Ongoing New Year's resolution: I am determined to do read more books this year than I did last year, even if that includes books for class. So, this is a running update on books in my life. Currently a very short list.

June 22, 2006
Date me, baby, one more time by Stephanie Rowe. Published by Warner Forever, this was much better than Bitten & Smitten, which I disparaged earlier. Justine has been the Guardian of the Goblet of Eternal Youth for over 200 hundred years. The males of the LaVelle clan have been cursed not to live beyond their 31st birthday and Daniel is determined to break the curse before he dies of some bizarre circumstance, but the only way he can break the curse is to behead the Guardian of the Goblet of Eternal Youth. However, they find themselves more attracted to dating than to killing each other and well, the powers that be aren't happy with that.

June 20, 2006
The third heiress by Brenda Joyce. This is a re-read, but I am contemplating doing this book for my booktalk in my Adult Popular Literature class. Jill's fiance, Hugh, dies in a car accident and she accompanies his body back to England. There, she receives a cold welcome from his family and discovers that Hugh had been obsessed with Kate, a woman who had been friends with one of his ancestors almost a century ago until she mysteriously disappeared one night. As Jill delves into Hugh's obsession, family secrets begin to be revealed.
Double take by Brenda Joyce. Also a consideration for booktalking. Kait's twin sister, Lana, doesn't stay in touch with her, but when she does, Kait does anything she asks. This time Lana asks Kait to switch places with her for a couple of days because someone's targeting Lana for money, Kait does so without question and finds herself caught up in Lana's husband, daughters, and everything.

June 19, 2006
Gunpowder green by Laura Childs. Second in the Indigo Tea Shop mystery series set in Charleston, SC. When a gun misfires and kills Oliver Downe at the annual boat races, Theodosia Browning starts wondering if it really was an accident. Yummy tea recipes included.

June 18, 2006
The Little Guide to Your Well-read Life by Steve Leveen. I didn't really learn anything about reading that I don't already do or know, but I was curious about this book when I was at work a few weeks ago. It was a bit painful to me to read that he encouraged writing in books, though.
Fly by night by Frances Hardinge. First novel for this author, it caught my eye because the front cover is a picture of the heroine, Mosca, covered by a big banner that says "What if all books were BANNED?" Banned is in huge font, larger than the title's font, so I kept thinking the book was titled "Banned". Mosca's father died when she was 12, leaving her with the dubious talent of being able to read in a world where people are scared of unapproved printed materials. She latches on to a smooth-talker, something Clement, to take her away from the village she's living in and they end up in the midst of spying, conspiracies, and unapproved printed materials. Hardinge's writing isn't snappy, is a bit stilted in places, but develops an interesting story. Pace could be sped up a little and maybe cut in a few places, but not a bad read.
Death by Darjeeling by Laura Childs. First in the Indigo Tea Shop mystery series. Theodosia Browning, tea shop owner, caters tea for one of Charleston, SC's garden tours. The night seems successful until one of the garden visitors is found dead after a cuppa something and it looks like one of Theo's assistants may have slipped something extra into the cup.

June 13, 2006
The Dream-Maker's Magic by Sharon Shinn. I like Sharon Shinn a lot. Her writing is smooth, her stories are soft and whimsical yet laced with a bit of sad reality (not darkness, just sad reality). Kellen has always grown up knowing that her mother wanted a boy to raise and just accepted being treated as such by her mother. When Kellen befriends Gabriel, a boy with twisted legs, they develop a friendship which sustains both of them through their growing years and dreams. In the series with The Safe-Keeper's Secret and The Truth-Teller's Tale, but it isn't necessary to read them in order.
Moon-called by Patricia Briggs. Can't remember the main character's name now, but she's a walker, able to change to a coyote at will, of Native American descent. She's a mechanic who gets caught up in a conspiracy among the werewolves and a few vampires, but manages to make it through. The cover is meant to elicit more salacious thoughts than "if you like Kelley Armstrong, try this book."
If I have a wicked stepmother, where's my prince? by Melissa Kantor. Also can't remember the main character's name, but she's like Cinderella - stepmother who doesn't care about her and blame all of life's wrongs on her, and two stepsisters who manage to get all the blame shifted from them to her. Then the head basketball player starts taking an interest in her and life somewhat perks up.

June 12, 2006
Bait and Switch by Darlene Gardner. I don't really remember what this is about... probably has twins in it?

June 10, 2006
Kushiel's Scion by Jacqueline Carey. Long-awaited story of Imriel. Follow-up to the Kushiel's Legacy trilogy of Kushiel's Dart, Kushiel's Chosen, and Kushiel's Avatar. Scion is not as dark as Phedre's books, but Imriel has his struggles in determining who he is. His mother, Melissande, left him a legacy tainted with betrayal and Imriel spends many years trying to overcome that. Very sweet coming-of-age. I'm just impatient for the next book. Love Jacqueline Carey.

