July Reflections

I read a lot of MG fiction in July! Included are some great classics like Heidi, The Light Princess, The Trumpeter of Krakow, and The Story of the Amulet. I also discovered some great new-to-me authors like Anya Seton, George MacDonald, P.D. James, and Bo Caldwell. This month I've read some GREAT books that I've just loved and adored. But it also had some not-so-great books. Still I'm pleased with what I accomplished this month.  As far as challenges go, I was able to read at least one book for each of these challenges: New Author Challenge, 2011 TBR Challenge, TBR Pile Challenge, Historical Fiction, Victorian Literature Challenge, The Classic Bribe Challenge, Agatha Christie Reading Challenge,  Cruisin' Thru the Cozies.This month I read 36 books.  Board books: 2; Picture...

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Posted in 2011 Reflections

The Sunday Salon: Week In Review #31

What I reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews:My Theodosia. Anya Seton. 1941/2007. Chicago Review Press. 432 pages.Dragonwyck. Anya Seton. 1944/2005. Chicago Review Press. 352 pages.Are You Going To Kiss Me Now? Sloane Tanen. 2011. Sourcebooks. 368 pages.Alice in Time. Penelope Bush. 2011. Holiday House. 208 pages. What I reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible:Safely Home. Randy C. Alcorn. 2011. Tyndale. 434 pages.Mixed Signals. Liz Curtis Higgs. 1999. Multnomah. 384 pages. © 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Revi...

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Posted in 2011 Sunday Salons

Library Loot: Seventh Trip in July

New Loot:Wrapped by Jennifer BradburyThe Lovely Shoes by Susan ShreveMy Favorite Band Does Not Exist by Robert T. JeschonekParadise by Jill S. AlexanderLunch-box Dream by Tony AbbottMy Life Undecided by Jessica BrodyOut of Shadows by Jason WallaceMy Life, The Theater, and Other Tragedies by Allen ZadoffHuman.4 Mike A. LancasterThe Victory Club by Robin Lee HatcherLeftover Loot:Devil Water by Anya SetonThe Winthrop Woman by Anya SetonAt the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonaldAround the World in 80 Days by Jules VerneTwenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules VerneSarah's Ground by Ann RinaldiBy His Own Hand? The Mysterious Death of...

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Posted in 2011 Library Loot

Alice in Time (MG)

Alice in Time. Penelope Bush. 2011. Holiday House. 208 pages."I'm not wearing it.""Yes you are.""No, I'm not." Repeat those last two sentences about fifty times and you'll get some idea of what I'm up against. I'm trying to get my little brother into his page-boy outfit so that we won't be late for Dad's wedding, but I've been trying for the last hour without success.I picked up Alice in Time because I was interested in the time travel premise. Alice, our heroine, is fourteen and miserable. She thinks her life is ruined, and it just happens that everyone else is to blame for all her woes. Her parents are divorced. Her relationship with her...

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Posted in 2011 , Holiday House , library book , time travel , YA Fiction , YA realistic fiction , YA Science Fiction

2011 Hugo Ballot

Well, this Sunday (the 31st of July) is the deadline for Hugo voting. We cast our individual ballots (well, those of us eligible anyway), but we figured we should let you all know what we picked, why we picked them, and where there were differences of opinion if there were any. If you don't see a category on here, it's because we didn't vote in that category.Here we go!BEST NOVELSteve's Pick: FEED by Mira GrantThis was the only Hugo Nominated novel that I enjoyed from beginning to end. This is one of the best zombie novels out there right now, and I loved how self-aware the the world within the book is. Do I think this book is going to win? I kinda doubt it. I think Connie Willis is kind of an auto-win, which is a disappointment to me personally. I'm a tad bothered that BOTH of Willis'...

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Posted in Hugo Awards 2011

Never Knew Another

When you read a lot of novels, there comes a time when you need something...different. No farmboys who are destined to become the savior of the land. No elves or dwarves. No schools of wizards. No epic stories that plod along for 82 bajillion pages. Typically when the menu calls for something like this, Subterranean Press is the best place to go. But lately, it seems like Night Shade Books has the kind of story that is needed.NEVER KNEW ANOTHER, by J.M. McDermott, is a fascinating story that centers on the themes of identity and prejudice. The city Dogsland, where the novel takes place, is a sprawling hovel, really, where the citizens...

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Posted in Books We Like , Fantasy , J.M. McDermott

Are You Going To Kiss Me Now? (YA)

Are You Going To Kiss Me Now? Sloane Tanen. 2011. Sourcebooks. 368 pages.I should start at the beginning, four months ago, on the night of the senior prom. I wasn't a senior, or a prom person, so the fact that I hadn't been invited wasn't bothering me...much. I mean, I didn't want to go, but it would have been nice to be invited. I picked up Are You Going To Kiss Me Now? because I wanted to see how it compared with Libba Bray's Beauty Queens. Each book has strengths, of course, and each has its own weaknesses.The premise of this one is simple. What if a private plane carrying five celebrities, one contest winner, and one semi-famous blogger went...

