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books

11 Birthdays, Wendy Mass

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While Bill Murray may have been the star in the hit film Groundhog’s Day, it is Amanda Ellerby and Leo Fitzpatrick who play the lead role in Wendy Mass’s 11 Birthdays, which follows the two as they replay their 11th birthday over and over.

Amanda and Leo were born on the same day, just hours apart in a hospital in Willow Falls. Angelina D’Angelo, a woman who had lived in Willows Falls since the beginning of time, admired the two lovely babies as their parents first saw them in the infant room at the hospital. Angelina commented that she hoped those two would forever celebrate their birthdays together. And through a mix-up at a party location on year later, the tradition of Amanda and Leo celebrating their birthdays together began.

This happened regularly until their 10th birthday, when Leo made a comment that caused Amanda great anger. For a year, the two did not speak to one another. However, as their 11th birthdays begin, it will be a day that they relive over and over again — and it is only the two of them who realize this is happening.

11 Birthdays is a story that is tied deeply in family history and local history. Although the story sounds fairly simple, there are great layers buried within the events. Each of the small pieces of the first instance of Amanda and Leo’s birthdays ties in somehow to how they solve their mutual problems and come to each celebrate one of the best birthdays of their lives. It was enjoyable to see how each of them figured out what was going on when they kept waking up on their birthday, even after having celebrated it the day before; more enjoyable was the fact no one else around them seemed to have a clue what was going on.

11 Birthdays was much different than I initially expected, and it was much better than I anticipated. This is the second book by Wendy Mass I’ve read (the first being A Mango Shaped Space) and I found both of her books to be the same way — the jacket description and initial impressions were far surpassed when the story concluded. In fact, when I began this book, I was frustrated with how unlike an 11-year-old Amanda felt, but as the story progressed, I couldn’t help but think about how very much like an 11-year-old she really was. I thought the story as a whole was well-paced and did not kill the concept as it repeated itself. Each instance of reliving the day was unique and fresh, and I thought that the descriptions and scenarios were cute and silly enough without being over the top.

Without hesitation, I would give this book to girls 9-13 or so. It’s a definite tween title, and I think that it will appeal to those who enjoy Mass’s style. While reading it, I couldn’t help but think that Amanda and this story reminded me of Lina from Diana Lopez’s Confetti Girl — another title that definitely falls into this realm of squeaky clean, humorous, but touching titles that meld realistic fiction with an element of imaginary play.

Yay or Nay?

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A friend of mine recently bought a “reading ring.” Knowing that I’m an avid reader, she texted me about her purchase. But instead of being amazed, I was bewildered. A reading ring? Is this piece of related to a mood ring? Can it magnify text on the page?

Turns out, it’s a device that helps you hold the pages of the book open with your thumb. I found a couple of versions online, and one store advertises, “… great for commuters, especially if they have to read standing up.”

To me, it seems a bit strange. I can see how it would come in handy, especially when reading for an audience in storytimes. But I don’t need another item to lose. I can barely keep up with important items!

What do you think? Could you use something like this? Or is it just more junk?

Getting sidetracked

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The title of this post was originally “In defense of romances.” I am an unashamed lover of historical romances, and I planned on using this space to delve into the many wonderful things about them. So there I was, merrily surfing the web for the bits and pieces that would serve as my defense for the genre I love, when I got sidetracked. By this:

It’s the book trailer for Julia Quinn’s newest, What Happens in London, due out on June 30. I confess, I winced while watching it. Many words sprang to mind: cheesy, painful, embarrassing, funny. Where to start? The atrocious accent, the sepia-tone colors, the overly dramatic acting… I’ll still read the book anyway, since I know and love Julia Quinn’s writing (one of the few romance authors to garner a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly), but this trailer wouldn’t be the first thing I’d show to someone I was trying to convert to romance-reading. I can find it in my heart to love the trailer, much in the same way I love The Crawling Eye, but I can’t honestly say it’s any good.

I have a love-hate relationship with book trailers. Some of them are so well-done, even with minimal production resources, they make me want to run out and read the book immediately. Others…well, others make me want to say defensively, “Not all books are as lame as this trailer makes that one look!” Most books are decidedly un-lame, but you wouldn’t know it judging by a lot of the trailers floating around on Youtube these days.

