Review: The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Lani Taylor.

What You Need to Know:  This urban fantasy is is an amazing, trope- twisting read, and one of my Best Books of 2011.

Summary:  Karou, a blue haired art student living in Prague, lives a double life. Most of the time, she lives like any other college kid, hanging with friends, dating and learning.  What her friends don't know is that Karou's family is a race of half-human/half-animal chimera, lead by Brimstone, a powerful wizard.  Brimstone grants wishes to humans who visit him, and receives payment in teeth.    She illustrates her family  in her sketchbook, capturing her strangely beautiful family in near lifelike detail.  Karou mostly keeps her two worlds separate, except when she is called to do errands by Brimstone. However, when strange hand-shaped burn marks appear on the portals to Brimstone's world, and angelic creatures appear all over the globe, Karou's life changes forever.

What Worked:  This book is amazing.  Beautiful descriptions of Prague, descriptions of a reasonably normal teenage life, and fantastic creatures and happenings work together beautifully to create a seamless, engaging narrative.

What amazed me most about this book is that it managed to surprise me.  Using familiar ideas -- a human raised by monsters, angels, star crossed lovers, a mystical war -- Taylor spun an unexpected and engrossing tale.  It's not my first time at the rodeo, so a fantasy book that brings something new, that keeps me guessing, gets high marks.  Also, this is one book where the romance felt organic and necessary.

Karou is a wonderful character:  funny, tough, talented.   However, she is not inhumanly perfect -- she makes mistakes, takes stupid risks, acts selfishly.   She's a refreshing change from the doormats and Mary Sues that populate teen fantasy romances.

What Didn't:  Honestly, not much.  Some of the supporting characters may be a little thin, but this book is about Karou, and that's where the focus stays.

However -- that cover is terrible -- yes, it makes sense in context, but it's generic and bland.

Who Would I Give this Book To?  Everybody.  Seriously.  There's enough rich world building here to keep fantasy fans interested, enough romance to captivate a Twihard, and the writing quality is strong enough to win over the most dedicated literary fiction fan.

A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine

What You Need To Know: This charming middle grade fantasy combines unique characters with Levine's trademark world-building skill.

Summary:  Elodie is a poor farmer's daughter, who leaves her impoverished, but loving,  home for the city of Two Castles.  Under orders to become an apprentice weaver, Elodie instead seeks to become a mansioner, or actor.  Broke, unused to city life and desperate, Elodie soon attracts the attention of Mastress Meenore, the dragon who lives in Two Castles.  Meenore makes her living selling roasted skewers, but is also a master of deductive reasoning, and solves all types of problems.  Having few other options, Elodie apprentices to Meenore, and soon makes the acquaintance of the ogre Count Jonty Um.  The Count is kind and gentle, but greatly feared. When Jonty Um seeks Meenore's help, Elodie finds herself in the thick of of a mystery. 


What Worked:  This book is so unique, I can think of few other things to compare it too. It crosses genres, plays with fairytale tropes and introduces flawed, but likeable characters.  a It's a fantasy, with dragons, ogres, wicked kings and magic.   It is a mystery, as someone wants to be rid of the Ogre Count, and no-one is what they seem.  It is a coming of age novel, as Elodie learns what work she is best suited for.  


One of my favorite things about this book is how it twists the rules of a fairy tale.  Count Jonty Um, the ogre, seems monstrous. However, he is generous, loves animals, and is kind to Elodie.     The dragon Meenore, although wise, is not beautiful and all powerful.  Instead, Meenore smells like rotten eggs and makes a living heating water and cooking food.   There is a handsome lad, and a princess, but nothing and no-one is as they seem.  


Elodie is a great character, naive but not foolish, head strong, clever and willing to learn from her mistakes.  ITself, Meenore, is also a fantastic character.  Dragons do not reveal their gender, and the Mastress is no exception.  Brilliant but petulant, Meenore teaches Elodie far more than the girl first realizes.  


What Didn't:  Honestly, I think this book was just about perfect.  However, if you were looking for a more traditional fairy tale, this book would just seem odd to you.  