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Posted in 2011 , library book , Source Books , YA Fiction , YA realistic fiction

Book Review: Pegasus by Robin McKinley

Pegasus by Robin McKinleyPublisher: Putnam JuvenilePublication date: November 2010ISBN: 9780399246777 Source: LibraryWhen Princess Sylvi is bound to her pegasus Ebon, she is shocked to discover they can communicate with each other with their thoughts.  Through all the years of the alliance between Sylvi's people and the pegasi, there has never been record of such a bond before.  And such a close bond makes the wizards, not to mention the general population, nervous.  Will their new friendship be able to withstand the difficulties that arise or are they destined to destroy the peace of the alliance?Things I Liked: This has...

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Posted in 4 stars , Fantasy , Young Adult

Dragonwyck

Dragonwyck. Anya Seton. 1944/2005. Chicago Review Press. 352 pages.It was on an afternoon in May of 1844 that the letter came from Dragonwyck. Miranda Wells is the foolish heroine of Anya Seton's Dragonwyck. This farm girl has much to learn, and her trusting nature combined with her restlessness is just asking for trouble. The novel opens with Miranda being invited to visit her cousin, Nicholas, and his wife, Johanna, and their daughter, Katrine, in their home, Dragonwyck. Though cousins, the two have never met. For the Van Ryn's are quite wealthy, and the Wells are at best poor relations. But the couple appears--at first--to be looking...

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Posted in 1944 , adult fiction , adult mystery , adult romance , Historical Fiction , library book

2011 Hugo Novellas

Here we are with the Hugo novellas. In case you are wondering, a novella ranges from around 17,500 words and measures up to 40,000 words in length. There’s some beautiful stuff in this set of nominated works—in fact, it was a little hard to choose which was the best. In the end, this category will vary a lot from reader to reader. Anyway, let’s jump in."The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers Beneath the Queen's Window" by Rachel SwirskyWow! If there were an award for just plain coolness, of breathtakingly beautiful scenes and weird and wonderful magic, then this novella would win hands down. It’s the story of a female magician—males aren’t allowed...

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Posted in Hugo Awards 2011 , Short Fiction

Book Review: The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

Posted as part of Tween Tuesday, hosted by GreenBeanTeenQueen. The Emerald Atlas by John StephensPublisher: Knopf Books for Young ReadersPublication date: April 2011ISBN: 9780375868702Source: ARC provided by publisher Kate, Michael, and Emma have been passed from one orphanage to another.  But the latest one, located on a remote crumbled old manor, is the strangest yet.  Besides being the only children there, they meet the mysterious Dr. Pym and find an old book with magic powers.  When the children discover that the book has the ability to send them through time, they become embroiled in a centuries-old battle to protect...

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Posted in 4 stars , Fantasy , middle grade , review copy , tween tuesday

What's On My Nightstand (July)

The list is long this time!  Mixed Signals by Liz Curtis Higgs. I am liking this one. I don't always love contemporary romance novels, I tend to prefer historical romance. But I'm glad I made an exception for Liz Curtis Higgs. This one is set in a small Southern town, and the heroine is a DJ at an oldies station. And the music references alone makes it a bit fun! The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. I am NOT liking this one. I don't even know if this should surprise me. While I have loved three or four of the Steinbeck I've read--I'd easily say that should be LOVED, LOVED, LOVED-- this isn't my first or second or even third attempt to...

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Bookish Images Monday (Pierre-Auguste Renoir)

I've got two images for you this week. Both found using wikimedia commons. The picture on the left is "Gabrielle lisant" (1906). The picture on the right is "Liseuse à la Vénus (Gabrielle avec une sculpture)" (1913-1915). A few of you may remember my old, old header--the mosaic of different women reading. If I'd found these images a few years ago, I would have LOVED to have them on the blog. I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the colors!Bookish Images Monday is hosted by Cindy's Book Club.© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Revi...

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Name That Book, Episode 16, and a Giveaway!

Name that Book is a biweekly game where you get to guess a book title from the photo clues. In celebration of having posted 400 book reviews (Friday's review of Secondhand Charm was #402), I decided I needed to do a giveaway!  And what better way than making you guess for my Name That Book game?  I tried to be as creative and fun as possible for this episode (though you guys are so good at this that they will probably be totally easy) and I included four titles instead of the usual two.  Here's how the contest will work:I'll choose two winners.  The first person to get them all right will win their choice of a book...

