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What I’m Reading Now

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Written by: Kimberly Francisco on July 21, 2015.

I’ve taken this month off of blogging to relax in my reading. I’ve spent a lot of time laying on my couch, zoning out and listening to old audiobook favorites. In fact, I’ve been doing a lot of re-reading in general, in audio and in print. While organizing my bookshelves at my new home, I couldn’t help but page through some of the books that now sit on what I call my “books that changed my life” shelf. (Every time I pass by a copy of The Book Thief, whether my own or at a bookstore, I have to pick it up and read the last few pages.)

Now that my house is in order (more or less) and things seem to have settled down a bit more in my personal life, though, I’m really excited to dive back into new stuff, especially children’s and YA. I’m especially excited because I’m transitioning into a new job within my organization, one that is allowing me to return to youth materials collection management. So my post for today is a nice, healthy mix of the old and the new.

For starters, I’ve been working my way through the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters. I first read a few of these as a teenager, then made a concerted effort to listen to them all on audio while I was in library school in 2009. I decided to re-listen to them all again after being reminded how great Barbara Rosenblat is, and the decision has been a good one. I’m currently on book number 8, The Hippopotamus Pool, and the entire series has been great fun. It’s been so good to reconnect with characters I have such fond memories of from both my childhood and my early adulthood. I love looking forward to a character being introduced or a particular event happening, and I love knowing that everything will work itself out happily – mostly – in the end (though it may take a few books to get there, and some endings are more bitter than sweet). Each time I re-read these books, I pick up more on Amelia’s character (she’s actually not a great sleuth, nor is her husband, and she’s quite a bit snobbier than I initially realized, though I still love her). Re-reading favorites is a great pleasure.

I’m pretty picky about the middle grade books I read, but Louis Sachar’s books are usually a good bet (Holes remains one of the best books for children I’ve ever read). He’s also local, which makes me more inclined to to read his stuff. Inevitably, anything Sachar publishes will be compared to Holes, which is probably unfair. In reading his latest, Fuzzy Mud, which will hit shelves in August, I tried to also evaluate it independently. The book is recognizably Sachar – a bit wry, a bit dark, with a plot that seems kind of goofy but is also quite serious. Sachar’s kid characters are brave and scared at the same time, and he never writes down to his readers. The plotting doesn’t match the mastery of Holes and the humor isn’t as overt as the Wayside School books, but it’s quite a good story regardless, with a few uniquely creative touches that I really appreciated. I’ll review this one more in-depth closer to its publication date.

I don’t remember where I got the recommendation for Jude Deveraux’s A Knight in Shining Armor (possibly a list of must-read canonical romance novels somewhere). I don’t know that I’ve ever read any Deveraux before, and this one had a few strikes against it already: it was written in the 80s (I have an unreasonable prejudice for any media created in that decade), it doesn’t have a typical happily ever after, the audiobook is narrated by a man (so awkward during certain scenes), and the heroine’s name is Dougless. Thankfully, this last strike has an explanation within the novel, though it takes a while to get to it. Overall, I’m enjoying it. It’s a little campy, but in a fun way. Once I got past the setup describing how awful Dougless’ situation was with her terrible boyfriend (a bit too pathetic and something I probably would have skimmed in a print book) and the literal knight in shining armor showed up from the 17th century, things got a lot more interesting. Right now, Dougless and her knight are stumbling around in the 1980s as he tries to convince her he actually has traveled from the past. Later, I know they’ll travel back to the 17th century, and that should be extra fun. It feels kind of like Outlander lite – there’s a hunky man from the past, but a lot less violence and mortal peril.

Comments

  1. Re-listened to Crocodile on the Sandbank on a road trip and thinking I should relisten to them all also. Welcome back by the way to you and Kelly.

What I’m Reading Now

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Written by: Kimberly Francisco on May 20, 2015.
 

Strange Skies by Kristi Helvig
Helvig’s first book, Burn Out, was super fun despite its glaring plot hole. Strange Skies opens with Tora coming to in a hospital run by the Consulate, a shady organization that controls Caelia, the new planet humans have relocated to since the old one is now uninhabitable (what with the sun going red giant and all). Right off the bat, we learn secrets about Tora’s companions from the first book. I love a book chock full of shocking secrets. This is a fast-paced ride just like Burn Out was, and that’s just what I’m looking for right now. This is such a fun SF read and I’m so glad that it’s being published despite Egmont USA’s demise.

Rivals in the City by Y. S. Lee
This is the final installment in Lee’s truly excellent series of Victorian-era YA mysteries featuring private detective Mary Quinn. I love this series for so many reasons, not the least of which is the way it handles Mary’s Chinese ancestry. This last volume speaks to my heart in a really strong way since it involves Mary struggling with what it means to get married to someone in a fundamentally patriarchal society. Mary’s engaged to someone she loves, but they both know that getting married would remove a lot of Mary’s hard-won independence. Each book is also a terrifically good mystery, and this one brings back an old foe for some shenanigans. It feels like a final book in a series, and I expect a satisfying ending.

Deceptive by Emily Lloyd-Jones
I really loved Illusive, the first book in Lloyd-Jones’ series about a group of teens with superpowers who carry out heists. It checked so many of my boxes: teens sticking it to The Man, magic, stealing from bad guys, double-crosses, a little espionage, a shady government organization. The sequel promises more of the same, but with a bit more sleuthing thrown in as the characters investigate a series of disappearances. I wish there were more books like these (that mixed mystery/heist elements with SFF elements) when I was a teen because I would have devoured them all.

What I’m Reading Now

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Written by: Kimberly Francisco on February 17, 2015.

The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King
One of the singular pleasures of having a book-lover as a significant other is the fact that often, he will want to read to you. Our reading tastes don’t overlap a whole lot, but this book seems to merge them pretty well. It’s Stephen King (my boyfriend’s favorite author) writing what appears to be a fairly traditional high fantasy story (my favorite thing). Every time I read something by King, I’m struck immediately by his talent with words. The man can write. And when he’s not writing horror with a few hundred more pages than necessary, I can get behind his books quite well. He wrote this one in the 80s (that original cover is delightfully retro-80s-fantasy) and I’ve often heard it called an adult book with crossover YA appeal. I’m not very far into it yet, but I am enjoying it.

The other three books I’m currently working on are all part of what I’m calling “The Great Sequel Read of 2015.”

Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers
This one came out just past the Cybils deadline, which means I put it off in favor of eligible Cybils books. And then I got into a romance kick and my eyes felt tired all the time and all I wanted to do was sit with my eyes closed and let someone else narrate a story for me (I’ve read more audiobooks this year than print books). But I am working my way through this one, and it is good. It features Annith, who fears she is being groomed to be the new seeress and thus will never get a chance to go on missions like her sisters. She decides she will not let that stand. I appreciate this book so far for showing us a new depth to Annith, which was missing a bit from the previous two books. LaFevers immediately brings the reader into her head and lets us see just how much is simmering below the surface.

The Winner’s Crime by Marie Rutkoski
This book is killing my heart and I’m barely 50 pages in. I don’t feel like I can say anything more right now.

The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson
See above.

What I’m Reading Now

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Written by: Kimberly Francisco on August 14, 2014.

Trial By Fire by Josephine Angelini
Alternate worlds, matriarchal societies, and fantasy mixed with science fiction: this book seems like it was written just for me. This first installment in Angelini’s new series is set in Salem, Massachusetts – both the Salem of our own world and the Salem of an alternate world governed by powerful female witches. The Lily Proctor of our world has always been plagued by terrible, life-threatening allergies, but no doctor has been able to determine their source. When she’s transported to a parallel world, she meets her alternate, Lillian, and learns that her “allergies” are actually symptoms of her great magical power that has been left untapped. What makes the two Lillians’ interactions especially interesting is that the Lillian of this other Salem is actually a villain – but this information is not overt or obvious at first. What is clear is that Lily/Lillian are actually quite similar to each other, not just in looks but in personality as well, effectively blurring the lines between good and bad, heroine and villain. I’m enjoying learning about the magic system in the book, which is unique and involves a pseudo-scientific explanation for its origin and use.

Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis
Every time Nolan closes his eyes – even when he simply blinks – he sees through the eyes of a girl from another world – a world with magic – named Amara. This concept seems so fresh, and Duyvis really explores it in depth, going into detail about how much trouble this causes for Nolan. He can’t effectively sleep, ever, and sometimes he’s so caught up by what he sees in each blink that he loses track of what’s going on in his own world, where his body is. This debut from Duyvis features queer characters, disabled characters, and characters of color.

The Eye of Minds by James Dashner
I’m reading this one on audio. It started out engaging enough, with a big action scene set in the virtual reality that dominates most of the characters’ lives. Since then, though, I’ve found that the story drags and it’s not holding my attention. I fear this may become another DNF for me, just as Dashner’s first series, Maze Runner, was. (I’ve read that there’s a plot twist near the end which is why I’m still persevering, but we’ll see how long that lasts.) It’s not the fault of narrator Erik Davies, who speaks clearly and gives his character the appropriate emotion. I think the fault lies in Dashner’s writing, which is apparently not to my taste.

Comments

  1. Oh, I'm so glad to hear I am not the only one who does not find Dashner's writing appealing. I read The Maze Runner, but there is absolutely nothing that will make me read the other two installments.

What I’m Reading Now

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Written by: Kimberly Francisco on July 10, 2014.

Fairest: Volume 2 by Lauren Beukes and Volume 3 by Sean E. Williams
These
spinoffs of the popular Fables comics are very hit and miss with me.
Volume 2 is about Rapunzel and is pretty solid. It features Rapunzel
traveling to Japan in search of her lost baby twins, whom she had been told
died at birth. Rapunzel believes otherwise. We get some interesting
background on Rapunzel’s past in the Japanese version of Fabletown, and
the story is certainly different from anything I’ve read before. I can’t
say I loved it, but it was fun.

Volume 3 introduces a
new female character, Nalayani, and is set on the Indian subcontinent.
The Fairest stories are ostensibly about the women from the Fables
universe, but this story, disappointingly, truly belongs to Prince Charming, who has come
back to life and assumed the role of Maharajah. While Charming became
somewhat interesting as a character before he died in Fables, he’s
literally the worst in this volume. This Goodreads review
pretty much sums up my feelings about this installment. It seems like
the writers were trying to show how Charming changes thanks to his love
for Nalayani, but to me, it just seems like he’s gotten pushier and more
misogynistic, undoing his growth from the previous arc. Not a stellar
addition (but beautiful, as always).

Rat Queens: Volume 1 by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch
This
graphic novel for adults is a stunner. It features a group of female
mercenaries (one of them a dwarf) with varying backgrounds, body types,
skin colors, and personalities who are sent on a quest in order to avoid
going to jail for wreaking havoc on the town they live in. It’s fun,
funny, raunchy, and smart. The best comics are able to create
interesting characters and relationships in a small amount of space, and
that’s precisely what Rat Queens does. Highly recommended, particularly for comics readers who are searching for those elusive books where women are treated as people (or, you know, dwarves).
 

The Tyrant’s Daughter by J. C. Carleson
I’m listening to this one on audio and really enjoying it so far. Fifteen year old Laila has just moved to a suburb of Washington, D. C. with her mother and little brother after her father, the king/dictator of a fictional middle eastern country, was killed in a coup. So far, the book has focused on Laila’s experiences as an immigrant and the beginnings of her realization that her father, whom she regarded as a great ruler, was regarded as a tyrant by the rest of the world – or at least by her new friends in the United States. The book’s synopsis promises a bit of international intrigue later on, which I’m looking forward to. Narrator Meera Simhan voices Laila with a light accent that lends authenticity to the story.

Illusive by Emily Lloyd-Jones
This YA debut is about a group of teens with special powers who run heists. The protagonist has the ability to change her appearance, hence the title, a clever mashup of illusion and elusive. This book is so perfect for me, it’s like the author took a trip through my brain, collecting bits and pieces of the things I like and putting them all in a book. It’s an incredibly fun read. I want more heist novels for teens!

Comments

  1. Oh man. I read the whole Fables series and enjoyed it (mostly, the end is getting a little overdone I think), and now I have the first volume of Fairest, but haven't started it. I got hooked on Y: The Last Man and am hooked.

    Rat Queens is the best! You should try the first issue of The Wicked and the Divine. I think it's going to be AMAZING.

What I’m Reading Now

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Written by: Kimberly Francisco on June 12, 2014.


Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer
This one could easily be added to our magical realism genre guide. Jam’s boyfriend Reeve died, and she’s been sent to a boarding school for “fragile and intelligent” teenagers because she’s having trouble dealing with the trauma. (Essentially, she’s depressed.) She’s assigned to a Special Topics in English class where the students read Sylvia Plath exclusively, including her semi-autobiographical novel The Bell Jar. Twice a week, they’re required to write in a journal about anything they like. When they do, they discover the journal takes them to a place in their lives prior to the trauma they’ve experienced. This is Wolitzer’s first YA novel, and it’s smoothly written, mostly avoiding the writing-down-to-its-audience plague that afflicts a lot of adult writers. It’s not my usual cup of tea, but I liked it a lot. I’ll have a fuller review closer to the publication date.

Conversion by Katherine Howe
This is a stunner. I’m only halfway through and I’m pretty impressed by almost everything about this book. Howe has taken the case of the high school girls and one boy in Le Roy, NY, who were diagnosed with conversion disorder in 2011-2012 and set it in a private girls’ school in Massachusetts. She has then drawn a parallel between this case and that of the Salem witch hysteria in the 17th century, coincidentally set in the same physical location. The book alternates between Colleen Rowley’s story in 2012 and Ann Putnam’s confession in the early 1700s (the only participant to confess, incidentally), though the bulk of the book focuses on Colleen. Interwoven through both stories are themes of academic and societal pressure on teen girls, the close policing of teen girls’ sexuality, and what it takes for teen girls to be seen for their authentic selves and heard in their own voices. This is the second novel (that I know of) to use the Le Roy case as inspiration – Kelly wrote about the other, Megan Abbott’s The Fever, on Tuesday – though Howe’s book is marketed specifically for teens. This is a well-crafted novel that juggles many different parts successfully.
 

Sunrise by Mike Mullin
I started this a few weeks ago and it’s been a bit of a struggle for me. It’s the conclusion to a trilogy that began with Ashfall and continued with Ashen Winter. This volume focuses, at least initially, on a war of sorts between two communities post-supervolcano. One of them is the community Alex lives in, and the other is a community that attacked them and stole most of their food and supplies. Alex grows into his role as a leader by organizing a raid/attack on the town to regain their food, essential to their continued survival. I think I’m having a hard time getting into it because it’s so bleak. Right off the bat, there’s a large amount of violence and loss, and I’m in the mood for something a little lighter, perhaps.

Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund
I loved For Darkness Shows the Stars, the first book set in this universe, so this was a natural pick for me. Where the first was a re-telling of Persuasion, this one is a re-telling of the Scarlet Pimpernel, set on two islands in the Pacific Ocean post-Reduction. I’m not as familiar with the Scarlet Pimpernel as I am with Persuasion, but so far it hasn’t infringed upon my enjoyment. These books aren’t fast reads for me; they’re books to fall into and savor slowly. Part of what I loved so much about FDStS was the yearning between the two leads. In Across a Star-Swept Sea, we trade in the intense romance for espionage and derring-do. Not a bad trade, but it does mean the book doesn’t feel as emotionally resonant (at least so far).

