Two Book Tuesday

It's been rather a long while since my last Two Book Tuesday post.  A fact, for which, I am sorry, but I let both work and school distract me from this blog and am now working to remedy that failure.  While I haven't been posting, I have continued reading and rediscovering the joy of having a book in my hands, turning the pages and wanting to make notes about each new story.  So, let's get this post started!

I am currently reading The Sky Below by Stacy D'Erasmo, an interesting piece of literature that follows the life of one Gabriel Collins, who writes obituaries for a "ratty paper in lower Manhattan."  Honestly, I can't stand Gabriel.  He is exactly as the author has written him, a drug-dealing thief who manipulates those around him for his own gain.  However, his life story is a pretty compelling one and, as much as I dislike Gabriel, I can't stop reading.

 

As for my second book in this post: Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee is a story I have wanted to read since I came across a review for it in a professional library journal and decided to purchase it for my library's collection.  It is a super terrific sounding tale of a girl who is trying to find her way in a world full of superpowers, heroes, and villains.  Along the way, she gets the chance to be closer to her crush, Abby, takes a job interning for a supervillain to spite her superhero parents, and discover that maybe she has more power than she originally thought. 

Seriously, I can NOT wait to start reading this book!  It was ridiculously cool to meet the author at the 2017 Romantic Times Book Convention in Atlanta this year and to have her sign my book.  I can admit to feeling a little awestruck to meet C.B. Lee, she is super sweet and was giving away the best buttons at her signing table!

Review of Unicorn Tracks

I really enjoyed this book.  It seamlessly combines elements of our world with the fantastical to create a place full of excitement and wonder.

Both of the main characters are interesting and well rounded. I found myself rooting for Mnemba from the first and was desperate to learn more about her life before becoming a guide for her cousin's business.  Kara took a little longer to warm up to, but I enjoyed how independent and curious she was... even with the mermaids, lol.

Unicorn Tracks doesn't shy away from the topic of rape or the aftermath of it.  While Mnemba's attacker was punished for his crimes against her, she still ended up leaving her home because of the judgement and expectations of those who would claim he was a good man and this was a one-time incident.  It was an especially heartwarming moment when her father said that he would kill Mnemba's attacker if ever he were set free.

Her relationship with Kara was slow going, as they figured out how to work past the trauma of the past, but it was all the sweeter when they were finally able to connect.  At the end of the story, Mnemba isn't "over" what happened to her, but she is able to keep moving forward with the support of her lover, friends, and family.  <3

I would suggest this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy, adventure, or alternate histories.  It's a quick read, but a darned good one!

Review of George

Written by Alex Gino, George is the story of a child who is struggling in a world that doesn't see her for who she is.  All they can see is a boy when George knows in every part of her that she is a girl.  Early on, we learn that George's greatest wish this school year is to play Charlotte in the fourth grade production of E.B. White's Charlotte's Web.  She struggles against a teacher who believes that George's audition is a joke, a classmate who is vicious and cruel, and a mother who doesn't know what to do with a son who says he is a girl.

Throughout the story, George finds strength and encouragement in her best friend Kelly.  The daughter of a musician, Kelly takes the revelation that George is a girl quite well.  She still needs some time to think things through, but is ultimately both accepting and supportive of her friend going so far as to allow George to wear some of her clothes on a trip to the zoo and calling her Melissa, as George has requested.

Ultimately, George is able to take on the role of Charlotte, a performance that is surprisingly well-accepted by her peers and most of the school faculty.  A blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment is when the Principal quietly lets George know that her door is always open if George should need someone to speak to.  Support like that is hard to find in the cis world and is nigh impossible to come across in the trans world.

While I could feel my heart breaking from the first moment that George has to hide in the bathroom with her girl magazines and the way she is subtly disgusted with her own body, this story has a happy ending that will leave readers with a sense of hope in the future.

One of the things I liked most about this story is that it is told from George's point of view and George never once sees herself as a boy.  From the beginning of the book all the way to the last page, George is a girl.  Readers immediately understand that this is a girl who just happens to be in the body of a boy and, hopefully, will encourage tolerance and understanding in those who read this story.

This is a fairly short book, easy to read through in one sitting, and is perfectly relatable to the audience it was written for...  It is of note that George is the first book of its type to be written for middle grade readers.  It was an enjoyable read for me, as an adult, and was a great way to read about a child transgender character.  The author has written an amazing book that will appeal to reader's of all ages, but one that is also accessible to children and that presents the transgender topic in a way that is easy to understand.

Review of Baby Penguins Everywhere!

As a fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team, I grabbed this book on first glance simply because penguins and then because BABY PENGUINS!!!

