Magicians

The Magicians
by
Lev Grossman
adult fantasy fiction

1. Couldn't he come up with a better title? Try googling "magicians" to find this book - ha!

2. I don't know what the author was trying to do with this book. Is it a parody of the Harry Potter books? It it inspired by Harry Potter? Is it riding on the shirttails of Harry Potter? That being said, it was a pretty decent book and worth a read. I just don't know what the author or publisher was thinking. He even mentions Tolkien and others in the book.

3. I don't understand why there is a tree on the cover.

Plot: A senior in high school is recruited to go to Wizard school. A bunch of stuff happens that is very Harry Potter-like. Then a bunch of stuff happens which is very Narnia-like. I mean it is so similar that it makes you think that it was stolen from Rowling and Lewis, but put together in a way not quite like either. This book has some sex and drug use and drinking, so it is not as innocent as Potter or Narnia. I guess the target audience is adults or teenagers whose parents don't mind that they are reading about sex and drugs. They say the students are at college and the book covers about 5 years, but then later in the book they say the students are teenagers. In my world of math 17 years old + 5 years = age 22, not a teenager. I didn't get that.
Some reviewers said it drew from World mythology including Jewish mythology, but I don't know if this is true or not.
I guess I recommend this for 16+ readers who enjoy fantasy books but they might end up as perplexed as I.

Family in His Heart

Family in His Heart
by
Gail Gaymer Martin
Love Inspired
Inspirational Romance by Steeple Hill - the January 2008 selection
adult romance fiction

I understand that this is a mass produced paperback romance novel, so my hopes were not very high, but this book is LAME! I think the author took a formula, inserted some names and a setting and called it a book. The plot is reminiscent of the mass produced Grace Livingston Hill books of yesteryear. Here is a typical Hill plot: Man is a hard working Christian. Woman is also hard working but not saved. There is usually a little old lady (sometimes a Scottish immigrant) that can guide the unsaved soul to salvation. Some others help her along the way as well. By the end some bad guy has been vanquished and the unsaved member of the couple has come to salvation. They kiss and marry.
That is pretty much the plot of this one, too. In this case the little old lady is from Michigan. There the man has a troubled son. The bad guy is the woman's brother. The setting is the picturesque shores of Michigan.
If you want a good clean read this summer, look elsewhere.

American Girl

American Girl
by
Monika Fagerholm
adult fiction
This is a novel for adults. It was originally published in Finland but written in Swedish. It is set in Finland.
This is NOT the American Girls book series for children.
This is NOT the magazine for children.
I hope this is now clear which book I am reviewing. I hate it when you can't tell which book it is from the title.

That being said, I picked up this book because it had glowing reviews on the back and because it was set in Finland. I know a number of 3rd or 4th generation Finnish Americans and I have flown Finnair (the official airline of Santa Claus), and I enjoyed "Sisterchicks on the Loose" when they head to Finland so I figured it might be interesting.
I struggled to get through this book. It was set in some kind of stream of consciousness confusing style where the reader could not tell if what was being said was reality or fantasy and the time periods jumped around a whole lot. Maybe this book lost something in translation. It says on the cover that it is part of a series. I have no desire to read any more books like this.
The cover says that it is about two girl friends that discover the body of an American teenager in a swamp. Yes, this does happen, but mostly the book dashes around from character to character, time to time, and perspective to perspective until the reader is completely confused. I would tell you more about it, but I'll be da**ed if I know what happened, even after reading the whole book.
Maybe if someone reworked this into a screenplay and simplified everything I would have a clue.
There is a death, so I guess you could call this a mystery, but mostly I would call it a mess.