What I’m Reading Now

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Written by: Kelly on May 6, 2014.

The last couple of weeks of my life have been chaotic, between traveling to Connecticut, changing jobs, and now, I’m in Virginia for a couple days. I haven’t had a lot of good time to “settle” into a new routine, and because of that, my reading has been a little all over the map. I’m a pretty good reader while traveling, so I’ve at least been able to sneak in pages between destinations. Here’s a look at what I’ve been reading and have in my bag right now while I’m trying to find that new groove. I guess I’m also a little all over the map in what’s been catching my interest, too!



Sex Criminals, Volume 1 by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky: I heard about this one so long ago and preordered it so long ago, and when it showed up in my mail this week, I was really excited since I’d forgotten I bought it. It’s a comic book featuring a main character who is a librarian that, when she orgasms, she is able to stop time. The story picks up when she meets a partner who has that same special talent. I’m not too far into it, but I am really keen on the artwork.

The Empathy Exams by Leslie Jamison: I can only remember having read one collection of essays in book form before, and that was Eula Biss’s Notes From No Man’s Land, published by Graywolf Press. So when Jamison’s collection started getting some buzz, my interest was piqued. Then someone shared one of the essays in this collection titled “A Grand Unified Theory of Female Pain,” which you can read in full here, and I knew I wanted to pick up the book. I’m about half way through the collection and have had some hits and some misses, but Jamison’s writing is knockout.

The Break-up Artist by Philip Siegel: I haven’t cracked this one open yet, but I have it with me while I’m out this week because it looks like a lighter-hearted read. It’s a story about a girl who falls into the business of breaking up relationships.

The Half Life of Molly Pierce by Katrina Leno: I know very little about this book, and I wouldn’t have put the galley on my ereader had I not seen someone mention that it’s a great read alike to Stephanie Kuehn’s forthcoming Complicit. I read and loved Kuehn’s book, so I’m eager to see what makes this a read alike and if it’s as successful in being a psychological thriller that actually surprised me with its twists.

Before I left, I shoved a ton of other galleys on my ereader, as well, including Roxane Gay’s Bad Feminist (another collection of essays), Carrie Mesrobian’s Perfectly Good White Boy, Micol Ostow’s Amity, and Kat Rosenfield’s Inland.

What’s been on your reading plate lately? Anything recently released or coming out soon that I should have on my radar?

What I’m Reading Now

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Written by: Kimberly Francisco on February 7, 2014.

Dangerous Women edited by George R. R. Martin & Martin Dozois
I’m reading adult fiction! And short stories to boot! I’m pretty sure Martin’s “novella” in this collection is longer than a lot of the YA books I read, though. I’ve read the first story (Some Desperado by Joe Abercrombie) and thought it was OK, but not fantastic. It demonstrates why I usually don’t read short stories: there’s not enough time to develop an interesting plot with a satisfying conclusion, much less any character growth. This first story felt more like a chapter from a longer book than a full story in and of itself. It is one of the shortest in the collection, though, so I’m interested to see how I fare with the others.

The Shadow Throne by Jennifer A. Nielsen
This is the conclusion to the trilogy that began with The False Prince and continued with The Runaway King, all solid upper middle grade/lower YA fantasy. This final volume finds Jaron finally facing the war that’s been threatening. One of the best things about this series is Jaron’s voice, which can be simultaneously funny and painful.

Butterfly Summer by Anne-Marie Conway
My sister-in-law, who teaches tweens in London, gave me this book as a Christmas gift. She told me it’s been popular with the kids in her class, and I can see why. It’s middle grade that’s pitch perfect for its marketed age group (8-12). It also reminds me a lot of books I enjoyed around that age. It’s fairly short, mostly realistic, with a few family secrets and very slight mystical elements. It’s a little bit fantasy, a little bit mystery, and a good bit coming-of-age. The plot hinges on a secret that’s pretty obvious to spot as an adult reader, but I’ve a feeling that a ten-year-old reader would figure it out at just the moment the author intended – perhaps just before the young protagonist does – and then delight in turning back the pages to spot the clues that she knows the author dropped.

Cinderella vol. 1: From Fabletown With Love by Chris Roberson & Shawn McManus
This is a spinoff of Bill Willingham’s very popular Fables comic book series. I thought it was pretty well-done. Cinderella as a secret agent for the Fables is a clever idea, and I liked how Roberson and McManus re-worked the traditional Cinderella story into a James Bond-esque tale.

Speaking From Among the Bones by Alan Bradley
I really enjoy this series about precocious pre-teen and amateur sleuth Flavia de Luce. I’ve previously read all the books in print and am giving this one a try on audio, after hearing great things about the narration from multiple people. I have to admit I’m having a harder time with this volume. It could be that the mystery simply isn’t as engaging as the previous books, but I’ve a feeling it’s more to do with the voicing. Jayne Entwhistle’s narration is full of inflection – a bit overfull, actually. I find myself following the ups and downs of her voice rather than the meaning behind her words, and my attention wanders. I seem to be the only one who isn’t entranced, though.

What I’m Reading Now

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Written by: Kelly on November 25, 2013.

Confession: I have read very few YA books over the last couple of months. I’ve been elbow-deep in reading for Outstanding Books for the College Bound, and very few of our nominees are YA novels. The bulk are adult non-fiction. As much as I love adult non-fiction — and I do — it’s much slower reading and it takes a lot more out of me than fiction does. Over the course of all that reading, too, I’ve really come to appreciate non-fiction done well and I’ve really come to dread the non-fiction which isn’t well done. Even fifty pages of bad non-fiction is a lot of investment.

I’ve still got roughly 35 books to finish before ALA Midwinter at the end of January, but because I can’t keep at the pace I am with committee reading, I’ve had to allow myself breaks to put in a novel periodically. It refreshes my reading and it helps me look forward to the things I have to read, since I know I’ve rewarded myself with something I want to read.

Likewise, when the end of the year gets closer and closer, I start getting a little worked up about all of the things I didn’t read that I wanted to read and all of the things I think I should read, both in anticipation of those “best of” lists and awards, as well as getting on top of next year’s reading. So I’ve been making lists and organizing my reading based on those somewhat-arbitrary criteria.

Here’s a look at what’s on my short list and in my current pile of reading or will-be-reading-really soon and why.

Spoils by Tammar Stein: I can’t remember if I’ve talked about it on STACKED or only over here, but Tammar Stein’s High Dive is one of my favorite YA novels. It’s been years since I’ve read it, so my feelings towards it could certainly be different now, but the joy in sometimes not rereading a novel is that the sentimentality you have toward a book doesn’t have to change.

Spoils looks like the kind of realistic fiction up my alley, though. It’s about a family who comes into a financial windfall and what happens when it looks like that luck may run out. There are secrets and sibling relationships, and I have been really feeling stories about the impact of money on one’s life. This one comes out December 10, but I’ve got a copy of it here and I have a feeling it’ll be one I read over Thanksgiving weekend.

The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson: Of course, I would give any YA book Laurie Halse Anderson writes a shot, but this one particularly struck me as one I should read because it tackles PTSD. I love the way Anderson writes about tough topics and does so in a way that isn’t fleeting.

