Growing up with Ghosts

Neil Gaiman is a master. I feel I should just end this post here, but then I’d be depriving you of my eloquent, inspiring words *sarcasm*. Gaiman is an author who knows how to tell a story, create a world, and leave the audience wanting more. In his children’s book The Graveyard Book, he does not disappoint and the critics agreed, giving the book four awards.

Nobody Owens is not a normal boy. After the death of his family when he was only a baby, Nobody was adopted by ghosts from the graveyard he crawled to on that horrible night. As part of the graveyard family, Nobody, nicknamed Bod, is given asylum and thus supernatural abilities. He can Fade, Dream Walk, and walk through walls along with a number of other abilities. Mr. and Mrs. Owens adopt Bod, but it is Silas who provides for Bod and becomes his mentor. As Bod continues to grow, he learns from the other ghosts, gets into mishaps with ghouls, and begins to integrate with the living. Hanging over his head, however, is the murder of his family and the man Jack who still seeks the boy who got away.

So what’s so special about a boy living in a graveyard, you ask? Ahhh how do I put this? It’s a brilliant reinvention of The Jungle Book with the quarks, twists, and dark humor only Gaiman can produce. Although it is a children’s/ young adult novel, it isn’t a cutesy tryst with ghosts. This is a beautiful coming of age story set in a morbid and fascinating setting. Bod, our main character, is curious, intelligent, and well mannered. Each chapter is a new adventure as Bod continues to grow. He discovers new sections of the graveyard, new friends, and the outside world.

I highly suggest this book to those of you who want a good read with fantasy. Neil Gaiman is wonderful! Give him a read if you haven't already.

More than your "Bunny Rabbit"

The summer before sophomore year at her elite boarding school, Frankie Landau-Banks blossomed. She went from being an awkward girl to a fully-fledged beautiful woman. Her transformation turns the head of Matthew Livingston, a popular and good-looking senior, who she soon starts dating. Frankie, however, is much more than a pretty face and the little girl her family nicknamed "Bunny Rabbit". Behind those beautiful eyes lives a clever, devious, and underestimated intelligence, one that will one day make her head of the CIA, Secretary of State, or the next great American writer. When Matthew keeps secrets from Frankie about a secret society, Frankie decides to show him and his friends that she is more than worthy to be a part of their club and their world. What follows is a story of pranks, deception, and longing to be recognized in E. Lockhart’s The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks.

Recently my friend and I discussed an article about strong female characters. This is a bit off topic, but the article basically talks about how a strong female character is annoying and too boxed in. Male characters are never called strong male characters, but a strong female character puts an exact picture in your head of a bad ass, emotionless (other than anger), beautiful woman. We want 3D women who can be realistic. Back to Frankie, Frankie is a great example of a multi-dimensional character. She’s insecure, massively intelligent, inventive, beautiful, athletic, worried, brave, unsure, and still figuring herself out. I truly enjoyed her even when she thought about impressing her boyfriend a bit too much. This is what we do. We want someone we really like to think we’re astonishingly wonderful, and in Frankie’s case, what she did sure was astonishing.

From the dust jacket, I expected Frankie to be a confidant and already snarky, devious minded lady, but this is her story of becoming that girl. I looked forward to snuggling up with this book and reading about Frankie’s plotting. My biggest complaint is that there isn't a sequel. I enjoyed the novel. It was easy to read, thought provoking, and introduced a fresh character.

Here’s some other titles you might enjoy:

• Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern. Jessie is trying to figure out which group she belongs in. Everyone seems to be changing ship, so where does she belong?
• Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork. Marcelo is autistic and always attended a special school where he was understood. This summer, however, he must work at his dad’s law firm meets several new friends and experiences what the “real world” is like.

Southern Charm

Sometimes you just need a book that’s a hug. Something comforting, lovely, and sweet that makes you feel happy without too much drama. Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman was a perfect literary hug.

Cecelia, CeeCee, is a twelve year old girl living with her delusional mother. Mrs. Honeycutt has become less and less lucid over the years and continues to think of herself as the pageant queen she once was. While CeeCee’s mama is dressing up like the prom queen, her daddy is never home leaving her to be in charge of her crazy mother. Way leads unto way and Mrs. Honeycutt ends up dying. Ceecee is transported to her Great Aunt Tootie’s house in Savannah, where she meets a slew of eccentric women. Each one helps CeeCee come out of her shell, deal with her past, and move forward.

This is a character driven book. There isn’t a ton of drama to propel the story forward, and the drama that occurs is quickly solved or nothing becomes of it. You want to keep reading for the humorous, eccentric characters and the captivating setting. There’s something about Savannah and the South that is magical, comforting, and charming.  Savannah especially holds a certain amount of mystery and exotic allure. In CeeCee, the audience sees the exotic in the characters more than the setting and the magic is in the gardens and buildings.