I think book trailers have a goal in common with this blog: to “entice non-readers to think about reading in fun and interesting ways.” However, the quality of book trailers is so hit and miss that I wonder if they’re any good at it. I get excited about many of the trailers, but I also get excited just by seeing the cover of a much-anticipated new book. (My reaction upon seeing Shannon Hale’s newest book being given away at a conference: jumping up and down, literally.) Have people who aren’t avid readers been hooked by a trailer, or has it merely made them giggle? Am I totally wrong about the trailer above, thinking it’s terrible when it’s actually completely awesome? Do I just need to learn how to have fun and stop expecting book trailers to rock my world like movie trailers sometimes do?

A post in defense of romances (particularly my favorite, historical romances) is coming soon…

Typography and Reading

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As a reader, I do take note of typography. While it doesn’t necessarily make or break a book, it does directly impact the ease of which I can read a book. If you’ve never really paid attention, take a second to do so and then think back on those books that something just seemed not right.

Traditional design denotes that use of a serif font is the easiest on the eyes for reading — those serifs help in defining a line moving the eye from letter to letter. You can’t see the line, but it’s there. Sans serif fonts, however, are smoother but do not help in defining a visual line for readers. They look more contemporary and are great for emphasis or for titles since they just stand out. I’ve read, too, that the sans serif is easier on the eyes digitally; I’m not sure simply because I haven’t spent enough time reading longer text blocks on a screen to notice a difference.

Most books are printed with serif fonts, but I’ve noticed a trend lately in that more books are published with the sans serif font (perhaps something to do with the fact we’re more accustomed to digital text which trends sans serif). It’s been a tripping point in my reading, too: I find the books printed in sans serif harder to get through because they require more effort on my part to read, and they suffer from the challenge of being less able to define emphasis or tone through font shifts. An advantage of the serif font is the versatility in developing tone, character, or emphasis through use of the sans serif.

Here’s an example. Justine Chen Headley’s recent book North of Beautiful is set entirely in sans serif font. You can preview the first couple of pages here. Now, compare how you read that with how you can read the first few pages of Shooting the Moon by Frances O’Roark Dowell here. While the first one is definitely more aesthetically pleasing, I find the second much easier to read. My eyes can more easily glide across the lines, whereas in the first one, I have to spend more time on the process of moving my eyes. Sure, it’s fractions of a second, but over the course of 300 pages, it makes a difference.

All of this is to say that I find this trend an interesting one and one that perhaps isn’t entirely helpful to readers. What do you think? Do you have a preference for typography? I think it is definitely worth noting this and considering it as we read. It’s not about the font choices, but it’s important to think about typography and on how the reading experience was enhanced or hindered because of that choice.

You can read a bit more about typography as a design principle here. I’d love to hear your thoughts or experiences regarding the serif versus sans serif issue. I think there are beautiful fonts in both families and both have a place in a book; however, the use of the sans serif, I think, should be off-limits for the bulk of the body of text.

Because I Am Furniture, Thalia Chaltas

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It’s tough to find a book that takes on a challenging issue relevant to teens and manages to twist it from what could be a trite retelling to a new, imaginative, and fresh take. Thalia Chaltas in Because I Am Furniture is successful, though, in her story about an abusive father.

Because I Am Furniture is told in verse and follows Anke as she witnesses the physical, mental, verbal, and sexual abuse of her brother, mother, sister, and friend. Anke is spared nearly all of this abuse because she is space taker in the family, and that is all — she is, as the title states, furniture in the family. Her father is an abuser and because of the fear that her family has in furthering his anger, they do not report him nor speak about the terror he causes. That is, until Anke witnesses a girl with whom she is friendly come under the power of her father’s abuse. When Anke is told that nothing will stop her father, she knows that because of her role as the family furniture, she can use that as her power to change the family’s situation for the better.

Imaginatively and creatively told through verse, Because I Am Furniture broaches many difficult teen topics from the perspective of an outsider. The verse enhances this perspective, as it is just descriptive enough and sparse enough to leave the reader wanting something to happen but ultimately understanding the feeling of helplessness. Chaltas is spot on in her storytelling, and she paces the story perfect. The book is a quick read, but it is not a fast enough read at the expense of the story and the emotion. This is the type of story that a reader will sit down with and go cover to cover with in one sitting.

Because I Am Furniture would be a fantastic companion novel for any of the novels about abuse or rape available, including Halse Anderson’s Speak. What makes this book stand out from the crowd is not only its imaginative and thoughtful use of verse rather than traditional narrative style, but also the important lessons that can be learned from Anke, including the lessons she learns about the importance of all people in a family. This is the sort of book that will resonate with readers and could inspire them to better themselves by not being afraid of being who they are. Anke goes from furniture and accepting her lot as such to learning how important she is as an individual in all of the varied roles she plays in her life within and outside her family.