Who Would I Give This Book To: This title skews a little younger than what I normally review, and would best suit a middle grade audience.  Fans of fractured fairy tales, strong girls, and Levine's other books will eat this up.  

Red Glove by Holly Black

What You Need To Know:  Cassel and his fascinating world of magic and crime return, in this strong second volume of The Curse Workers. 


Summary:  After discovering his gift, and how his brothers misused it, Cassel has more problems then ever.  Mom's out of jail, working her own game, and the girl he adores has been cursed to love him -- which sucks.  But when Cassel's brother turns up dead, and the feds want his help, he'll have to run the greatest con of all to make it out alive. 


What works:  Cassel Sharp is awesome, and Black nails his voice.  An honorable guy in a deeply dishonorable world, he's far from perfect.   Cassel is tempted, and makes mistakes just like any high school age guy would.  What makes Cassel awesome is that he uses his brains and skills to get himself out of trouble, and Black avoids the "magic fixes EVERYTHING" problem that fantasy writers can fall into. 


Although the central mystery at the core of this book is slightly less compelling than the first Curse Workers volume, Black manages to keep the suspense high, and work in a few surprises along the way.  As always, the world building is expertly done, showing instead of telling, and all in service to the story. 


What Didn't:   To me, the political subplot felt trite and overdone.  Yes, its good for a zinger in the end, and Black does her best to work it into the central mystery, but all in all, I could have lived without it.   


Who would I give this book to:  I think that this series would be a great choice for kids who grew up on Harry Potter, but are ready to move on to darker fare.   Guys who like the paranormal, but are iffy about romance would like it too.  

Tortall and Other Lands by Tamora Pierce

What you need to know:  This collection of short stories, some previously published, expands the Tortall universe, visits some familiar characters, and gives an intriguing look at what else this popular writer is capable of.  


Summary:  In many of these 9 short stories, Pierce revisits Tortall, setting for the Song of the Lioness, The Immortals, and the Protector of the Small.   Some major characters, such as Kitten from The Immortals and Nawat from Trickster's Choice are expanded on, and other characters, such as the Shang Unicorn and the Darklings get spotlight stories. 


What worked:  Although many of these stories have appeared in previous anthologies, it is nice to have them all collected.  There were stories here that I was not aware of, even as a Pierce fan.  


In the Tortall tales, "The Dragon's Tale" told from the POV of the orphan dragon Skysong, was the most surprising story, but fans will probably gravitate to "Nawat", as it continue's Aly's saga from the Trickster books.  Other fantasy stories are set outside of Tortall,  of these,  "Mimic" and "Plain Magic", are particularly well done.  Plain Magic, Pierce's first published story, picks up on the theme of "practical" magic  that she would revisit in the Circle of Magic books and "Mimic" is an engaging take on dragonlore.  


For me, the most intriguing story was "Huntress",  an urban fantasy.  Pierce is so strongly affiliated (in my mind at least) with the high fantasy of Alanna the Lioness that it was shocking to see her take on a contemporary setting.   The story is not perfect, but it does raise interesting questions of faith and answered prayers. 


What Didn't:  The stories "Elder Brother,"and  "The Hidden Girl,"  set in a part of Tortall that has a Taliban-like religion felt a little preachy.  "Testing",  a contemporary story set in a group home, is a fascinating look at Pierce's prior experiences, but says very little new about the setting or the girls who live there.  


Who would I give this book to?  Because more than half of the stories deal with Tortall and its environs, the audience for this book may be limited to Pierce's fans.  

Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce

What you need to know: Pierce returns to Tortall, but opens new lands in this exciting, well written fantasy.

Summary: Aly, daughter of Alanna the Lioness and former rogue George Cooper, has a reputation as an empty-headed flirt. In truth, Aly is smart and determined, but the work she's best suited for -- espionage -- is forbidden to her by her parents. Sailing off in a fit of pique, Aly is taken captive by pirates and sold as a slave in the Copper Isles. While planning her escape, Aly makes a wager with Kyrpioth, the trickster god of the Isles. If Aly can keep her master's charges safe for the summer, Kyrpioth will return Aly to her home. Taking the wager, Aly discovers that the Balitang daughters, Dove and Sarai, are at the heart of a rebellion, where the dark skinned natives will overthrow their conquerers.

