is her doctor’s name for Dyslexic and she uses her “wild book” to write down everything she’s thinking. There’s fear and adventure and love and hope and if Crow doesn’t win the Newberry then this is my pick.
The Artful Parent is one I just read and one I’m still planning on writing a good review of. I highly recommend this for any children’s librarians out there with a parent/teacher collection in their children’s department, and for all the parents out there, this book definately inspired me to be a more thoughtful, artful parent. Full of tips, projects, and recommendations, I really loved reading this book. Her blog has become a staple on my RSS feed since reading this.
The Privilege of the Sword by Ellen Kushner - These are one of those fantasy books that isn’t exactly fantasy? No magic, no fantastic creatures, but set in a medieval england type land that is not our own. Swordplay and romance and gender fluidity and queerness and this book just makes me smile. The audiobook is especially well done if you’re an audiobook fan.
Paper Valentine by Brenna Yavanoff - I just finished this one last week and it’s another one I’m hoping to write a real review for. Hannah is being haunted by the ghost of her best friend who died of anorexia and while writing this I’m reading other reviews on goodreads and many people are complaining about how much STUFF she tried to stuff in here and that was part of what I loved about it? Hannah moved from anger at herself for not stopping Lillian from starving herself to anger at Lillian for doing it to anger at Lillian’s mom for being a jerk to just anger that we live in an effed up world. There’s a serial killer on the loose and Hannah (with help from Lillian) is going to solve the mystery. It’s Criminal Minds meets Gossip Girl with ghosts? So good.
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Here are some resources to help parents and caregivers speak with children about today’s events. (PDF): http://www.sesameworkshop.org/assets/1192/src/HereForEachOther_vEng2012Modified.pdf
Source: sesamestreet
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When I did more RA interviews, I would often ask people what kind of TV shows/movies they liked & try to match. Most times I got The Wire, so that’s the direction I headed.
Yes! This is helpful for kids’ RA too. Ask about tv, movies, even video games. He’s a Portal fan? He might like Alkatraz vs the Evil Librarians. Lover of Animal Crossing? Try Animal Ark or maybe some choose your own adventure. Katamari Damacy fan? Try something silly like Squish.
Source: cloudunbound
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