June 9, 2006
Unholy death in Princeton by Ann Waldron. Book three in the series. McLeod is back in the vicinity of Princeton - Princeton Seminary to be exact. This time she isn't teaching but doing research. However, the death of a student raise some questions about the faithfullness and devotion that is given to God. This reads more as the author's commentary of religion in the guise of a mystery novel. Still holds true to McLeod's character though.

June 8, 2006
Death of a Princeton President by Ann Waldron. McLeod is teaching a second round of a writing class at Princeton. When the University's President is found strangled and folded into her closet, McLeod's students again, including the President's daughter, undertake an investigation of possible suspects.

June 7, 2006
The Princeton Murders by Ann Waldron. McLeod is happy to accept a semester-long visiting instructor position at Princeton. When members of the English department start dying, McLeod's students begin an investigation to find the culprit.
Response by Penny Jordan. This is actually a manga version of Penny Jordan's novel published by Harlequin in its Violet line. After the death of Sienna's father, she goes to live in London, where she works as temp in a temp agency. One day she temps for Alexei and falls in love with him, only to discover that she was part of his plot for revenge.

June 6, 2006
The thief by Megan Whalen Turner. I'd read this awhile back, but saw that the third book in the trilogy came out so I decided to re-read this. Eugeniedes is a thief. A thief so good, he is caught stealing and gets thrown in the King's dungeon. Then the King's advisor wants Gen to steal an ancient treasure from a neighboring kindgom and if Gen gets caught again, he gets to suffer the consequences on his own. Really well-written, funny and clever.
The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner. The Queen of Attolia was not happy to be made a fool of by Gen. When Gen is caught spying on the Queen, she makes a choice that turns his life upside down. Poignant, not quite as funny as The thief, but is still very clever.
The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner. Chostis finds himself in the service of the King of Attolia and can't figure out if he hates it or is proud of it. This is a book about strategy and psychology, but still told in Turner's style.

June 5, 2006
Red River volume 4 by Chie Shinohara.

June 4, 2006
The Well of Tears by Cecelia Dart-Thornton. Like her The Bitterbynde trilogy, this second book is better than the first. This is the story of Jewel, who has inherited from her mother, beauty, and from her father, invulnerableness to almost all forms of destruction save old age and mistletoe. Jewel, knowing her heritage, longs to enter the Dome of Strang, the bane of her father's family, and no one will sway her from her path.

June 3, 2006
Alice 19th volumes 3-7 by Yu Watase. Alice and Kyo continue their quest to become Neo-Masters, discover the lost words of the Lotis Masters, and save Maruya. I'm finding Watase's heroines to be too fragile... I hope Ayashi no Ceres isn't as sappy.

June 2, 2006
The Iron Tree by Cecelia Dart-Thornton. The first of a new series, I decided I had to try it out. I'd read Dart-Thornton's Bitterbynde trilogy a couple of years ago and though I found her writing a bit stiff and expository, I loved the twining of Celtic and Welsh legends. One aspect to her writing that impressed me was the development of the world, the society, she's writing about and gives lots of detail, just some of it in a very spoon-fed narrative manner. Her exposition slowed the pace of the books, but skipping ahead a page helped. The Iron Tree is the story of Jarred, who lives in the desert with his mother. Jarred has grown up wearing an amulet which protects him from all harm and one day, safe in this invulnerableness, Jarred decides to go adventuring with some friends. They happen upon the marshland, where Jarred discovers the young maiden Lilith, the beauty of the marshland. As much as the young couple are in love, there is a curse on Lilith's family which will keep them apart. This book was quite a narrative, rather boring to some extent, but I persevered out of curiousity and because I believe the second book in the series will be much better.
Alice 19th volumes 1-2 by Yu Watase. Alice's older sister Maruya is a pretty typical older sister - popular, pretty, smart, athletic - while Alice is very introverted. Sad day that they are in love with the same boy, Kyo, but Maruya isn't afraid to let Kyo know, while Alice can't bring herself to say anything. Then one day, during an argument, Alice wishes that Maruya would disappear, and she discovers the power that words can have, especially when spoken from one who is a newly-discovered Lotis Master.

June 1, 2006 Society Girls by Sarah Mason. I don't remember the main character's name anymore, but it starts with a C. C is in retreat at her parents' house after being fired from her job. While C's trying to figure out what to do next, her reporter sister, Holly, comes home with exciting news and a possible story lead - high society columnist Emma has disappeared one week before her wedding; a wedding which no one knew about. Holly ropes C into sleuthing and they begin trekking all around England and France to find out what happened.