What starts out as a cute story about a lonely lady penguin finding a magical hat, from which emerges an astonishing number of baby penguins, soon becomes a lesson in self-care.  Even in the midst of those we know and love, people (and penguins) sometimes need a moment to themselves... to regroup, to think, or just to catch one's breath.

Sometimes, in the struggle to be supportive and make ourselves available for friends and family, we forget all about me-time.  It is important to take some time for ourselves, to reflect on our lives and where we are headed, and it is my plan in 2016 to devote at least a morning to spending time with myself.

Parents will probably enjoy the moral of the story more than their children, but this book is a great way to let kids know that its okay to need alone time.

In the end, Ms. Penguin and her flock of baby penguins are happy as can be spending time with each other as they frolic and play in their frozen home, even while they remember that it's okay to need alone time... That there will always be people (or penguins) there for them when they come back into the craziness of family and friends.

A solid book to start the new year of with!

Review of A Tale of Two Daddies

One of my favorite things about A Tale of Two Daddies were the illustrations...  Many of the playground pieces that the children use throughout the story are things that I used when I was a kid and which I remember quite fondly.

After watching Credence (you can read my review by clicking HERE), this title felt like the perfect addition. Told through a daughter's voice and explained as only a child can, this story isn't about gay couples, it is about family and this family is a happy one. At the end of the day, what more can a family ask for?

The simple way that the little girl explains to her friend what each of her daddies do is both sweet and undeniably real. It was nice to see that both Poppa and Daddy had individual things that they were able to provide to their daughter and then there were things that they were both good at.  :)

All in all, a cute story about family and friends. This picture book would be a wonderful addition to any library collection.

A copy of this title was provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sticky Note Review of Raptor Red

Raptor Red by Robert T. Bakker is best described as biographical fiction.  It is the story of a young Utahraptor as she tries to find her place in a world without her mate, struggles to survive the dangers of a prehistoric North America, and find a new mate to start a family with.

My sticky note review for this is simply: Biographical fiction... of a RAPTOR! <3 <3 <3 <3

Two Book Tuesday

There are a number of upcoming releases that I am super excited to read, but seeing as I've called it "Two Book Tuesday," I will limit myself to just two books from entirely different collections... all the while wondering just what titles you are looking forward to this Autumn?

The first title is Lizard Radio and it is a young adult science fiction novel written by Pat Schmatz. What I noticed first about this title is the cover and if the novel is half as good as the cover then this should prove to be quite an interesting read.

Having just finished reading Static by L.A. Witt, I was surprised to see another title with a main character who does not fit the mainstream image of a single-gendered person. Kivali, the fifteen-year-old protagonist of Lizard Radio has grown up in a gender-rigid world that doesn't accept her status as a "bender." Abandoned as a baby, she doesn't know where she came from or what she is, but she does have a special gift... Kivali is able to enter a trance-like state to harness the "knowings" inside her. Just what are these "knowings" and how do they help Kivali in this coming-of-age story? Well, I guess we will have to read this book and find out!



The second book that I am excited to see is a picture book written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers (who may be a new favorite illustrator of mine). The Day the Crayons Came Home is a companion to the insanely popular The Day the Crayons Quit! and is sure to be just as popular with children and parents as the first book.

In this beautifully illustrated picture book, Duncan is about to take on the task of rescuing crayons from beneath sofa cushions and inside of socks. This is a story about finding friends in the unlikeliest of places, surviving the tough times in life, and coming home (to the crayon box).

Review of Sandman by William Joyce

I can't believe that Mr. Joyce had to to end the fourth book in this series on cliffhanger!  I don't know if I can take much more of this and will be waiting on the edge of my seat for book five to be released.

Truly, I enjoyed just about every page of The Sandman and the War of Dreams.  This book is so wonderful!  William Joyce is able to create perfect imagery in his writing, starting with Mr. Qwerty crying out the words of Katherine's stories to Sanderson Mansnoozie discovering Nightlight's past to the overarching story of the battle with Pitch.  I was entranced by every word!

Have I mentioned yet how  enamored I am with Nightlight?  I am dying to learn more about this boy who has never slept and where his story will go in future books... Perhaps, he will get his own book in the series?

I think the only thing that disappointed me in this book is Pitch's fate.  In the deepest part of my heart, I long for there to be a redemption arc for this character.  I want for him and his daughter to reconcile and finally be allowed to have their happily ever after together.  Sadly, I do not think that this will happen.

Sometimes, in stories, not everyone gets to have a happy ending.  No matter how much we wish it were otherwise.