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Posted in giveaway , name that book , not a review

My Theodosia

My Theodosia. Anya Seton. 1941/2007. Chicago Review Press. 432 pages.At six o'clock on the morning of Midsummer Day, 1800, Aaron Burr's estate, Richmond Hill, was already well into the day's bustle of preparation for the gala dinner to be given that evening in honor of Theodosia's birthday.My Theodosia was Anya Seton's first novel. When possible I like to begin at the beginning with a new-to-me author. Saving the first book for the end, well, it can end in disappointment. Because if an author keeps improving, then each book will show it.The heroine, Theodosia Burr, is the daughter of Aaron Burr. At his greatest, her father was Vice President...

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Posted in 1941 , adult fiction , classics , Historical Fiction , library book

Hellhole

Everyone has prejudices. I don’t care who you are or what your background is, we all have things that just irk us to no end. As a reviewer it can be difficult sometimes to put those prejudices aside, to try and read a work based on it’s merit alone and ignore everything else. I have a secret for you readers. I’m not a fan of the latest Dune books put out by Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson. I haven’t read them, but I have read the original Dune and it’s one of my favorite books ever. I don’t like the new books because it feels like they are trampling on something sacred to me. Who are they to tell me what else happened in the Dune universe. Only...

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Posted in Books that are Mediocre , Brian Herbert , Kevin J Anderson , science fiction

The Sunday Salon: Week In Review #30

What I reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews:The Hidden Gallery (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #2) Maryrose Wood. 2011. HarperCollins. 320 pages.Heidi. Johanna Spyri. 1880/2009. Puffin Classics/Penguin.  320 pages.Heidi Grows Up. Charles Tritten. 1938. 190 pages.Heidi's Children. Charles Tritten. 1939. 255 pages.The Light Princess. George MacDonald. 1864. 110 pages. The Trumpeter of Krakow. Eric P. Kelly. 1928. 208 pages. Swift Rivers. Cornelia Meigs. 1932/2004. Walker. 288 pages.What I reviewed at Operation Actually Read Bible:Bookends. Liz Curtis Higgs. 2000. Multnomah. 340 pages. © 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Revi...

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Posted in 2011 Sunday Salons

Library Loot: Sixth Trip in July

New Loot:Devil Water by Anya SetonAt the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonaldThe Adventures of Pippi Longstocking by Astrid LindgrenAround the World in 80 Days by Jules VerneTwenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules VerneSarah's Ground by Ann RinaldiFour Summers Waiting by Mary Fremont SchoeneckerThe Lady and the Poet by Maeve HaranAdverbs by Daniel HandlerThe Exile of Sara Stevenson by Darci HannahKatherine by Anya SetonPatriot Hearts: A Novel of the Founding Mothers by Barbara HamblyBy His Own Hand? The Mysterious Death of Meriwether Lewis edited by John D.W. GuiceAn Artist in Treason: The Extraordinary Double Life of General James...

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Posted in 2011 Library Loot

Swift Rivers (MG)

Swift Rivers. Cornelia Meigs. 1932/2004. Walker. 288 pages.It was the summer that Chris Dahlberg was seventeen that he mowed the high meadow alone for the first time.I can't say that I LOVED Swift Rivers. But I can say that I did enjoy it--most of it at least. I checked it out from the library not really knowing what to expect. My plan was to give it a chapter or two to see if it was even something I wanted to read. And it was. Chris Dahlberg is a great hero for an adventure story. After his parents' death, his Uncle became responsible for him. But this responsibility didn't include love and respect. Chris works hard day after day after day with...

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Posted in 1932 , children's classic , J Action , J Adventure , J Fiction , J Historical Fiction , library book

Book Review: Secondhand Charm by Julie Berry

Secondhand Charm by Julie Berry Publisher: Bloomsbury ChildrensPublication date: October 2010ISBN: 9781599905112Source: LibraryEvie is the talented young healer in her small village. But she longs for more than just a village life.  When chance brings her an opportunity to go to the university in the city, she jumps at it.  But the journey along the way is unexpectedly filled with danger.  It is also filled with opportunities for her to discover just where her healing skills came from.Things I Liked: I loved the voice from this book!  I felt like I was listening to a friend and talented storyteller recount the story - and...

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Posted in 4 stars , fairy tale , Fantasy , Young Adult

2011 Hugo Novelletes

It’s been a while since I read these novelettes, but I wanted to sit on them for a bit to see which ones stuck with me, which ones disappeared from memory and just see when I came back to it, which ones were the best compared to the others. The question I hear a lot is, "What the heck is a novelette?" Simply put, it's a work of fiction ranging from 7500 words to around 18,000 words in length. It is that piece of fiction that takes up the space between the short story and the novella.There were some pretty good pieces of of fiction in this year's Hugo nominated batch of novelettes. So here we go:"Eight Miles" by Sean McMullen — The basic premise of this story follows a balloonist living in Victorian times who is hired by an eccentric scientist to fashion a balloon that will take him up eight...

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Posted in Hugo Awards 2011 , Short Fiction