May 30, 2006
The Wallflower volume 6. A brief reminiscence of how the boys came to live at the house and an introduction to Sunako's parents.

May 29, 2006
The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle. Book 1 of the trilogy. Kate and Emily are orphaned sisters who are sent to live with their greats and uncle, none of whom they've ever met. Kate is certain, however, that the Goblin King is out to get her and she does all she can to protect herself and Emily. Very clever, no weeping damsels in distress here.
Close Kin by Clare B. Dunkle. Book 2 of the trilogy. Emily is all grown-up but she manages to miss the fact that childhood friend Seylin wants to marry her. When heartbroken Seylin decides to venture out in search of elves, Emily realizes that she misses Seylin and goes to find him.
In the Coils of the Snake by Clare B. Dunkle. Book 3 of the trilogy. Miranda was raised by the Goblin King to be a wife to his son, Catspaw, the future Goblin King. Catspaw was quite willing to marry Miranda until the opportunity arose for him to marry an elf maiden. Heartbroken Miranda is taken captive by the leader of the elves and life is all tangled.

May 28, 2006
Death at Blenheim Palace by Robin Paige. This is part of a series, but I didn't know it when I started. Charles and Kate Sheridan are guests of the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough at Blenheim Palace. When the Duke and his young mistress disappear, that wreaks havoc for everyone involved.
Red River volumes 1-3 by Chino Shinohara. After receiving her first kiss, Yuri is ecstatic. However, she is not so ecstatic when strange arms appear out of water to pull her in. She ends up in a medieval version of Turkey, where the queen wants to use Yuri as a sacrifice in creating a curse to kill off the five oldest sons of the king. The third son, Prince Kail, becomes Yuri's unlikely protector.

May 27, 2006
Kare Kano volumes 5-8.
The Wallflower volume 5.

May 25, 2006
Magic Lessons by Justine Larbalestier. Book 2 of the trilogy. Can't remember the main character's name, but it starts with a R... I think. Here, R discovers more about her magic-driven insane mother and magic-powerful grandmore, Esmeralda. This book moved kind of slow and was a tad predictable (the thing that happened to Esmerelda and R's mom at ages 15 happened to R too). The trilogy started off well, but this book sagged a bit.

May 24, 2006
The Sisters Grimm: The Unusual Suspects by Michael Buckley. Book 2 of the trilogy. Sabrina and her young sister, D, have finally started going to school. Something weird is going on, though, and it might be connected to the disappearance of their parents.

May 21, 2006
The Queen in Winter. An anthology of winter-related stories by Claire Delacroix, Sharon Shinn, Sarah Monette, and someone I don't remember. The story by Sharon Shinn relates to a character in The Thirteenth House.

May 20, 2006
The Lost Garden by Anthony Elgin. The follow-up to The Blue Rose, intrepid gardener Lawrence decides to undertake a massive garden restoration project on an estate inherited by an American woman. However, a decomposed body is found and the answers leading to why also lead to a shady history.
Kare Kano volumes 1-3 by Masami Tsuda.

May 19, 2006
Fushigi Yuugi volume 18 by Yu Watase.

May 18, 2006
A Perfect Day for Love Letters by George Asakura. A graphic novel of short stories about love letters.

May 17, 2006
The Seduction Night of an English Scoundrel by Jillian Hunter.

May 16, 2006
Fushigi Yuugi volume 15 by Yu Wastase.

May 15, 2006
The Wallflower volumes 3-4.

May 14, 2006
The Wallflower volumes 1-2 by Tomoko Hayakawa. Four beautiful, gorgeous, popular guys have the opportunity to live rent-free in a fabulous mansion, but only if they can turn their landlady's reclusive niece into a lady. Kyohei, Ranmaru, Takenaga, and Yurinoki have no idea how stubborn Sunako is and how much she shies away from leaving her dark, slasher-movie filled room.

May 13, 2006
The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy-tale Detectives by Michael Buckley. I actually got a free copy of this book last year at ALA in Chicago - signed by Michael Buckley. Gotta love free books. Sabrina and her sister are sent to live with their Grandmother Grimm after their parents mysteriously disappear. Sabrina wants to find out what happened out their parents, but Grandmother Grimm is hot on a new case.

May 12, 2006
The Thirteenth House by Sharon Shinn. The second book in her new series, this features Kirra, one of the mystics in the unlikely band brought together in Mystic and Rider.
Fushigi Yuugi volume 14.

May 11, 2006
The Wedding Night of an English Rogues by Jillian Hunter.

May 10, 2006
Gunslinger Girl volumes 2 and 3 by Yu Aida. A deeper look into the conditioning of Henrietta and Angelica.
Specials by Scott Westerfeld. The conclusion to the Uglies trilogy! I was so relieved to finally get this book - I've been caressing it because it's been my treat for getting through finals. Now that Tally is special, what lengths will she go to to keep the Smokies from curing everyone?