NetGalley Open For Business

One of my goals for the year is to read more; whether it be reading for pleasure, school, or work I just want to READ.

To help keep me on track, I've hopped back on the NetGalley website as a "professional reader" to help encourage me to both read and review the material that I am reading.  I've already got one neat badge and hope to unlock more as I go.  :)

Wish me luck!

Two Book Tuesday

I do have two titles for Two Book Tuesday this week.  My favorite thing about this week is how odd the two books are, lol.

First, we have a book that I desperately wanted to find and read.  Sadly, I couldn't remember the title or author, and I barely remembered the cover art and general premise of the story.  Emily B., a co-worker of mine, was kind enough to help me dig through the depths of the internet until we found it!  So, the first book for Two Book Tuesday is The Cure by Sonia Levitin.

A strange mixture of science-fiction, dystopian fiction, and historical fiction, I first read The Cure when we lived in Baltimore, MD.  If you are a fan of the recently-popular Divergent series, then The Cure is right up your alley with "factions" and forced conformity into these factions.  Deviants are criminals with only two options: to die and be recycled or to accept a mysterious cure that is supposed to bring them back into the fold.

Gemm, a deviant and the main character of the story, chooses to take the cure and suddenly finds himself living the live of a 16-year-old Jewish musician in 1348 at the beginning of the Black Death.  As a young reader, this book was such a great experience that is has stayed with me over a decade later and is a title that I re-read every few years.

The absolute terrible part of this whole search process is that the library no longer owns this title and I need to look elsewhere if I decide that I want to read it, which I do.  I cannot put into words the sense of betrayal I felt that this book was no longer available at my library.  I have to wonder if this is how most patrons feel when we go through a period of healthy weeding of our collections.

And the second book I have for you this week is Beauty written by Hubert, with art by Kerascoët.

Apparently, I placed an Inter-Library Loan request for this title a few weeks ago and it finally arrived...  The strange thing is that I don't remember anything about the request or the book itself!  So, I find myself with the opportunity to read a pretty great looking graphic novel that I may not have otherwise picked up.

I'll let you know how it is.  :)

Two Book Tuesday

Just a short post this week since spare time has been quite sparse.  :)

I've been spending most of my free time studying for Midterms and haven't had much time to spare for "fun" reading, so this post will be about two books that I was really excited to add to my want-to-read list.

"Spork" by Kyo Maclear is a children's picture book about, you guessed it, a spork!  Poor little Spork doesn't fit in with the rest of the cutlery in the drawer; the spoons think him too point and the forks too round.  Will he every be picked for mealtime?

The art style for this picture book is right up my alley and is something that immediately drew my eye to the title.  In addition to teaching young children about tolerance of others and learning that individuality is a-ok, "Spork" looks like it could very easily be one of the cutest little books I've read this year.

And the second book that I'm excited to read (I've just checked it out from the library) is "Mort(e)" by Robert Repino.

"Mort(e)" is a very unique take on human extinction...  The Colony, a race of intelligent ants that have been working for thousands of years to eradicate humans are taking the next step in their war effort.   They turn the surface animals into high-functioning beings who will rise up to kill their human masters.

The main character of this novel is Mort(e).  A former housecat turned war hero, Mort(e) is looking for his pre-transformation friend - a dog named Sheba.  In order to find his long lost friend, Mort(e) will travel to one of the last human strongholds and there he will discover the source of EMSAH (a human bio-weapon) and perhaps will find the answers to his questions.

Really, it sounds like the coolest animal point-of-view story that I've read since "Raptor Red" by Robert T. Bakker.

Once the craziness of Midterms has passed, I plan to crack open "Mort(e)" and read it in the evening, while keeping "Spork" for my next 15-minute break at work.

Are you reading anything interesting?

Two Book Tuesday

A book that I am reading... "The Wisdom of the Shire: A Short Guide To A Long and Happy Life" by Noble Smith.

I've just finished chapter one, "How Snug Is Your Hobbit-hole?" and the main idea that came out of this chapter is the sense of home that a person can have, not necessarily in a place, but in an idea or memory of that perfect, safe environment that they consider home.

A book that I want to read in the future... "The Captain's Table: Fire Ship" by Diane Carey.

This is one of my all-time favorite science-fiction novels. Interestingly, it is published fanfiction (more on this at a later date) about the television show Star Trek: Voyager.  It is my favorite out of all the different Star Trek series and movies.