It kills me this is a January 2014 release because I feel like I’ve been reading about it forever, and I know I’ve had a copy of it on my ereader for months. I’ve been trying to hold off so I can savor it closer to release date, but I have a feeling I’m going to give in sooner, rather than later.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart: Confession time — I read this one already. This past weekend, in fact. It didn’t necessarily pop on my radar as a book I was dying to read, but with all of the buzz surrounding it recently, much from other readers I trust and respect, I couldn’t handle myself. One of the biggest elements of that buzz (which is laid out in the note from the editor at the front of the book!) is that going in not knowing is the best way to approach the book. I’m glad it was that that drew me in, but. . . I also feel a little weird that that is the selling point of the book at this point. Likewise, some of how it’s been described makes me question whether I missed something huge or not (specifically, I’m a little curious about “a passionate, political boy” in the description, as I think that refers to the Indian teen in the story and there’s some question in my mind whether “political” here is a poor word choice to not be describing someone who is actually involved in politics).

That said, Lockhart’s writing and story telling skills are excellent. There are twists and turns in this one, and it’s compelling. It will become a favorite for a lot of readers. But — I didn’t necessarily feel like this was all that fresh. The story utilizes many of the tropes common in horror stories, and it ties them together with bits and pieces of well-known fairy tales, legends, and classics of literature. It does this exceedingly well, and I enjoyed going through the story thinking to myself “this reminds me of King Lear” and “this reminds me of (horror film title I won’t name since it’ll spoil the book).” I may be alone in saying that I didn’t necessarily find myself emotionally invested and I didn’t walk away feeling devastated nor heart broken. I saw a lot of what happened coming, though again, there’s no arguing Lockhart does it very well. I don’t want to say a whole lot more because I don’t want to spoil a book that’s not due out until next May, but I will say it includes amnesia, some PTSD, rich white people, and a couple of dogs will lose their lives.

Burning by Elana K. Arnold: This one caught my eye at Kid Lit Con, when we did a book exchange. I picked it up, put it down, picked it up, put it down, and then decided to go ahead and bring it home. It’s contemporary with two points of view, and it’s by an author I’ve never heard of before. She’s published a non-contemporary title in the past year, and it looks like she’s got a couple of other books coming down the line. Burning Man? Nevada? Gypsies? It looks interesting. This book is available now.

Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg: Konigsberg’s first book is one of my favorite YA titles, and I picked this one up almost a year ago now and haven’t touched it yet. I’ve read nothing but positive reviews. I am sort of surprised I let this one fall off my radar since I was so enthusiastic about it when I got it, but I hope to follow through with reading it sooner, rather than later. Konigsberg’s book is out now.

Night Film by Marisha Pessl: Obviously, this one isn’t YA, but adult fiction. It got so much buzz, and it sounds like the kind of thing that once you start, you’re sucked in so tightly you don’t want to stop until it’s over. I’ve read small excerpts and I’ve enjoyed poring over how lovely the packaging of this book is, and it only makes me want to spend an entire weekend devouring it. But . . . I did read Pessl’s first novel, which had some of the same treatments — a nice package and good buzz — and I found myself thinking it was really overblown and not enjoyable. I hope that doesn’t happen this time around.

Loud Awake and Lost by Adele Griffin: I am hit and miss with Adele Griffin’s books. I loved All You Never Wanted last year; I felt pretty middle-of-the-road about Tighter; and I wasn’t a fan of The Julian Game. But I look forward to giving another one of her books a try, and this is her newest. It looks like it tackles some aspects of amnesia (which is quite the trend, as I noted above with the Lockhart title, as Kimberly looked at over here, and in another book on my radar, Natalie Richards’s Six Months Later). This book is out now.

I feel like this will be a nice warm up to Griffin’s 2014 novel, The Unlikely Life of Addison Stone.

The Killing Woods by Lucy Christopher: I don’t need to know more than it’s a YA book by Christopher to be excited, but that it’s also a murder mystery/thriller only makes me more excited to dive in. This one showed up in my mail on one of the days I was having a hard time with committee reading, and I have held off on indulging until I have another one of those days because I think it’ll be a real treat and big change of reading pace. The Killing Woods will be out in January.

What’s on your end-of-year radar? Are there things you’re hoping to catch up with or get ahead on before 2014? Do you have any titles you’d suggest I think about putting into my pile so I don’t miss them?

Comments

  1. Even though Night Film isn't YA, I think it does have an appeal for teens looking for weird/dark/surreal books, especially if they have an affinity for Dario Argento films.

    • That's good to know! I kind of figured it would, and actually…the comparison to Dario Argento makes ME want to push it up the pile a bit.

  2. I did NOT like Pessl's first book, but was still convinced to read Night Film. It's not perfect, but it's a lot better than Special Topics, and it does suck you in.

  3. When it comes to YA, I am just trying to get caught up on all the series and then finish all of the series that ended this year I did Clockwork Princess and Allegiant and now I'm eyeing Champion by Marie Lu.

    I'm also reading Night Film and it has really sucked me in.

    • This is part of why I am not a good series reader. I'm impatient and give up too quick. I still have to read the second book in the Burn for Burn series. And I've got all three of the Rae Carson books finally, too, and want to knock those all out at once.

  4. I didn't read Special Topics and had a lot of feelings about Night Film. Reading it as someone who really likes horror movies was interesting, because there's a lot in there that might have been homage to someone like Argento or it might just have been bad writing. Sometimes it's hard to tell.

What I’m Reading Now

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Written by: Kimberly Francisco on October 23, 2013.

I actually haven’t been reading much lately. I moved recently and got a new job, which was hugely stressful (as I’m sure many of you know), and when I’m stressed, I find it really difficult to get focused enough to take in a story. Audiobooks are a lot easier, but print books, something I have to stay still for…not so much. Thankfully, over the past few days, I’ve started feeling more “at home,” and I’ve started back up reading at a more usual pace for me.

And here’s what I’ve been reading lately. Longer reviews will come later, but for those of you with short attention spans – this post is for you.

Sekret by Lindsay Smith
Yulia is a teenager in the Soviet Union in the 1960s. She’s psychic – she can read people’s thoughts and see memories via touch – which makes her a prime target for the KGB. When she slips one day, the KGB gets her and forces her to work for them as a spy, threatening her family if she doesn’t comply. I actually really dig the combination of historical fiction and supernatural powers. The writing is good, and Smith is very skilled at stringing the reader along – giving us just enough information at just the right time to ensure we need to read just one more page. It’s clear there are a lot of secrets here (please forgive my pun), and I hope the final revelations don’t disappoint.

Tin Star by Cecil Castellucci
Aliens! Space stations! Attempted murder! This book has nearly everything I love. Tula Bane is preparing with her family and other members of the Children of Earth to head toward their new colony, the planet Beta Granade, when she notices something amiss: the grain they are supposed to take with them isn’t on the ship. When she points this out to the leader, he tries to kill her. She’s left for dead, the ship takes off without her, and she has to find a way to survive on the space station where she’s been stranded, the only human among hundreds of aliens who all regard her species as less than desirable at best and unworthy of life at worst. It reminds me a bit of Babylon 5, complete with a version of “Down Below” where Tula scrapes by, except Tula’s space station has nothing to do with diplomacy. I always love seeing what writers envision for the future, particularly when the future involves aliens, but I found this future world a bit too sketchy for my tastes (albeit fascinating nonetheless).

Will in Scarlet by Matthew Cody
Cody re-imagines the story of Will Scarlet, one of Robin Hood’s merry men. Will is 13 years old, and his story reads as older middle grade or younger YA. It’s great on audio, which is how I’m consuming it. It feels like a bit of a throwback to the stories I listened to a lot as a kid myself: lots of adventure, a little (light-handed) moralizing, plus a kid who acts like a kid and has kid thoughts. (For example, Will is more concerned with Christmas presents than learning about diplomacy.) The only thing that isn’t working for me are the excerpts at the beginning of each chapter. There’s a brief quotation taken from somewhere in the middle of the chapter, placed at the beginning of the chapter, and attributed to the character who says it. Then we hear it again in context later on. I know it’s meant to serve as a teaser, an enticement to read on, but the choice of quotations so far hasn’t made me think “Oh, I simply must figure out how that fits into everything.” Instead it just seems repetitive.