What worked: Full disclosure time -- I love Tamora Pierce. I love everything she's ever written. All of it. She and Neil Gaiman are tied as my favorite writer of all time. So, in my opinion, this book is nearly perfect.

But, you probably want anyalsis. Fine. Aly is a great feminist heroine. She's smart and strong and detemined to make her own choices. However, she's not perfect. She makes mistakes, she gets distracted.  She might be god chosen, but she's still human.   

An interesting aspect of this book is how it looks at power dynamics.  Aly choses to be a slave so that she may go unnoticed by the enemies of the Balitang family.  The native raka are thought to be sub-human by their luarin conquerers, which allows the raka to plot without fear of discovery.    

Aly also has a unique romance, as her suitor is a crow-turned-man.  This gives the book some welcome humor, as Aly's swain tries to court her by feeding her bugs and giving her sparkly stones.  

What Didn't:  O.K. -- raging fangirl, remember? 

However,  there are a LOT of characters in this book.  It can be difficult to keep them all straight. Also, without a prior knowledge of the women of Tortall, I'm not sure if this book works as well. 

However:  There's a cast of characters listing.  And if you haven't read the Tortall books, shame on you.  

Who would I give this book too:  I recommend Pierce's books all the time.  To everybody.  However, this one would work best for readers who've enjoyed Pierce's other books.  

Unwritten: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity by Mike Carey and Peter Gross

What You Need to Know:  This is a clever, violent take on the power of story that will frustrate readers who want to know more.

Summary:  Tom Taylor's father was the creator of a beloved fantasy book series.  Wilson Taylor's boy wizard was named Tommy Taylor, and Tom (the man) now lives in the shadow of Tommy (the fictional boy).  When scandal erupts around Tom and his missing father, he goes looking for answers, and finds violence and secrets.

What Works:  Carey is a hell of a writer, and he is on familiar ground here, where the fantastic and the mundane meet.   I was impressed by the strong characterizations on display here.  Tom is an jerk,  but understandably since his "fame" has him trapped.  I also liked the character of Lizzie Hexam, mostly because she reminded me of Thessaly one of my favorite characters of all time. The art works well for the story, being realistic but not overly detailed.  The colorists, Chris Chuckry and Jeanne McGee deserve credit, as the use of shadow in this book is really striking.  

For me, the strongest part of the book is not Tom's story, but the piece at the end "How the Whale Became" detailing Rudyard Kipling's interactions with the same shadowy group who seems to be targeting Tom.  Beautifully written and drawn, this segment really lets letterer Todd Klein shine, as the text, and how it's presented is integral to the story.

What Didn't:  Mostly, this book suffers from being the first in the series.  It has "when are we going to get to the fireworks factory"  syndrome.  I want to know more.  What happened to Tom's dad?  Who are the shadowy figures commanding the killer who shows up in the last act?  What does Lizzie have to do with any of this?  They'll probably tell me in the next book.  While I will continue reading, it was frustrating not to get more answers.

Also, while the art in this book is well done, it pales in comparison to Yuko Shimizu's original series covers, also included here.  Shimizu's artwork is breathtaking, detailed and exquisitely covered.

However:  I know the reasoning behind having a different cover artist.  I just don't like it.

Who Would I Give this Book To:  Given the large amounts of violence and cursing on display here, this is definitely an older teen/adult title.   Harry Potter fans who are ready to move on to more mature books, people who like a modern horror story and fans of long arc fantasy fiction are the most likely to enjoy this book.

Also Note:  The Magicians by Lev Grossman would be an interesting paring with this book, as both involve young men figuring out that the worlds they've always assumed are fictional are actually real.

Mother and Daughter Book Review: Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword

I'd like to introduce a new feature on the Merideth Says blog: Mother and Daughter Book Reviews. 

My daughter Mari is 9 years old, and a 3rd grade student.  She is very interested in this reviewing thing that eats up so much of Mom's time, and wants to try it.  So, here is our first joint review, of Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch.  