Await Your Reply

Await Your Reply
by
Dan Chaon
adult fiction
thriller/crime/mystery

Chaon's novel is a quick and lively read set in today's America. He launches three parallel stories about persons who don't wish to be found. How does someone evade being detected in today's world? Some persons steal other persons' identification - becoming (on paper) someone new. Others try to live undetected. What does it take in today's world to reinvent one's self? What if you pretend you are from another state and adopt a new accent? What if you lie to loved ones?
One story line follows a brother trying to find his schizophrenic twin. Another line shows an 18 year old young lady who takes off for a more glamorous life in Nebraska. Nebraska? The third plot traces a male college student who left school and never went back after he was mistakenly declared dead.
Ohio readers will find a number of places in Ohio mentioned - Pompey, Cleveland, Euclid Heights, and more. The author lives in Cleveland and teaches at Oberlin College.
Generally I am not into thriller/crime/mystery novels, but this one was pretty good. There is one grisly scene, but that is the only one.
---
In an unrelated note, I wonder how CHAON is pronounced?

Help

The Help
by
Kathryn Stockett
Adult Historical Fiction

Two African American maids and one bored young white debutante are the stars of this book set in rural Mississippi in 1963. Skeeter wants more than to marry and have children - she wants to be a journalist and novelist. Inspired by the changing world around her, she starts interviewing a friend’s maid to find out more about race relations. Why do coloreds have to use separate bathrooms? Is being a slave or domestic help all they can aspire to? These are dangerous times. There is a very real possibility that the African Americans she speaks to will be fired or lynched for being uppity. Can Skeeter make the world a better place or will it all go up in flames from her being nosy?

I read the first chapter and there were a whole lot of characters I could not keep straight. I stuck with it, though, and by the middle I thought it was a pretty good book. The suspense builds to the end.

There is a long line for this book at the library and I have spoken to at least 4 women who recommend this book.

I hate it when publishers release one-word title books. They are hard to find in the catalog and on the internet. Ghost? Cars?
In this case, though, the author explains the title in the book and it can have two meanings, so I can forgive her. It is actually a pretty clever title.

I wonder about the cover - three birds on a perch, but two birds are apart from the other bird. I would like to discuss this with others who have read it. I think it means that one of the birds is segregated from the others, but I don't know what kind of birds they are. Are they sparrows - as in "His Eye Is on the Sparrow"?

Son of a Witch

Son of a Witch
by
Gregory Maguire
audiobook read by the author
12 hours long
adult fantasy fiction
second in a trilogy
1. Wicked
2. Son of a Witch
3. A Lion among Men

I love Oz books and have since I was about 7 years old. I have read many, many Oz books and seen just about all the movies except for a few silent films. I read "Wicked", the first in this trilogy and thought it was an insightful look at a much travelled path. I saw the musical based on "Wicked".
In this case, I opted to listen to the audiobook instead of reading the print book. I knew I would be in the car quite a bit and would have the time to read it. The book is read by the author who does a commendable job at giving voice to different characters. One has a British accent, another a Southern accent, another is as old as dirt with a shaky voice. The big problem that I had with this book, however, is that it dragged on and on and on. I do not anticipate EVER AGAIN listening to 12 HOURS of a book. It seemed like it would never end! Twelve hours is longer than a mini-series and about as long as an entire season of a BBC television program. My library has shelf upon shelf of audiobooks LONGER than this one. I have seen some on the shelf that are up to 30 hours long or so. Who can listen to something that long? I think I have a fairly good attention span and have read books that are 650 pages long or so, but now I find that I can not STAND audiobooks more than 6 hours or so.
I think the only time I might contemplate listening to something this long again is if it has a full cast of characters, an orchestra, and recaps the previous night's episode at the beginning of each disc. Even then, I don't think I would want more than 8 hours at best. I have found that I much prefer the 1 hour radio dramas to these drawn out productions. I am going to stick to the young adult and children's sections of audiobooks for a while - but even there I see that there are extremely long volumes of 10 hours or more. Yikes!
Back to the content:
I am fairly certain that I would have enjoyed this book more in the printed format. It was a mere 337 pages long. That is just an average size for a book. It did have some drawn out philosophical parts that I probably would have skimmed or read quickly. As I reached the end I realized that the author had no intentions of tying up loose ends as he intended this book to be number two of three books. That was also annoying.
Here is the plot:
Liir lives his life as a drifter. He doesn't know for sure, but he and some others suspect that his mother was the Wicked Witch of the West and his father was a statesman who cheated on his wife. After the witch's death Liir eventually finds himself joining the National Guard for something to do. He finds a sense of belonging there, but still has serious gaps in his education, his sense of morality, and sense of being. Animals come to him hoping that he will help fight for their rights like his mother did. He is constantly insisting that he is not magical like Elphaba and he can't help - or can he? He learns to fly on her broomstick and becomes a revolutionary like the witch.
I don't think this is the Oz that L. Frank Baum imagined, but it is thoughtful and original. I wish the author would have resolved some more mysteries in this book, but instead he lives the audience in suspense for book three. Eventually I will get around to reading book three IN PRINT.