Comments

What I’m Reading Now

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Written by: Kimberly Francisco on September 11, 2013.

 
The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas
This is one of those books that I already love so much, I’m deliberately reading it slowly. Iolanthe is an elemental mage living in an area called the Domain. It’s ruled by Atlantis, which is in turn ruled by the Bane. Iolanthe thinks she has pretty pedestrian talents, but when experimenting with lightning one day, she’s spotted by Prince Titus, and he recognizes her for what she is: the mage prophesied to bring down the Bane.

I generally dislike books that center on prophecies. Usually, the prophecy is a cheat, a shortcut for a plot point. Here, I don’t mind it so much (though I’m still not sold on it). And part of the reason I don’t mind is because this book has so many other amazing things: a unique magical system, an interesting political situation that I’m eager to learn more about, instantly dynamic characters in the two leads, a girl passing as a boy in a boys’ school…I could go on. Love high fantasy? Pick this up.

The Waking Dark by Robin Wasserman
This is my next audiobook read, after the merely OK Strands of Bronze and Gold. The town of Oleander, Kansas experiences a horrific event they later term the Killing Day. Five people murder a dozen people around them, for no apparent reason. Then four them kill themselves. The fifth, Cass, doesn’t – and she has no explanation for why she and the others killed that day.

It’s a very dark but intriguing concept. Wasserman’s previous novel, The Book of Blood and Shadow, was also quite dark, although not as overtly violent (at least initially). Narrator Mark Deakins sets a nicely grim tone right off the bat. I’m not too far in yet, but I’m certainly interested enough to keep going.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Out of all the Gaiman novels I’ve tried, I think this is by far the most broadly appealing. I actually first saw the movie several years ago (and loved it) and finally gave the book a try this year. It’s close in tone to the movie, I think, though it has adult elements that would have pushed the movie beyond its PG rating (mainly fairly detailed descriptions of sex).

Gaiman’s writing style is very well suited to a fairy tale-type story, great at communicating whimsy as well as darkness. It’s funny and interesting and I enjoy picking out the parts that were changed for the movie. I gave up on all other Gaiman novels I’ve tried, but this one is a winner for me.

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What I’m Reading Now

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Written by: Kimberly Francisco on June 28, 2013.

For you this Friday, a few quick snapshots of the books I’m currently reading.

The Originals by Cat Patrick
I dug Forgotten, plot holes and all, and I had high hopes for this one, too.  Alas, I think Patrick’s exhausted her ability to make me see past plot issues by now. The Originals features three girls who are clones of each other, but fool the world into thinking they’re a single person. One girl goes to school in the morning, another in the afternoon, and the third goes out in the evening for any extracurriculars and social engagements. It’s strange, and it’s frustrating that I have no idea why such a charade is necessary. Identical triplets would be completely plausible. I can only hope the answer is revealed further in the book.

Maid of Secrets by Jennifer McGowan
This is normally the kind of book I love – spies, intrigue, secrets, set in one of the few historical periods I always find interesting (Tudor England). But it’s so slow. So, so slow. I’m halfway through and have only barely begun to learn about the secret goings-on in Queen Elizabeth’s court. If it doesn’t pick up sometime soon, this may be a do-not-finish for me. (Incidentally, if you’ve read this one, please let me know if I should persevere.)

Tumble and Fall by Alexandra Coutts
This is a little different from the usual post-apocalyptic fare because it’s not actually post. An asteroid is about to hit the earth, and Coutts tells the stories of a few teens as they prepare to be obliterated. I expected to read an adventure story (I admit that images of Armageddon flashed through my mind), but that’s not what this is at all. Rather than focusing on a desperate attempt to save the world, Coutts seems to be telling a story about how to live when your days are numbered – lots of personal stories about family and friendship and love. I can’t blame the book for not being exactly what I wanted, but still…it’s not exactly what I wanted.

Vortex by S. J. Kincaid
Insignia was a surprise hit for me last year, so the sequel is a must-read. So far, I have not been disappointed – Tom’s voice is still wonderful, Kincaid’s world is still fascinating, and I was hooked on page 1. Vortex follows Tom and his friends as they become mid-level cadets, encountering new challenges and uncovering more secrets about the Intrasolar Forces and the corporations who bankroll their activities.

Three of the four books above have been tough going for me, and it’s been a bit of a struggle lately to get through the books that I normally enjoy. So I’ve actually mixed it up and have been re-reading the Bridgerton romance series by Julia Quinn. I first read these as a teenager; they were in many ways my entree to the romance genre. They’re funny, fast-paced, and sexy, and I’ve been flying through them. If you are a historical romance fan and haven’t read them (hardly likely), I recommend them heartily. (And I may risk the wrath of many readers by saying this, but you really don’t need to read them in order.)

Comments

  1. I'm happy to hear that Vortex lives up to Insignia, which was a surprise love for me too.

    Also:

    The Bridgertons were my first romances! I love them so much. And of course you don't need to read them in order.

  2. I couldnt finish the originals — but i am pretty sure the elaborate faking is bc there was only one birth certificate (of the natural born baby who died). seems to me it would be easier to fake a birth certificate for the other two than make them all pretend to be one person :)either that, or just home school (they are already being homeschooled anyway. so confusing.)

What I’m Reading Now

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Written by: Kimberly Francisco on February 27, 2013.

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

I don’t know why I’ve put off reading this one for so long. Perhaps because I knew, as the middle book in a trilogy, it would be something of a downer. Perhaps because I just wasn’t ever in the mood for a present-tense book. Perhaps because I wasn’t sure if I could buy into the ludicrous premise again. I needn’t have worried about any of those things, though, because the writing is excellent and the story fascinating (despite being completely unbelievable). 

Fables vol. 18: Cubs in Toyland by Bill Willingham

When someone tells you that a story is for kids because it’s about kids, you can show them this book to prove just how wrong they are. The main story in this installment is dark and grisly, exploring portions of the prophecy about Snow and Bigby’s children (the cubs). It’s not my favorite Fables volume, and I actually enjoyed the standalone story at the end much better, but it’s a solid entry and thankfully moves a main story arc along. (I think the series has been floundering a bit since the defeat of Mr. Dark.)

Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block

I’m so excited about the newest FLB. I’m a big fan of her writing style, and this story, about a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles which draws upon elements of the Odyssey, is something I would naturally gravitate to. I’ve read the first few chapters and they’re fantastic.

The Savage Fortress by Sarwat Chadda (on audio)

I’ve discovered that while I don’t much care for reading middle grade novels in print, I love them on audio. This adventurous story features a pre-teen hero, his sidekick little sister, Indian archaeology and mythology, and a dastardly villain. It reminds me a bit of a cross between the Percy Jackson and Skulduggery Pleasant stories in tone (good mix of adventure, magic, and humor), albeit the protagonist himself is (so far) magical power-less. (Side note: the boy on the cover is certainly not an accurate representation of the protagonist, who is a self-admitted chubby guy.)

Comments

  2. Yes- Pandemonium was SO MUCH better than Delirium! Although I agree 100%… the story is still completely unbelievable… but still a fun read 🙂 I wish I could get with you on MG novels via audio. I'd love to listen to them in the car with my kiddo, but just can't stand hearing an adult try to read as a 12-year-old. Maybe we'll give The Savage Fortress a try?