Note: Mari and I tried to record this as a podcast, but had some technical issues, so for this one, we just have the transcript! 

Me:  O.K. -- it's our first book review together, and we're going to talk about Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword. So, if you had to describe this book in just a few sentences, how would you? 

Mari:  It was amazing and the artwork was wonderful.  It had a good storyline and I liked how she produced it.  

Me:  I would say it was a good adventure story with an unusual lead character and setting.   Can you tell me what the book was about? 

Mari:  It's about an Orthodox Jewish girl named Mirka, who has a stepsister named Rachel, and an older sister named Gittel, who is always talking about getting married, and she has a little brother.  They live in Hereville.  One day, Mirka sees a woman floating, cutting wood, and she takes her friends to see her.  When they're there, she eats a grape and a big pig chases her.  The pig won't leave her alone until she ropes it and rides it underwater.  Then she saves the pig from bullies so the witch tells her where to find a wonderful sword as a reward.  

Me:  Why does Mirka want a sword?

Mari: Mirka dreams about fighting dragons.  She has a book of monsters, which isn't a Jewish book, and she's not supposed to have it.   She needs the sword to fight. 

Me:  Well, that makes sense.  What did you like best about this book? 

Mari:  Well, that's hard!  There are three things:  the artwork, the storyline, and her stepmother.   I liked the artwork because it was realistic without being like "oh, this line is two millimeters too long, arghghghghg!"  and it wasn't "oh, I'm sorry that I didn't draw noses or mouths on anybody".  It was the perfect balance.  My goal when I grow up is to be a comics artist and win an Eisner award, so I always look at the art first.  

Me:  I liked the artwork too, but I thought that it was a little distracting because some of the closeups were more realistic than the far away scenes.  

Mari:  That's bad? 

Me:  No, but it did take me out of the story a little bit.  What did you like about the story. 

Mari:  I liked Mirka!  I liked that she was "spunky" but not "grrr...kill kill kill".  I liked that she was a Jewish girl, because my dad is Jewish, and you don't see many Jewish girls in fantasy books. 

Me:  I liked that she was Jewish too, and a Orthodox Jew at that. It was interesting to see a different way of life.  But she had to break some rules to have her adventures though, didn't she? 

Mari:  Oh, yeah.

Me:  You said that you liked her stepmother, why?

Mari:  Well, she was argumentative, feisty and liked to fight.  She's just like me!  

Me: I have some things in common with the stepmother too.  I think she was my favorite character.  Is there anything you didn't like about this book, or thought the book could have done better? 

Mari: No, not really.  It was pretty close to perfect.  There's just one thing. The witch didn't really look like a witch, I liked that she didn't look cheesy, like a Halloween witch, but she really just looked like a creepy old lady. 

Me:  I don't think I would change anything either.  I do wish it had been in color, because I think it would attract more readers, but I think the kind of brown, sepia tones work for Mirka's kind of old fashioned way of life.   So, who would you give this book to? 

Mari:  I would give it to kids my age, mostly girls, but boys too.  Boys need to read about spunky girls.  I would give it to people who like fantasy books.  

Me:  I think it's a good book for grade school kids, but I also think it would be a good book for adults too.  Maybe even adults who don't know much about comics. 

Mari:  That's a great idea!  Because comics are good books.  A lot of grownups don't realize that.  

Me:  Yes, comics are good books.  And a lot of grownups don't understand that.  Maybe we should talk about that next time.  Are we going to do this again? 

Mari:  Hopefully.  

Books I Couldn't Finish: Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves

Total Pages: 86 out of 505

Why Didn't You Finish It:  As much as I hate to admit it, this book was too gross for me. 

Look, I'm a big girl, I don't expect a book about serial killing sisters to be all sweetness and light.  Gore comes with the subject.

Reeves is a great writer, her characters are interesting, Portero is a great setting.  However, when the two sisters eviscerate a man and leave him, alive, and watch while animals eat his entrails.... I'm done. 

What?  I read at lunch a lot.