Originally, I read this book as a young teenager of perhaps twelve or thirteen years of age and it remains to this day the only title that I have ever had to skip to the end just so that I could be reassured of a happy ending. Fire Ship follows Captain Kathryn Janeway as she recovers from severe injuries and learns to cope with the knowledge that her ship, and friends, have been destroyed.  That she failed to bring the home, as she'd so-often promised to do.  Alone in the Delta Quadrant, aboard an alien ship, and with no other options available to her, Janeway does what she does best... She survives, takes life by the horns and comes out the other side of things the victor.

I remember crying, smiling, and feeling absolutely heartsick while reading this book and I cannot wait to start it again.  It's not often that a book has such an impact on me that I remember it even years later.

So, two books that I'm thinking about this Tuesday.  What are you reading?

Best Of Overload

At the end of the year, we are bombarded by the "best of that year" and "books you must read next year" lists from every source imaginable.  Amazon, Goodreads, The New York Times, and many other websites, blogs, and newspapers release their own (sometimes very different) lists which can make it hard for a reader to decide just which titles really were the best.

One of my favorite things to come out of last years avalanche of lists is the one from Wired.com.  They did a unique thing by utilizing the data already posted and available to the public; taking a slightly different route in creating their "best books of 2014" list and pooling all of the lists together and rating titles by giving points for a title appearing on Top 100 and Top 10 lists AND how often those titles showed up on lists.

Although many of the titles are not surprising, the results are somewhat interesting and cover a number of genres of both fiction and non-fiction titles.  I was surprised to see Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty was so far down the list, as it has been highly popular in my library and on the "best of" lists I'd already happened upon.

If you think you can handle just one more list of book suggestions, click HERE to read Wired.com's article.  Who knows, perhaps you'll find your next favorite read?

Review of Ghost by Carole Cummings

If there is one pet peeve I have when reading, it is when an author has created so many different terms and names that you NEED a glossary just to keep track of everything.  I much prefer when an author builds the world around you, rather than throwing you into the deep end without a flotation device.

That being said, I really enjoyed the story that Carole Cummings has written in Ghost, the first book in the Wolf's-own series.  It is a well planned and wonderfully executed fantasy novel.  The world building happens from page one and is hyper-speed-paced, which is why you need the glossary, but it is also a vivid world with characters, locations, religions, and more that drew me right in!

Now, fantasy is one of my all-time favorite genres to read, but Ghost has a refreshing complexity to it that I just can't get out of my mind.  Even when I'm wasn't actively reading about Malick and Fen, I found myself worrying about the events happening around them and how things would turn out in the end.

One of the Jin people, it was foretold that Fen would become an Untouchable (Ghost).  As an Untouchable, Fen is able to hear the voices of his people's Ancestors and can only wait for the day that those voices inevitably drive him insane.

Taken from his family as a child, Fen is trained as an assassin by Asai, the man who rules his life and who is also a powerful member of the Adan people (who keep the Jin).  But Asai's plans for Fen and his people are darker than anything he could ever have imagined.  When he discovers just how far Asai is willing to go, Fen rushes to rescue and hide his twin brother and younger siblings, but is unable to save his mother.  Soon afterwards, Fen is ambushed by Malick and the group of mercenaries/assassins that he leads.

Unable to escape, Fen is pulled into Malick's scheming and will soon have to decide if he wants to forever be a pawn in the games of others or if he will choose his own path and embrace the power that only he can wield.

An interesting part of the story is that Fen has learned that he can ignore the voices of the Ancestors by cutting himself.  As someone who lives with a diagnosis of self-injury, cutting in particular (though I've been SI free for three years now), this was something that made Fen all the more real to me.  I was able to connect with his character, because I know what it's like to want the voices to stop.

Ghost pulled me right in and made me want desperately to know what would happen next and how Fen and Malick's relationship would grow.  However, be warned that this book ends in a cliffhanger and you'll be dying to read book two.  Make sure you have it on hand!

Review of City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Book three of the Mortal Instruments story is full of unexpected (but not undesirable) twists and turns and while I sort of had one of the big plots twists figured out, the way that events actually unfolded was SO worth the read.  You're gonna enjoy it, I promise.

In City of Glass Clary makes her way to Alicante, the ancestral home and capitol city of the Shadowhunters, where she learns more about her family's past and the (sometimes dark) secrets they've kept, the decisions her father made that we are only just now seeing the effects of, and discovers a way to save her mother, Joceline.

Clary is still far too impulsive, always running headlong into danger without taking even half of a second to consider who might be hurt by her decisions.  This is one of the traits I don't like about Clary but I would like to think that her heart is in the right place.  When she isn't thinking about herself, nearly all of her choices are driven by her desire to help those she cares about.