Ceecee is a sweet character. You like her and relate with her and she certainly has her problems, making her a realistic figure. Aunt Tootie is a generous and caring woman. Oletta, the cook and housekeeper, is funny and loving. The almost entirely female cast of characters creates a sense of sisterhood and friendship among women without the competition and contempt that tends to happen when there is a large group of females.

Although I felt it lacked some rising action, it worked out. Some might find the lack of problem events annoying, but for me, there was just enough. Ceecee continues dealing with her Mom’s death throughout the book, so that gave enough groundwork to frame the story around. I just loved the comforting sweetness of the story and characters. I felt wrapped in a blanket of southern charm and reading euphoria.

If you’re looking for something a little gentler, with a southern twist, give Saving CeeCee Honeycutt a try. Here are some other titles to read if you’re into this.

• The Help by Kathryn Stockett

• The Secret Life of Bees  by Sue Monk Kidd

• Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells

Return to Fairyland

I cannot believe I forgot to post this from back in October/November, so here ya go!

While perusing the children’s section, I ran across The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Catherine M. Valente, the sequel to The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. I immediately locked into its purple allure with the familiar cover design and long title. It was stunning that I had not been informed there was a sequel to Valente’s book! Luckily, it just came out.

September is swept back to Fairyland where things are amiss. Magic is rationed because all the shadows of fairyland’s creatures are being taken to Fairyland Below and the shadows hold the magic of a being. September’s quest this time around is to get the shadows back to Fairyland so that magic might once again return. The problem is that the Queen of Fairyland Below is Halloween, September’s shadow! Shadows are the dark side of a person. The yearnings and contained attitudes and personality that the human person does not show. After failing to convince the shadows to go back to being 2 dimensional slaves of their human counterparts, September must find the prince of Fairyland and wake him from an enchanted sleep so he can take power back from Halloween. Along the way, September discovers all sorts of inhabitants of Fairyland Below, and some somewhat familiar faces.

As in the first book, Valente writes beautifully. I often wonder at this being a children’s book. Although the subject material seems childish, the writing and content are sophisticated and philosophical. It is deep and thought out with themes of family, love, self-awareness, coming-of-age, and so much more. The characters are intricate and it often reminded me of Alice in Wonderland with riddles and strange ways of saying things or getting to a point. The vocabulary is advanced as are the ideas presented. Sure a ten year old could read this, but an adult could read it too and get a lot out of it. This is a great example of a book that you would read when you’re young and reread when you’re older, just to find hidden meanings and new ideas.

I preferred Fairyland Below to Circumnavigated actually. I think the plot of this one ran a bit smoother. Maybe I just enjoyed it more, but either way, this is a fantastic book. As September is getting older, she’s dealing growing up, finding an occupation, and a place for herself. This theme runs throughout the book and lends to part of the coming-of-age aspect of this read. However, it does not slap you in the face like some coming-of-age novels, with overly referenced teenage angst and troubles or morals. This is a novel that lets its reader puzzle on meaning and interpretation.

This is fantasy, as you can tell by the title, because it deals with a pretend world, so it was just up my alley. If you have not read the first book, you need to in order to understand the plot and characters fully in this book. I highly suggest giving this book a read. 

Castles and Comfort

Winter brings out the romantic in me. Not so much lovey-dovey romance, but the romantic spirit, like Byron or Shelly. I want to read a book while cuddled up and drinking a warm beverage, preferably in a mountain cabin with a roaring fire in the hearth. You get the picture. This mood makes me want a sweet and atmospheric title, something typically in England and about rural life. Perfect timing for I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith.

Originally, this book was published in 1948, but it takes place in 1930s England. It is told as a 17 year old girl’s journal. Cassandra is a bright girl with hopes of becoming a writer. The Mortmains live in a castle, literally a castle with towers and a moat, that they have a 30 year lease on. Although once a successful writer, Mr. Mortmain is now an eccentric man who keeps to himself and reads detective novels alone in the gate house. He hasn’t written in years and the family is in dire straits without an income. The novel starts out with the family struggling to find money to live on. As the novel continues, adventures and new neighbors rouse the Mortmains from the doldrums and poverty.

Cassandra is an energetic, witty, and sweet narrator. She writes from her heart and is down to earth. The ending is bittersweet and I was surprised to find that it did not wrap up the way I expected. This was the perfect book for my mood. It is relaxed and atmospheric. I got the feel for the countryside and ancient castle. As in many journals I did question the author's truthfulness and her true character at first. You never know if journal writing makes the person more bold and energetic than their actual personality, but after several chapters and hearing about how Cassandra described situations she was in and conversations she had, I got the feel for her and came to really enjoy and trust her.