Dissenting Opinions? As always

Page Turners
Bookalicio.us
Novel Thoughts

Bottom Line:  This book is a good read for the strong of stomach stomach and the open of mind.  While I have plenty of the latter, I failed to measure up on the former.

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

What You Need To Know:  This is a beautifully written epic fantasy with an interesting take on gender roles that suffers slightly from being overcomplicated and a bit too long.


Summary:  Years ago, the Kingdom of Lumatere was placed under a curse.  Now, half of its population lives as exiles in other kingdoms, while the other half is trapped inside the dark realm.  Finnikin, who was close to the royal family of Lumatere as a child, now travels the world seeking assistance for the exiles.  When a mysterious young woman claims to have the key to lifting the curse and reclaiming their home, Finnikin must assume a role he has both coveted and feared. 

What worked:  Marchetta is an amazing writer, with a gift for creating compelling characters.  Finnikin, the girl Evanjalin, the adults who surround them -- all are clearly drawn and interesting.  Marchetta also juggles the various elements of a complex plot well.  My favorite aspect of this book was its use of femininity, and the benefits and perils therein.  Femaleness (for lack of a better word) is a key issue in this book, and Marchetta trades on her characters and readers expectations of women and their roles to good effect. 

What didn't:  As interesting as the various characters are, there are a LOT of them, and not all of them are neccessary to the plot.  The plot itself is a bit over designed, and a casual reader might lose track of the all of the comings and goings, backstory and foreshadowing.  Also, the last 50 pages of the book are a letdown, as the climatic event has taken place, and its all over but the shouting.

However:  My tolerance for the conventions of "high fantasy" is notoriously low.  I don't need to know about everybody's ancestors and homelands, but some readers enjoy that type of worldbuilding.

Who would I give this book to?  Teen readers who are ready to move on from the strong female characters of Garth Nix and Tamora Pierce.  Guys with a taste for epic fantasy a la LOTR. 

Return of the Dapper Men by Jim McCann and Janet Lee.

What You Need to Know:  This is a beautifully produced, magnificently illustrated graphic novel, that suffers slightly from an obtuse story. 


Summary:  In Andorev, where there is no time, robots live above ground, tending tasks that have lost their meaning.  Children live underground, constantly creating, never asking why.  The robots and the children do not mingle, except for Zoe, a silent girl robot and Ayden, a boy child who asks questions even if there are no answers.

Andorev changes forever with the appearance of the Dapper Men, 314 nattily dressed gentlemen who fall from the sky.  One of the Dapper Men, 41, finds Ayden and Zoe, and shows them what they have forgotten.  


What Works:  This book is breathtaking.  Lee's artwork is spectacular, combining hand coloring with decoupage to create a surreal, intricate landscape inhabited by distinct but similar characters.  Archaia has given this book the deluxe hardcover treatment, and the oversized hardcover does justice to the high caliber artwork on display. 


What Doesn't:  McCann, best known as a superhero writer, is attempting to tell a mythic fable here, and doesn't quite achieve it.  The motives of the Dapper Men, what happened to Andorev, the history of the children and robots are more implied than told.  As a result, this fairy tale story of lost time and eternal children will resonate more with adults than with children, making this an all ages title that most kids will struggle with. 


However:  Adults will adore this volume, it is unique in the graphic novel category, and a good example of an independent graphic novel.  


Who Would I Give This Book Too:  Art lovers, adults, fellow librarians.  

Royal Historian of Oz #1

Royal Historian of Oz #1
Tommy Kovac and Andy Hirsch
Diamond Comics Order Code 978-1-59362-194-9
Slave Labor Graphics

It is very unusual for me to read a monthly comic.  I am totally a wait-for-the-trades type of girl.  However, when the editor-in-chief puts a comic in your hand, and tells you he thinks you’ll like it, a lady feels an obligation, you know?

In the near future, teen Frank Frizzle has had it with his dad.  Dad’s a writer who is obsessed with becoming the “Royal Historian of Oz” -- the author who continues the legacy of Frank L. Baum by writing new stories.  However, Jasper Frizzle’s Oz stories are terrible, and Frizzle family is in a constant state of near poverty.   However, when Jasper Frizzle discovers a way to travel to Oz, he sees it as his ticket to legitimacy.  So he starts borrowing (a.k.a stealing) people and things from Oz, and brings them to this world for “research”.  This of course attracts attention in Oz, and the powers that be decide to do a little “borrowing” of their own...