What I’m Reading Now

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Written by: Kimberly Francisco on September 7, 2012.
Finishing a book lately has been rough for me. I keep on picking up a title, getting about 50 pages in, setting it down, and not feeling compelled to pick it up again. It’s not that there’s anything really wrong with the book in question. I’m just in a bit of a reading funk, and from what I’ve read from others right now, I’m not the only one.
A few reasons for my lack of desire to read much: it’s blistering hot outside, where I tend to do most of my relaxing reading; I’ve been working until 7pm most nights, which means my evenings are dinner and bed, usually; and I’ve been more interested in working on my puzzle, which is difficult to do while reading. It’s difficult for me to read while tired, too – I always fall asleep, no matter how compelling the book. It makes those 7pm nights particularly bad for reading.
What this means is that I’m currently reading quite a lot of books, although I’m not finishing them (yet). These are books that would normally appeal to me, and I expect to finish most of them at some point – maybe some of you have read them and can speak for how wonderful they are, thereby convincing me to keep at them until the end.
Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough
Kelly loved this one, and it appealed to me before she loved it, so I’m going to keep at it. So far, I’m having a hard time adjusting to some of the dialect used (British slang). Still, I’ve read and enjoyed stories with much tougher dialect than that included here (Knife of Never Letting Go, for example), so I know it will just take time.
Diverse Energies edited by Tobias S. Buckell and Joe Monti
This is a collection of SF short stories featuring teen protagonists of color. Most of the stories are dystopian in some way, although at least one of them is just straight science fiction. I decided to pick this one up especially hoping it would break me out of
my funk – in 20 pages or so, I can get a beginning, middle, and end,
and I haven’t invested huge gobs of time. The stories have been hit or miss, as expected. My favorite so far is Malinda Lo’s story about a girl hunting for her missing brother in the tunnels below a city where racial purity is mandated by law. It’s one of the better-written stories and also makes sense narratively. A couple of the stories have been more disappointing than usual – I feel like they were too disjointed and hard to follow, not just “eh, not my thing.”
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
This book, which features dragons that can assume human shape, royal intrigue, and lots of delicious secrets, has been highly acclaimed by readers I trust, and it’s just the type of book I usually love. It’s been praised for its originality and its writing, but I haven’t been able to make myself move past a few pages.
Erasing Time by CJ Hill
As a teen, I thought it would be the coolest thing ever to be taken out of my own time period and brought to the distant future. To this day, it’s still a great tragedy in my mind that I won’t be able to see the amazing things the far future will bring. (I love dystopias, but my heart always convinces me to picture a more utopian future.) CJ Hill’s Erasing Time does just what I dreamed about as a teen – it brings two girls from our present day into the distant future for a specific purpose. I’m excited about this book’s premise, but it hasn’t been able to pull me in yet.
Are you in a reading funk? Is there anything in particular you’ve done to get out of prior funks?

Comments

  1. Seraphina is so good, but I don't think it's a great funk-removing book because it's more slowly paced. For me, to get out of a funk I need a book that forces me to read quickly.

    I like to reread old favorites to get out of a funk – books I've read so often that I can knock 'em out in twenty minutes and feel productive again.

  2. Yup, I second Liviania – I tend to reread something I know I love to get myself out of a funk. I had been doing pretty good recently, but now I'm wading through a long book and starting to lose some of my motivation…

  3. I've had a hard time finishing books lately, too, so you're definitely not alone. One of the things I do to get out of the funk sometimes is switch up formats. Instead of a novel, I'll read a graphic novel or two.

  5. I am also in a reading funk. I think the cause behind mine is that I just finished a couldn't-put-down adult book (Gone Girl) and I'm having a really, really hard time getting into something new.

  6. Last night I started reading Long Lankin because Kelly liked it but I'm having a hard time liking it…I switched to Counting Backwards and hop to pick Long Lanking again…

    For me is not the dialect. As you say, The knife of never letting go is crazier but, I don't know, something about Long Lankin is not clicking with me.

What I’m Reading Now

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Written by: Kelly on August 13, 2012.
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
I’m one of those people who reads a lot of reviews before I read a book. The reviews of this one have been very, very mixed. I think the author’s story to publication is fascinating – she originally wrote the story online at fictionpress.com before being picked up by Bloomsbury. The story is about a teenage assassin, punished as a slave in the mines but freed in order to compete to be the king’s personal assassin. I am a sucker for a good old-fashioned fantasy epic, and I hope this will fit the bill. After reading the first few chapters, I can tell that my teenage self would have thought this was the perfect book; I’m not so sure about my adult self.
Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is one of my favorite middle grade reads and one of the most beautiful books I’ve held. This story is set in the same world, but it focuses on a boy called Rendi, who has run away from home and gets taken in by an innkeeper as a chore boy. Unlike Mountain, this story has almost zero adventure: it all takes place in the same town, most of it in the same building. Like Mountain, though, it incorporates smaller stories told by the characters within, and these stories go on to have greater meaning near the end. I read the review copy, but I plan to get my hands on a finished copy so I can see the artwork, which blew me away in Mountain.
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
This book is proof that Kelly is the best co-blogger a person could ask for, since she’s the reason I’m able to read it. I like the direction Meyer has gone with this sequel: it focuses on Scarlet, but it also follows Cinder’s story. Scarlet is a French girl who must rescue her grandmother, kidnapped by a gang of humans with wolf-like qualities. One of the wolves, a deserter of the gang, decides to help. Cinder and Scarlet haven’t met up yet, but I’ve a feeling it will happen soon. I’m curious to see how Meyer (presumably) plans to juggle four girls’ stories in the last installment. The pace of Scarlet is slower than Cinder, but so far it’s just as enjoyable.
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
You know how sometimes the jacket copy of a book appears to only reveal the very first, small section of the story – just enough to get you interested – but in fact that section takes up the first 70 pages of the book? That happened here. I read those first 70 pages knowing Aria would be exiled, and it was painful to read about her optimism: “Oh, they’re going to take me to see my mother!” No, no they are not. That little annoyance aside, I am really digging this dystopian tale about a society that lives in environmentally-sealed pods and the girl who gets into trouble with the wrong people and finds herself exiled into the wilderness, full of savages and aether storms. (Sorry I just ruined the first 70 pages for you.)
Review copies received from the publisher (and Kelly!). Under the Never Sky borrowed from the library.

Comments

  1. The flattery was great to wake up to, not even going to lie! I'm eager to see what you think of Scarlet, knowing how much you liked Cinder.

    I haven't read the Lin books, but this makes me want to.

    • Maybe you should make that clear in the post… I know many people are offended by the word. Now I'm interested to see how the author handles this in the text.

    • Well it's clear that it's a prejudice in the book. Perhaps I could have put quotation marks around it, but I was using the parlance of the protagonist in my description.

What I’m Reading Now

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Written by: Kimberly Francisco on May 24, 2012.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater: 
I received an ARC of this last summer, but never got around to it. When The Scorpio Races won both a Printz Honor and an Odyssey Honor (for outstanding audiobooks) this past year, I figured that I’d try it on audio, especially since I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews from numerous bloggers and friends that I know and trust. The result so far….meh. I just started Disc 7 out of 10, and so far, it’s a bit dull. Maggie’s writing is, as usual, stellar, lush and atmospheric, with phrases that linger in the air after being voiced. But that atmospheric quality may be the problem. The gorgeous writing overwhelms the slow-moving plot so far. Regardless, I’m continuing on, as I heard it picks up in the final two discs. 

Princess Academy: Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale:
I just started this on my eReader after being approved by NetGalley. I listened to Princess Academy on audio, so it’s a bit different reading it in print. I particular liked how the audio sang the traditional chants and songs at the start of each chapter. Miri is as charming as ever, and I’m eager to read more from Shannon Hale, one of my absolute favorite authors. 