My Abandonment

My Abandonment
by
Peter Rock
Adult or Young Adult Fiction

Thirteen year old Caroline and her father live in the forest outside of Portland, Oregon. Her father constantly warns Caroline that they are not like other people and can not be tied down with a house or too many possessions. From the very beginning this book is creepy and suspenseful. When will the authorities catch up with them? Will they be captured? Will they survive? Is Father's paranoia justified?
I don't want to say too much because the best part about this book is the "not knowing".
If you can't wait for the next Jodi Picoult book, have read all the Margaret Peterson Maddix books, and are a fan of Jon Krakauer, this is the book for you. It is short and a quick read for teens or adults.
My library put this in the adult section. This book is one of the winners of the Alex Awards given to adult books that young adults will enjoy.
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/alexawards/alexawards.cfm
The scariest part is that it is based on true events.
Read it, then pass it along to a friend, age 15-99.

Clifford's Peekaboo

Clifford's Peekaboo
based on the character by
Norman Bridwell
board book ages 0-3

Here is a short book featuring everyone's favorite Big Red Dog - but when he was a Small Red Puppy.

This book offers an excuse to say "Peekaboo"! to the baby audience over and over again. Clifford the puppy is hiding - peekaboo! This book uses very short rhyming sentences and colorful, playful pictures. It would be a good one to use at the beginning of a baby and parent storytime.

These are other books in the series:
Clifford's Animal Sounds
Clifford's Bathtime
Clifford's Bedtime

Nasreen's Secret School

Nasreen's Secret School
by
Jeanette Winter
children's nonfiction ages 3-6

Nasreen's parents are taken from her home as political prisoners, or maybe they are killed. Nasreen and her grandmother do not know. School has also been banned for girls in her town in Afghanistan. Nasreen falls silent and has nothing to do. One day her grandmother learns about a clandestine school and enrolls Nasreen. Nasreen, through fellowship with other girls, the teacher's caring, and through learning to read, slowly starts to recover from her shocking experience. There is still hope that she might have a bright future.

The story ends like that. Then end was satisfying enough for me as an adult, but my child listeners wanted to know what happened to the parents and what did Nasreen do when she grew up and many other unanswered questions. I had to tell my audience that I didn't know. Maybe some day the real Nasreen will be able to tell her own story freely and openly.

Doggies: A Counting and Barking Book

Doggies: A Counting and Barking Book
by
Sandra Boynton
board book
ages 0-3

Woof?
Yap Yap!
Ruff Ruff.

Read this to your little one if you are prepared to act silly and get a big grin from the youngster.
What is the sound of one dog? Now how about 10!
This is simple and goofy and a good review of the numbers 1-10 with Sandra Boynton doing what she does best - fitting simple text to her comic book style animals.

What Joe Saw

What Joe Saw
by
Anna Grossnickle Hines
children's fiction
ages 3-8

Joe keeps lagging behind on his class field trip to the park. The others tease him for being a slow poke, but because Joe is observant and quiet he sees more plants and animals than the others. I can identify with Joe because as a child I used to be the same way. To quote a line from Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood - "I like to take my time".

Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood
http://www.fci.org/mrn.asp

I Like To Take My Time

© 1971 Fred Rogers

I like to take my time
I mean that when I want to do a thing
I like to take my time to do it right!

I mean I might just make mistakes
If I should have to hurry up and
So I like to take my time
To tie my shoes, to eat, to get dressed,
To go to sleep at night to sing a song for you
And every thing I do.

I like to take my time
I mean that when I want to do a thing
I like to take my time to do it right.

I mean I might just make mistakes if
I should have to hurry up and
So I like to take my time.

Fancy Nancy Bonjour Butterfly

Fancy Nancy Bonjour Butterfly
by
Jane O'Connor
children's fiction
ages 3-8

Nancy wants to go to her friend's birthday party, but her grandparents' wedding anniversary is the same day. Nancy helps Bree prepare for the party, but is sad about missing it. Nancy ends up enjoying the anniversary party and gets to see a butterfly garden, too. Ooh, la, la!

This is another colorful adventure for Nancy, the little girl who loves to dress up and use big (preferably French) words.

Promise to Believe In

Promise to Believe In
by
Tracie Peterson
Adult Christian Fiction

The Gallatin girls (young women) are on their own in frontier Montana. Their mother died in childbirth when they were little. Their father, although not a participant, has been accidentally shot during the town's wild night of partying. A stranger rides into town one day causing trouble for the ladies - as if they don't have enough trouble trying to run a stagecoach stop/bed and breakfast without a man's protection. That is to say nothing of the saloon owner who has now brought prostitutes to the town!
Since the series is called "Brides of Gallatin County" we can guess that at least one of the three ladies will have a love interest and get married in the end. Since it is Christian fiction at least one character will come to Christ or come back to Christ. Yes. This is what happens.
The story is somewhat predictable but pleasant and clean. The author does not tie up all the loose ends - leaving room for two more books in the series (and two more weddings) - but the end is satisfactory.
I am not sure why the series is "Gallatin County". I suppose eventually the county will be named for the family, but it is not addressed in this book.
I would recommend this for gentle readers looking for a quick read.

Chicken Soup for the Cat and Dog Lover's Soul

Chicken soup for the cat & dog lover's soul: celebrating pets as family with stories about cats, dogs, and other critters
by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Marty Becker, Carol Kline
audiobook on CD

I am not sure how they decided whether cats or dogs got first billing on this marquee, but this is a heartwarming collection of stories about human's best friends in the animal kingdom. Warning to drivers: If listening to this audiobook while driving, proceed with caution. Tears may come to your eyes when you hear about the actions of selfless animals.

I don't see all the narrators listed on the cover. There are at least 2 male and 2 female narrators. I think at least one story is told by the DJ from Northern Exposure.

I rate this disc to be family friendly and recommend it for car trips.

Secret Place

Secret Place
by Eve Bunting and Ted Rand
children's fiction
ages 3-6

This book was recommended by the local Metroparks people.
A boy and his urban neighbors know that if you look around, even in the most smoggy, dirty city there is wildlife. They find ducks, possum, and more. They keep the wildlife a secret, however, so that people do not disturb the animals. I could not help but think of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Children, flowers, and animals can all grow and even thrive in great adversity.

Big Yellow Trucks and Diggers Colors: Caterpillar

Big Yellow Trucks and Diggers Colors: Caterpillar
series design by Paul Kepple
book design by Kristine Brogno
board book
ages 2-5
Caterpillar equipment is on the job! This series features photographs of genuine Caterpillar movers and shakers doing what they do best - work! This book in the series focuses on the colors of the construction site - green hat, yellow Caterpillar, gray gravel, and more. It is shameless advertising for the company, but so is the M & M counting book, Cheerios counting book, etc.
Since I know one Caterpillar engineer and there is going to be a distribution center in my neighborhood, I am okay with this.