Stuff I Love: Percy Jackson and the Olympians

(Sorry about the late post guys! I had to work Sunday, and the kidlet got a nosebleed after she fell asleep, so last night was kind of hectic.)

Anyway, on to (belated) Stuff I Love.

I hesitated to write a post about Percy Jackson, because I’m late to the party. I’ll be honest, when the first book came out way back in 2005, I ignored it. I saw it on the VOYA Top Shelf Fiction List and the School Library Journal Best Books; but, I didn’t read it. It just… didn’t look like my kind of book.

Fast forward 5 years to a darkened movie theater playing one of those annoying trailers that aren’t trailers. You know, the ones that they try to disguise as “sneak peaks” but are really just extended commercials? Well, this one is for The Lightning Thief, and the main actress is talking about her character, Annabeth Chase as “intelligent and fierce.” My 8 year old daughter looks at me and says “We are SO there.”

However, one of the hard and fast rules in our house is “No Book/No Movie.” You must read the book before you see the film. The only exception to this rule is Lord of the Rings because asking an 8 year old to tackle Tolkien is a bit much, even for us.

So, we started listening to the audio-book of The Lightning Thief. Before long, we got hooked.

Movie Review: Disney's Alice In Wonderland

Disney's Alice in Wonderland

Directed by Tim Burton

Starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Mia Wasikowska, Anne Hathaway and Crispin Glover.

Although it’s against geek orthodoxy, I’ve never been a big Alice in Wonderland fan. I’ve always liked the elements of Wonderland, particularly the Red Queen, but not the book itself.

It’s not really that surprising though, seeing as the book is rife with talking animals, and according to this article in the New Scientist the whole book is really about algebra. As we’ve discussed before, talking animals are a big NO in my book, and the same goes for books about math. (I’ve hated The Phantom Tollbooth for well unto two decades, ever sense my 6th grade reading teacher forced it upon me.)

Again, fighting the geek consensus, but I’m at best a casual Tim Burton fan. My favorite movie of his, The Nightmare Before Christmas, really isn’t his, it’s Henry Selick’s. Burton is just too strange for me sometimes. I like weirdness (seen every episode of The Prisoner, remain oddly fascinated with Lady Gaga) but there has to be a point behind it, and sometimes, I think Burton …doesn’t really have one.

Taking those to things into account, I wasn’t really looking forward to seeing Disney’s Alice in Wonderland. The trailers made it look like Mad Hatter --Plus Alice! However, I have an 8 year old who likes spunky girl stories and a husband who’s much more invested in Tim Burton than I am, so we went.

And surprisingly, I liked it. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would.

Foiled by Jane Yolen and Mike Cavallaro.

I love Jane Yolen.  She’s one of the first fantasy writers I read as a little geekling.    So, when it was first announced that she was writing a graphic novel, I was excited, but cautious. 

I shouldn’t have worried.  Foiled is a great book.  In fact, it’s so great; I’m calling it one of the best books of 2010.

Our heroine is Aliera Carstairs.  Her passion is fencing, but her dedication to the sport sets her apart from other teens.  There aren’t many fencing cliques at your average public high school.   Her other hobby is role playing games, a pastime she shares with her wheel-chair bound cousin Caroline. Aliera navigates a narrow circuit of school, fencing practice and gaming, all of her equipment in tow, including the practice foil Aliera’s mom picked up at a tag sale.  It’s a good weapon, except for the cheesy red jewel on the hilt.  

Aliera’s narrow world is shaken with the arrival of Avery.  Avery is unlike any boy Aliera has ever met.  For one thing, Avery is beautiful and super charming.   He is also way, way, way into the dissection unit in biology.   Aleria knows something is off about Avery, but agrees to go out with him anyway.  It’s while waiting for him at Grand Central Station that she learns the truth about Avery and what the deal is with that red jewel.