 
Drop Dead Healthy: One Man’s Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection: by A.J. Jacobs:

I just finished this one, and I absolutely loved it. As in his previous two books, where A. J. basically transforms himself into a lab rat while investigating certain areas of human nature (The Know-it-All and The Year of Living Biblically dealt with reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica and living according to the Bible for a year, respectively), the author delivers a unique mix of facts, humor, and self-deprecation while attempting to become the “healthiest man alive.” Chapter by chapter, he examines health in the context of a specific body part: the lungs, nervous system, stomach, butt, immune system, nose, fingers, etc. Absolutely fascinating, hilarious, and quite a quick read.

Endlessly by Kiersten White: 
I got about 100 pages into this when I put it down. I enjoyed the first two in this trilogy, but I just wasn’t in the mood for this right now. I usually avoid paranormals, due to the many derivative books flooding the market, but White’s characters and plotlines have been unique and carefree enough to let me push past my aversion. What I did read was clever; I’ve just been leaning more towards contemporary fare lately.

Comments

  1. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who struggled with Scorpio. I just posted my review and I had the hardest time finishing it. It does pick up at the end, though. And Palace of Stone? I just RAN to NetGalley to request it 🙂

  3. A.J. Jacobs actually has three previosu books – you've missed the Guinea Pig Diaries (which was retitled My Life As An Experiment for the paperback). It's a series of essays int he same vein where he does something nutty for a while, but these are mostly just for a month each, hence the series of them. But it's a must-read mostly for the chapter where for a month he does every single thing his wife asks without a peep, and also the afterword written by his wife, who is frequently asked how she lives with his stunts and why.

What I’m Reading Now

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Written by: Kimberly Francisco on March 21, 2012.

The Traitor in the Tunnel by Y. S. Lee
Mary Quinn is back, this time posing as a maid at Buckingham Palace so she can investigate some petty thefts for Queen Victoria. What should be a small but delicate job turns into something much more serious when the Prince of Wales is involved in a scuffle with a Lascar and a friend of his ends up dead. The Lascar in question just may be Mary’s father, a man she has never met and presumed dead all her life. Everything I loved about the first two novels in this series reappears here: historical detail that doesn’t ever seem tedious, a plot that surprises me, and the ever-engaging Mary Quinn as protagonist. James Easton also returns. I’m excited about the fact that this case seems much more personal for Mary than the last two.

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
I had heard the buzz about this book leading up to its publication, but what really made me want to read it was Lenore’s review. One of my favorite books of all time is Biting the Sun, a duology by Tanith Lee about a future society where death is impossible – once dead, people’s consciousnesses are simply removed from the shell and placed into a new body of their choosing. You can read all about my love for it here. Incarnate seems to have a similar conceit, so I’m interested to see how it compares.

Perception by Kim Harrington
Clarity was a surprise favorite of mine last summer, so I was eager to pick up its sequel, particularly since the weather in Texas has gotten warm enough for hammock reading. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s just wrong to read this series unless you can do it outside in the sun. In this volume, Clare starts to receive some notes from a secret admirer that later take a decidedly sinister turn. The trademark snarky voice that I loved so much is back, making this a thoroughly enjoyable read.

The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman
I wrote a little bit about this one in my Midwinter recap. I’m only a few pages in, but so far I’m really digging the budding mystery involving letters from a young woman who lived centuries ago and how it connects to the present-day murder that the protagonist has so far only alluded to. (Also, for the first fifty pages, I read “Adriane” as “Ariadne” and I kind of wish I hadn’t realized I was reading it wrong. Ariadne just seems so much more appropriate for this kind of story.)

Comments

  2. I haven't read the Wasserman book yet but based on what I know about it, Ariadne definitely fits! I wish that was the name, lol.

What I’m Reading Now

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Written by: Kelly on January 17, 2012.
My reading life lately has been preoccupied with Cybils books, which I can’t discuss yet, but I have managed to squeeze in some other books in between. As always, I’ll probably have a few longer reviews of these titles up at a later date.

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman

I’m a little late to the party on this one, and I’m so glad I finally picked it up. It’s a great example of why I love fantasy: the worldbuilding is exquisite and I never get tired of learning more about Eon’s culture – even when it’s told rather than shown. Moreover, while some fantasy tropes are certainly present, I can fairly say that this is one of the more unique stories I’ve read in a while (there is no riding of dragons, for instance). I’m listening to this one, and the narrator is perfect.

Fables Volume 16: Superteam by Bill Willingham

I always look forward to a new Fables volume. This one let me down a little bit – the showdown with Mr. Dark is anticlimactic and the creation of a Fables “Superteam” is gimmicky. Granted, the gimmick is deliberate and meant to be a bit of a satire, but it didn’t work so well for me. Of course, Willingham teases us with a new plot twist at the end that makes me eager for the next volume. Plus, the first story in this volume is unabashedly Oz-inspired (and illustrated by Eric Shanower), so you know I was all over that.

The Raft by S. A. Bodeen

I really enjoyed this solid story about a girl who survives a plane crash only to be cast adrift at sea. There’s not much more to it than that, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. While the end isn’t ever really in doubt, Bodeen is great at keeping the tension and suspense high, particularly when there isn’t much opportunity for character interaction. Plus, I learned all sorts of things I can do to survive at sea. Always handy.

 
The Obsidian Blade by Pete Hautman

Strange but intriguing, Hautman brings us a science fiction tale that involves time travel, strange new cultures, and aliens (maybe?). It’s so odd, and part of the reason for its oddness is that Hautman just lets the story unravel on its own. There’s almost no explanation of the backstory, no wizened old man who sits down and tells our teenage protagonist what’s going on. (This is a good thing.) I’m really digging it so far.

 After the Snow by S. D. Crockett

Willo is living in another ice age. Society has broken down and food and shelter, much less education, are hard to come by. Willo narrates his own story in dialect. Books written in dialect are always tough for me at the beginning. I’m about halfway into this one and I still haven’t fallen into it well enough for the reading to be natural. It’s not a good sign, but the plot is intriguing enough that I want to see how it turns out.

Comments

  1. I'm eager for the Bodeen title, and I'm glad you liked it. It doesn't seem like there are a lot of those sort of traditional survival stories in ya.

    After the Snow's sitting on my pile, too. Interesting it's in a dialect — curious how it compares to, say, Blood Red Road, which uses a dialect as well.

    As far as Hautman…how does he write so many books? I'm amazed.

What I’m Reading Now

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Written by: Kimberly Francisco on July 5, 2011.
I haven’t done an honest Twitter-style “What I’m Reading Now” lately, but now is the perfect time for it since I’ve been such a reading machine these past couple of weeks.  Here’s what’s been on my bedside table lately, in 140 characters or fewer. I’ll review a few of these in more depth a bit later.

Shelter by Harlan Coben
Another adult author tackles YA – but succeeds! Tight plotting, suspense, a wry male voice & interesting (albeit cliched) supporting chars.

The Lost Heiress by Catherine Fisher
Sequel to The Dark City. The writing is merely serviceable and the plot ho-hum, but it’s just barely interesting enough to keep me reading.

Level Up by Gene Luen Yang
Cute story with Yang’s signature “nothing is what it seems” twist at the end. Good choice for the 20-something set who grew up with (S)NES.

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
Interesting time-travel premise but frustrating due to it only being half a story – clearly written for sequels and not executed well.

Forgotten by Cat Patrick
Plot hole-ridden but enjoyable debut about a girl who can’t remember her past but can see her future. Cute romance & a suspenseful mystery.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (audiobook)
In his own voice, Gladwell relates what makes people successful – turns out we don’t have a lot of control over it. Discouraging? A little.