Originally, I was a bit bored with the book. It was slow and didn't seem to be developing into anything other than a desperate family searching for a way out of their needy situation. After about 30-50 pages, however, the plot started to develop and Cassandra hit her stride in writing.

I very much enjoyed this novel. It was pleasant and lovely. The narration was one of my favorite parts and the characters were memorable. I enjoyed the eccentric family and Cassandra’s details about them. The last chapter of the book was so well done and the last lines will forever remain in my memory. 

If this is a novel you enjoyed as well, try reading The Montmaray Journals by Michelle Cooper. They are also about an impoverished family who use to be something more. The novel is written as a journal from young Sophia’s perspective. If you want something a little more offbeat, but still a coming of age story in an eccentric atmosphere, try Swamplandia! by Karen Russell. I would certainly tell any Jane Austen lovers to give this one a read as well and vice versa. 

Back to the Blog!

Well it has been ever too long since I last posted. Life gets in the way and I haven't felt much like writing lately, so I have ignored my blog. Well I suppose it's time to start writing about what I've been reading. I'm supposed to be writing this for my own good, so I have a source to look back at when I need recommendations and ideas. Here we go then!!

I've read/listened to two books recently that were not as satisfying as I hoped. Don't you hate it when you're looking forward to reading something and you get all the way through it and think "well I won't remember that one!" Me too. After both these books I had to go back to a classic that I knew wouldn't disappoint and I could breeze through, so I could move onto a new (perhaps risky) read.

Well book one was Empress Orchid by Anchee Min. I love royal historic novels. They're exotic because of the difference in era, culture, and the royal court. I was so looking forward to the tale of a normal woman who ended up as Empress of China and her climb to power. I don't know much about China and don't often read novels focused on Asia, so this was definitely exotic for me.

This novel starts with Orchid's poor family. Her father, a governor of a poor district, has just died and they can hardly afford to take him to Peking and bury him. The family ends up staying in Peking, and while there, the call comes for all Manchu women with family in the governing class and above can try there luck to become one of the Emperor's brides or a concubine. From here, Orchid makes her way through the process and into the Imperial court where she must seek the Emperor's attention, work her way through the intricacies of court life, and conquer political enemies. On top of all of this, however, Orchid is still a woman, and later a mother, who craves the attention of a man and the love of her child. She wants a life that she gave up, but must try to make the best of a glamorous life that is crumbling apart as China fights off outsiders.

I expected a dramatic, lush, exciting drama about court life in China and a female who takes the lead. In this novel, you certainly get details about court life and you see the start of a woman who is taking charge, to be continued with The Last Empress, but I didn't feel as connected with Orchid or the story as I hoped. I thought the text skipped around and within a section, it would suddenly allude to something that was going to happen, but even when that event happened it was not as dramatic as originally implied. There would be details thrown in that did not fit or were superfluous to what was going on. Keep it simple and make what you put in the text good. Although I thought this was a fine read, I didn't think it was great, and I won't remember it down the line.

Next I listened to the book The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender. I saw this on the staff recommendations at my library and I've heard about it around the web.

Welcome to the world of magical realism. The genre of magical realism is characterized by one thing being supernatural, magical, or out of the norm. Typically only a few characters or maybe only one has a special ability. The world is the exact same as what we live in. Think of movies like "Practical Magic" or "Chocolat". Well I was very excited about The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake because I thought it was going to be kind of chick lit-ish and light. Not so much.

Rose was a pretty normal girl until her ninth birthday when she tasted her mother's lemon cake. Instead of tasting the sweet and sour flavor of her favorite cake, she tasted sadness, depression, and self doubt. From this day on, Rose can taste the feelings of those who cooked the food she eats. She does not seem to be the only one with a strange gift. Her brother is harboring a secret that ends up affecting their whole family.


This book is more about the family relationship. It's about Rose growing up and figuring out who to tell and how to deal with her difference. I was not expecting this to be so serious. It was not a light read at all. Although parts of the book can be probing and question our relationships and feelings, for the most part I just didn't feel it. It wasn't terribly deep or new. An annoyance in the book was that Rose would skip occasionally from the present to future or past happenings. It was hard to follow these instances, perhaps because I was listening and couldn't see any breaks between paragraphs, but I was confused by the jumping between different time frames. On top of that, Rose would say things like "that was the last time I saw him", but later on she talked about seeing that person again. Again it might have been a flashback, but it was terribly confusing when the author jumped back and forth.

All in all, those two books, not my favorite. I will proceed to ax them from my memory to make room for more important things.