What makes this book magical is how the typical teen tropes – outsider girl, beautiful boy with a secret, mystical foreboding – are used in fresh and unexpected ways.   I knew going in that there was something off about Avery, but I was surprised by the direction that it took.  What I liked most about Foiled is that it is Aleria’s story, unlike a lot teen books, where the girl who is supposed to be the main character is little more than a plot point for the more interesting mysterious boy.  Yolen does drop some hints about Aliera and her family that never really get picked up on, but I’m hoping that means there’s a sequel in the works. 

As much as I love Yolen’s writing, a big part of this book’s appeal is in Mike Cavallaro’s artwork. Clean and deceptively uncomplicated, it’s a perfect match for the story.   His characters are simply drawn, but expressive.  Aliera’s scowls and sardonic half-smiles tell you a lot about her personality without a word of dialogue.   Without being too spoiler-y, I can say that the coloring in this book is not only a major plot point,  but is beautiful in it’s own right. 

This is definitely a teen book, but adults and even tweens will enjoy Aleria’s adventures.  I’m recommending it to everyone I know, so go read it! 

Stuff I Love: Sandman

So, I’m a comic book geek.

I probably read two graphic novels for every prose book.  Part of this is professional; for a long time, I was the only librarian in my system who knew anything about comics, and who would buy them.  The other part is personal – I just really like comics.

This is not surprising; a lot of librarians are comic book geeks.  We’re a geeky tribe after all, and the 9^th art nerds have to represent.  But my journey into comics is a little bit different.

Or, as I tell my husband, blame Sandman.

I didn’t read comics as a kid.  As a child of the 80’s, I’m not sure there were a lot of comics to read.  Also, I was “gifted” and read high above my grade level.  My mom, on the advice of innumerable teachers, kept me on a steady diet of Newbery winners and children’s classics.    I didn’t really discover comics until I was an adult. 

One of the first I picked up was Sandman by Neil Gaiman.  I knew Gaiman’s name, kind of.  As a fan of BBC science fiction, it was sort of familiar to me.  Looking at comics as a field, his name came up a lot.  I knew that Sandman was a horror/fantasy hybrid.   I wasn’t expecting much, going into it.  I was buying books for a library collection, and just had to get a feeling for it. 

The first Sandman collection Prelude and Noctunes, gave me the kind of visceral response that I think people look for in a horror comic.  I think I would have stopped reading there, if it hadn’t been for the last story in the volume. If the horror story “24 Hours” was a punch in the stomach, “The Sound of Her Wings” was a kiss on the forehead, one of the most beautiful and moving stories that I had ever read – in prose or comics. 

I had to keep reading.  An author who could do that, who could make me tear up over feeding pigeons, needed more attention. 

Stuff I Love: Howl's Moving Castle

I’ve decided that every Sunday night, I’m going to post about something that I 100% adore. 

This week, it’s Howl’s Moving Castle. 

I first read Howl’s Moving Castle when I was about 16 years old or so.  I was going through my “I only read CLASSICS” stage; I would sniff disdainfully at my peers who had a Stephen King or a Dean Koontz under their arm, and proclaim the superiority of Elizabethan playwrights. 

I was not a popular kid.

However, I did have a shamefaced secret.  I was a voracious and indiscriminate fantasy reader.  I haunted a used paperback store near my house, and gobbled up all of the dragons, knights and damsels I could get my hands on.  Unfortunately, since I was shopping at a junky used book store, I read a lot of crap.  Sometimes, it seems like any author who can spell dragon thinks they can write a fantasy novel.  Most of these were straight up Tolkien rip-offs.  Some took Star Wars as their guiding text.  Others just novelized the D&D handbook. Objectively, I would say that 85%  of what I read was terrible.

I remember the day I found Howl’s Moving Castle on the shelf.  In my memory, it was shrouded by a golden glow, in a shaft of divine light, but I’m pretty sure that wasn’t the case.  It cost $1.50, which was a whole hour of babysitting for me.  Normally, I only paid $0.25 for my paperbacks; but something told me to blow my budget for this one.