All These Things I’ve Done by Gabrielle Zevin
In a future where chocolate is illegal, the daughter of a dead chocolate mobster must protect her family (& fall in love). Good, not great.

Comments

  1. I already told you I'm pleased to hear the Coben was enjoyable. I've had the Yang on my shelf for a while and have been meaning to pick it up.

    Have you noticed a lot of time travel novels lately? Trend? I'm curious to know how the others hold up to, say, Ruby Red.

  3. Oh, man, looks like some really good stuff. I'm pretty interested in the Relic Masters series. didn't know the next was so close on the horizon. Thanks for sharing, love the twitter-style blurbs. :O)

  4. I loved Level Up! Looking forward to your review (and need to get around to writing my own)!

What I’m Reading Now

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Written by: Kimberly Francisco on March 24, 2011.
Hunger Games Trilogy, Books 1-3 on audio
My job is awesome enough that I can usually listen to audiobooks while I work (provided I only put an earbud in one ear), and I tend to prefer listening to books I’ve already read so I don’t have to give the audio my full attention. I bought all three of the Hunger Games audios for my library, and they circulate amazingly well, so I’m surprised I was able to get my hands on all three in quick succession. The story is terrific, as I already knew, but I had major problems with the narrator. She sounds too old to be Katniss and her inflection of certain passages sounded off to me – not how I heard Katniss in my mind when I read the books. As a result, Katniss came across as WAY more annoying this go-round than when I read the books the first time. I mean, I know she’s going through a lot of bad shiz, but MUST she be so emo? That said, the narrator’s voicing of other characters, particularly the male characters, was more convincing. It helps that she has a rather deep voice for a female.
Graceling by Kristin Cashore, on audio
Oh Full Cast Audio, how I love you. I’m only a few tracks in on the very first CD, but this audio is already miles ahead of the Hunger Games audios. Katsa’s voice sounds like her, and Po’s voice is more than a little dreamy. I look forward to seeing how this book fares on re-read (or rather, re-listen). There were elements I loved so much, in particular the relationship between Katsa and Po, and other elements I thought dragged. Hopefully I won’t find Katsa as annoying as I found Katniss on audio. So far, so good.
The Hidden Reality by Brian Greene
I don’t know if I’ve mentioned my fascination with alternate/parallel universes before. I’m a little (a lot) obsessed with them. It goes back mostly to my intense and unending love of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials Trilogy, aka The Best Books Ever Written, but it’s also reflected in my love for Stargate SG-1 and the Narnia books and my fascination with the idea of time travel . And here is Brian Greene, writing about the possibility of parallel universes in sciencespeak that I can understand. Awesome.
The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge
I’ve heard a lot of great things about this book, but I’m still not entirely sure what it’s about. From what I can gather, it’s set in a steampunk world where a necrovirus drives almost everyone in the city of Lovecraft mad. Our protagonist, Aiofe, is a ward of the state since all of her family members went mad at age 16. The worldbuilding is supposed to be excellent, and at over 500 pages, it had better be. I’m also promised complex characters and a surprising plot. I can’t wait to dig into this one. (Although I have to admit, the blurb isn’t encouraging, and neither is the fact that the cover girl looks like she’s about to have an accidental Mardi Gras moment.)

Comments

  2. I'm really intrigued by THE IRON THORN even though it's outta my general genre comfort zone. Cannot wait to see what you think.

What I’m Reading Now

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Written by: Kimberly Francisco on February 11, 2011.
For your Friday reading pleasure, a few of my current reads and my thoughts on each thus far:
 
XVI by Julia Karr
The jacket synopsis led me to think this book would be a clumsy attempt to make a statement about our over-sexed culture.  Protagonist Nina lives in a future where girls get a tattoo at age sixteen designating them as legal to engage in sexual activity.  So not my thing to read about.  But I can’t resist the siren call of a dystopia, so I checked it out anyway.  And I’ve been pleasantly surprised so far – while the “sex-teen” aspect is a major thread, the plot is much more focused on Nina’s family and their potential involvement in an underground movement dedicated to toppling the government.  There’s a lot of made up slang and abbreviations, which I actually like a lot here.  It reminds me a little of Biting the Sun and Feed in that regard.  There’s also major world-building, and you all know how much I crave that.  Lastly, and most pleasantly for me, the plot is leading up to a major reveal about the dystopian world.  That was always what I loved most about dystopias as a teen and it hasn’t been present in most of the dystopias I’ve read as an adult (think Hunger Games, Wither, Across the Universe, Delirium – a few surprises, yes, but not on the scale of The Giver).  I’m eager to finish this one and see if the reveal is worthy of my admiration.
Secondhand Charm by Julie Berry
Kelly’s already reviewed this one here.  As a fantasy lover (and lover may actually be an understatement in this case), I’m always interested to see what non-fantasy lovers like about the fantasy books they recommend.  That’s the main reason I decided to pick up this one.  So far, I dig the fact that the story is set in a completely different world – I’ve read too many fantasies that are set in our world with magical elements sprinkled in.  Reading fantasy can be a great escape, and this one appears to fit the bill.  And speaking of stories set in our world with magical elements sprinkled in…
Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton
I’m still not sure why I checked this one out.  The cover is really pretty, but that’s usually not enough to convince me to give it a shot.  I think I was drawn to it due to its unusual mythology.  Teenage Teagan is seeing goblins.  Finn Mac Cumhaill, her family’s mysterious visitor from her mother’s adoptive family of Irish travelers, warns her about them and tells her the sidhe follow him wherever he goes.  Danger and adventure ensue.  It’s not bad, but it’s also not a pageturner for me.
The Marvelous Land of Oz adapted by Eric Shanower
I loved Eric Shanower’s adaptation of the first Oz book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and am loving the second book in the series just as much.  It’s no surprise, considering my love for Oz in general.  I’m familiar with Shanower’s illustrations from The Wicked Witch of Oz by Rachel Cosgrove Payes, but hadn’t had a chance to read his writing before.  His adaptations of the books remain true to the originals, restoring a lot of the elements omitted from or changed for the movie (silver shoes, the Good Witch of the North’s kiss).  I like Skottie Young’s illustrations a lot, but I admit that I would have preferred Shanower’s (the first installment gives the reader a few examples of Shanower’s artistic interpretations of the characters).  I’m pleased that the duo intend to bring all of Baum’s Oz books into a graphic format.

Comments

  2. Waiting EAGERLY for your XVI thoughts. I have to agree with you: I thought this would be a lot more about the sexteen issue when it's really a small part.

  3. I started reading this book because the ideas seemed interesting but somehow it bored me, so I didn't finish it.

What I’m Reading Now

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Written by: Kimberly Francisco on July 28, 2010.

In 140 characters or less, what’s on my bedside table, in my car stereo, and blaring from my boom box:

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, by Stieg Larsson
Third in the famous Millennium trilogy, and so far the weakest. Seems like there’s no mystery left, but Larsson keeps writing anyway.

The True Meaning of Smekday, by Adam Rex
I thought Rex showed promise with Fat Vampire, so decided to try his middle grade book about aliens. So far it’s amusing and more cohesive.

Alchemy and Meggy Swann, by Karen Cushman (audio)
Excellent narration and Cushman’s trademark amusing curses – Ye toads and vipers! – bring the streets of 16th century London to life.

Cleopatra: A Life, by Stacy Schiff
Fascinating biography of a woman about whom we actually know very little. Includes info about the honored royal practice of murdering one’s family.

First Light, by Rebecca Stead
I enjoyed Stead’s Newbery winner, and I hope this one, about the far North and a community of people beneath the ice, will be just as wonderfully odd.