Until next time my dear reader.

Broken Axel, Dead Oxen...O the Oregon Trail

Who hasn't played Oregon Trail? Trying to get your wagon across the country to the great beyond while not getting typhoid, avoiding rattle snakes, and not letting your damn oxen die. The great migration west is a solely American event. Never before has something like this happened and it was such a climatic, engaging era. The Water Seeker by Kimberly Willis Holt was recommended to me by my Materials for Youth teacher as a good juvenile/YA historical fiction book. I love the pioneering point in our history, so I was excited for this book. 

Amos is the son of a dowser, a person who can find water with a stick. Jake, his father, rejected his gift of dowsing and instead pursued his love of trapping leaving his infant son with his brother and his sister-in-law. Amos grows up with these two and gets to see Jake once a year, but always dreads Jake might take him from his adopted mother. Tragedy strikes and eventually Jake comes for Amos, but with him he has a new wife, Blue Owl, a Shoshone woman. Amos and his little family move around a lot, but eventually decide to join one of Jake's friends to work on a wagon train going to Oregon City. The trail is an adventure with new experiences, new people, and tragedy. It is on this journey that Amos goes from being a boy to becoming a man.

This book begins before the birth of the main character, Amos. It is an epic of sorts, showing the growth and main events of Amos and other characters' lives. It is hard to give a brief summary of this book because so much happens and it's the story of family and a boy's life. I was surprised because I expected this to be mainly about the Oregon Trail journey, but it was about Amos and his growth. It was really well done. The story about the Oregon Trail was more about the everyday: what they did, how they found their way, and the people in the train. I don't feel I can do justice to the story.

Amos is a creative boy. He has gifts, he is kind, and even though he has seen hard times, he has prospered. He is a great main character and the other characters carry a lot of weight too. They are tangible and add to the tale. Every character is important and has a very defined personality from Jake, the gentle overly talkative mountain man to Blue Owl, a quiet, earthy, wise woman to Amos's Aunt and Uncle, two people who make a brilliantly happy pair, and all the characters met on the Trail.

The Oregon Trail part of the story did not begin until about half way through the book. I kept waiting for that part to start because this novel was marketed to me as an Oregon Trail book. I thought it was a great detailed and well put together story, but I was thrown off by the amount of non-Oregon writing. Still a book I would certainly recommend and that was a great story.

If you are into the Oregon Trail, this era, or pioneering then try the Laura Ingles Wilder Little House on the Prairie series. I loved these books as a child and they're a great source for what life was like at that time.

I don't wanna grow up, I'm a Medieval Kid.

Catherine, Called Birdy makes for a fun, historical read. It is a young adult novel, but don't let that distract you. Catherine is the tom-boyish, imaginative daughter of a Lord and Lady who live in a small village. Her mother tries to improve her manners and make her into a lady, while her father mostly yells at her and attempts to marry her off to the highest bidder. The book is written as a journal, so it makes for fast reading and a look at the everyday lifestyle of medieval Brits. Catherine is an adolescent and the point of the journal is to help her become more mature.

Give this book a read and see if she succeeds. I would certainly recommend it. Cushman did a wonderful job of writing this piece. Catherine seems like any girl you might meet today, but with a twist. Plus this book won a Newbery trophy. It was a fascinating, fun look at the 12th/13th century through the daily life of a young lady and a sweet story of a girl on the brink of adulthood who is trying to cling to her childhood.

Anne

There are those works that leave you hopeless. Once you finish rifling through its pages you're heartbroken and the rest of your day is ruined for the loss of those beautiful words. The characters, plot, writing have touched you in a way that makes it futile to even try for happiness. Your life seems simple and trivial in comparison and you wish for the world of the book back.

Welcome to my current state of being.

I have just put down "Anne of the Island", the third installment of the 'Anne of Green Gables' series. The past two books were enjoyable and I grew to love Anne, the charismatic, imaginative, charming girl of Canada. But it was the third book that blew me away. Anne goes to college to get her BA and she's truly grown up now. Her struggles, triumphs, dashed hopes, and confused romances echoed my own experiences. I connected with Anne in this book as I hadn't in the others. Her encounters with romance and her tarnished girlhood images of what romance should be resonated with me. After four years at college, her sense of loss at having to leave the place that was her home and the girls who became her best friends was almost an exact match to the despondent feelings I felt at leaving my own Alma Mater.

In Anne I find a hero, an ideal, a girl to whom I should aspire. She is good, loving, and kind yet she has faults. I want to be as decided and clear in my morals and attitudes as she is on the page. Anne has become royalty in my world of literary characters. She is a new favorite, the likes of which is rare to find in literature and the world.