100 Cupboards

100 Cupboards
by
N. D. Wilson
children's fantasy fiction
narrated by Russell Horton
an unabridged CD production

This audiobook was exceedingly dull for the first 4 out of 5 discs. The narrator described in great detail the wood grain, color, etc. of cupboards in an attic bedroom. I hated this in Tolkien and Steinbeck's works and it was boring in this book. Sure, the cupboards were magic and gateways to other worlds/dimensions, but MORE ACTION AND LESS DESCRIPTION, please. The plot itself is good - go to other worlds through cupboards, but this begs to be ABRIDGED!
Henry comes to visit his aunt, uncle, and cousins in Kansas and discovers these gateway cupboards that were created by his mathematician grandfather. He is not an adventurous type, though, and hesitates to try them out. Fortunately Henrietta, his cousin, has more gumption. There is an evil witch from Endor and some good stuff. This would probably even make for a good movie, once the tedious parts are removed.
As a bonus, the author throws in some good baseball scenes demonstrating the magic of baseball in the good ole' USA.
The ending leaves room for plenty of sequels. I'll wait for the movies, though.

Cat Ate My Gymsuit

Cat Ate My Gymsuit
by
Paula Danziger
YA fiction
For some reason I thought this was going to be a funny book about 4th graders like Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great or Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. It is about a 9th grader, though, and set in the mid 1970's. The main character moans and complains about her life. She knows she is ugly and fat and keeps reminder herself of it. I tired of her complaining about 1/3 of the way through the book. Fortunately, she is maturing and learning more about herself and the world around her. The book takes a turn for the more serious at about the halfway point and Marcy is encouraged by her new, hippy teacher. The English teacher has new ideas about teaching and justice. She motivates her students to think and express themselves. The principal, however, sees the teacher as a troublemaker and has her fired. Marcy and her fellow students rebel and protest. Now they are teens on a mission. Some of this book is definitely historical fiction at this point - the references to gymsuits, women's liberation, sit ins, etc. are very 1965-1976. Other parts, like the interactions between teenage boys and girls and the emotional side of teenagers are universal.
What is a gymsuit, anyway? Apparently this is a more upscale neighborhood than the one I grew up in. We always wore t-shirts and shorts.
I'll have to search google images for gymsuits.
P. S. I finally have a post where I can use the words Bildungs Roman! My library science teachers would be proud.

Fancy Nancy Pajama Day: I Can Read! Beginning 1 Reading

Fancy Nancy Pajama Day: I Can Read! Beginning 1 Reading
by Jane O'Connor
and pictures based on the art of Robin Preiss Glasser

This Fancy Nancy book continues the girly, fru-fru series of Fancy Nancy books. Apparently the series is taking a bit of a turn to become more homogenized and educational. There are vocabulary words along with the story and it is listed as part of the I Can Read Book series.

I wonder what it feels like to have your pictures taken over by other artists? It says that interior pencils are by Ted Enik and color is by Carolyn Bracken. They do this in comic books and graphic novels, so I guess if the publisher wants to get books out as soon as possible before the popularity fades, this is a way to do it.

In this book Nancy's friend wants to wear matching pajamas. Nancy wants to wear her fancier pj's, however. Later she feels left out because her friend has made a different friend. In the end, though, friendships are restored and Nancy also has a new friend. This series is marketed toward girls exclusively.

Magic Tree House # 1: Dinosaurs before Dark

Magic Tree House # 1: Dinosaurs before Dark
by
Mary Pope Osborne
and
Sal Murdocca
Reading level - 2nd grade

Jack and Annie climb into a tree house, read some books, then wish they were experiencing what one of the books is about. They get their wish! They are in the land of dinosaurs. They see Mama dinosaurs with eggs, flying dinosaurs, and more. Chased by a Tyrannosaurus rex, they decide it is time to go home! This adventure story has wide appeal and is the start of the popular series. The last time I checked there were 28 books in this series so far. I guess it is on to book #2 now - The Knight at Dawn.
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/magictreehouse/