I feel that Cassandra Clare is far more brilliant an author than I was expecting or originally thought.  As the series continues, things we heard about in book one are finally being explained even as new questions and mysteries are unfolding.  She is really quite good at both world-building and continuing the Mortal Instruments story through many books.  If you stop reading, or try to skip forward a few pages, I can guarantee you will miss out on a great story-line and vital information.

Review of City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

In City of Bones, Clary Fray sees what she believes to be a murder committed right before her eyes and discovers that there is a whole other world beyond what she knows.  A world that she has been hidden and protected from, and one that her mother has kept secret for her entire life.  With these unexpected and somewhat unwanted revelations coming to light, Clary has to decide if she's going to step up and be a part of this new world or continue hiding from it.

Initially, it was hard for me to get into this book. Clary is such a whiny teenager!  I've long since grown out of that stage of life and it was far too annoying for me to read.  I had to put this book down for an afternoon in order to accept that Clary is a kid dealing with things that are entirely beyond the realm of normal.  After that, it was quite easy to fall into the world of Shadowhunters, mages, werewolves, and more.

I'm excited to see what happens with Clary, Jace, and everyone else in book two of The Mortal Instruments series, City of Ashes.

Review of The Course of True Love (and First Dates) by Cassandra Clare

The Course of True Love (and First Dates) is a short novella and a part of the larger Bane Chronicles that shows Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood's first date and the chaos that ensues, in addition to a glimpse at how Magnus views Alec.  It was an interesting read, but mainly left me wanting both better writing and a better story for these two characters.

While there were some really good bits in this novella, it mostly felt rushed and untidy, as if Cassandra Clare was struggling to meet a deadline.  I was left wanting the rough edges polished and smoothed out.

The following is one example of how good Clare can be with words.  It reads just like poetry, as if she were painting with words.

“If Jace was gold, catching the light and the attention, Alec was silver: so used to everyone else looking at Jace that that was where he looked to, so used to living in Jace’s shadow that he didn’t expect to be seen. Maybe it was enough to be the first person to tell Alec that he was worth being seen ahead of anyone in a room, and of being looked at the longest. And silver, thought few people knew it, was a rarer metal than gold.”

I'm working through the Mortal Instruments books and they seem to be better written and much less rushed, for which I am glad because I really wanted to enjoy the series.

Review of On Fire by Drew Zachary

There is so much that I like about this book that I can't even cover it all.

If there is one thing that will instantly draw the eye, it would be Firefighters or other officers of the law in uniform.  Regardless of why they are drawing your eye, you've got to admit that a person just looks good in uniform.  Am I right?  Yeah, I know you're agreeing with me.

There a moment where Sam allows Robert to hurt him because the older man is hurting from things that happened at work and Sam thinks it will help him.  Usually this would be a hard-stop for me, but its such a brief, one-time moment that I was still able to enjoy reading this book.

Sam is a bouncy, genuinely like-able character (even if he has WAY too much energy in his small body, it makes me tired just reading about it, lol) and Robert is the kind of settled, solid guy people dream of settling down with.  Luckily for Sam, that's exactly what he gets to do.  And the epilogue is a perfect glimpse into Sam and Robert's future together.

I'll let you in on a secret, the sequel is really good too.  :)

Review of the Pacific Rim Novel by Alex Irvine

In all honesty, I enjoyed everything about this book except for the ending.

Having read the book before seeing the movie in theaters, I was pleased with the details included in the novelization.  While it doesn't deviate drastically from the main script of the movie, this book does give you a little bit of the history and a look into each character's minds.

Many authors who write movie novelizations are working with an early version of the script, which often leads to discrepancies between film and novel.  In the case of Pacific Rim, the big difference is the ending and while the movie ends with Mako and Raleigh embracing atop his life pod the book ends with them kissing.

I've heard many, many arguments about the perceived romance between Mako and Raleigh and I have to admit that I just don't see it.  Yes, there is a possibility for a romantic relationship between them but it is also just as likely that they will be bros/best buds for life... Something I would kill to see in the sequel, quite frankly.

The story told in Pacific Rim does not need to use a romantic relationship as a crutch, a theme which is so often found in movies these days.   If there is one thing that I want people to realize about Pacific Rim, it would be that it is so much more than romance!  You have people who are dealing with a world that no longer supports them and their struggle to protect it; men and women who are fighting to protect the family they created; and the innocent masses of people who don't know anything but a world ruled by the fear of a Kaiju attack.

If you're interested in more of my thoughts on Pacific Rim, take a look at my post about "Drifting In Pacific Rim."

Review of Penguin and Pinecone

This is one of those friendship stories that will tug on your heartstrings and make you want to be with your best friends while reading it. I was surprised at how much emotion this little book contains, but was glad for it nonetheless. A wonderful book!!!