May 8, 2006
Neon Genesis Evangelion volumes 2-9 by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto. The ongoing war between humans and Evas against the Angels. Rei is the First child, Asuka is the Second child, and Shinji is the Third child - all of them are humanity's defense against a potential Third Impact that could destroy the world.

May 7, 2006
The Love Affair of an English Lord by Jillian Hunter. Chloe is sent to a quiet town to polish up her tarnished reputation. In her attempts to gain respectability, she never expected the supposedly-dead Dominic to show up her in lingerie trunk, very much alive. Very witty and sweet.
Fushigi Yugi volumes 12 and 13 by Yu Watase. Yui has called the god Seiryuu and sealed the powers of the god Suzaku and the warriors. What will Miaka do?

May 6, 2006
Fushigi Yugi volumes 10 and 11 by Yu Watase.

May 3, 2006
A yellow raft in blue water by Michael Dorris. My last reading for YA lit for the semester. These three stories are three generations of women and how the choices they made affected each other.

May 1, 2006
Fushigi Yugi volume 4 by Yu Watase.

April 28, 2006
Fushigi Yugi volumes 2 and 3 by Yu Watase.
Don't look down by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer. Lucy is doing one thing she dislikes - being near her ex-husband - but she is doing one thing that she always does - get her sister out of a jam. All she wants to do is finish filming this movie for her sister and get out of there. J.T. Wilder wasn't really interested in being a stuntman, but something is kinda strange about this movie, and Lucy... she is one interesting woman. Very funny alternating views of this mix between romance and shoot 'em.

April 26, 2006
True Believer by Virginia Euwer Wolff. Told in free verse, LaVaughn grapples with boys, going to college, religion, friends, and her mom. Well-told and believable.

April 25, 2006
Rurouni Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The first volume in a many-volumed manga series, portraying a lone samurai swordsman wandering around Tokyo.

April 24, 2006
Neon Genesis Evangelion volume 1 by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto.

April 19, 2006
Black Orchid by Neil Gaiman. A favorite of mine, the story begins with the death of a superhero. Two of her flower sisters survive a destruction and venture out into the world to discover their purpose and their history, meeting denizens of Metropolis, Gotham City, the swamp, and perhaps other locations I didn't realize, along the way.
Gunslinger Girl volume 1 by Yu Aida. The Social Welfare Agency rescues young girls from brutal attacks and rehabilitates them to become cyborg assassins. The stories of Henrietta, Triela, and Rico begin this series.

April 18, 2006
Only the ring finger knows by Satoru Kannagi. This is a manga adaptation of a Japanese novel about two boys whose favorite rings accidentally get switched. Wataru and Yuichi have confusing encounters after the switch, neither one sure of the other's feelings. Very sweet story; I wish the novel had been translated.

April 15, 2006
The devil in winter by Lisa Kleypas.

April 14, 2006
Valentine's Day is killing me by MaryJanice Davidson, Leslie Esdaile, and Susanna Carr. Saccharine Valentine's Day murder stories.

April 12, 2006
The Goblin Wood by Hilari Bell.
Kitty and the midnight hour by Carrie Vaughn. Kitty is a werewolf with a night job - radio host. When she gets the brilliant idea of having a LoveLine hour for werewolves, vampires, and others to call and share their troubles, she ends up with more trouble than she expects.

April 11, 2006
The royal pain by MaryJanice Davidson. Follow-up to The royal treatment in which Alexandra deals with killing people trying to kill her family. The royal treatment was better, but this sequel did contain some witty moments.

April 8, 2006
Hot Chocolate. An anthology of stories focusing on the yummiest drink in the world.

April 2, 2006
Meet the Austins by Madeleine L'Engle. When the Austins take in an orphaned girl, their lives get turned around. Twelve-year old Vicky tells the tale.

April 1, 2006
The eye, the ear, and the arm by Nancy Farmer. I loved Farmer's House of the scorpion and looked forward to reading this for class. Drawing upon folklore, the three children of a Zimbabwean general find themselves in the city, far from the protections and safety of their guarded home.
A wrinkle in time by Madeline L'Engle. Classic story of Meg and her brother Charles Wallace off to face evil and save their father and the world.

March 25, 2006
Blood and chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause. 16 year old Vivian is a werewolf, able to change form at will, but definitely has to during full moon. She falls for a human boy and wonders if there can be a future for them in the midst of her pack's politicking and his parents' non-understanding.

March 24, 2006
1776 by David McCullough. I didn't actually read this, but attempted to pay attention to it as a book-on-disc. The only thing I remember is that $13 per week was an officer's salary way back in the day. Definitely couldn't survive on $13 per week now.

March 23, 2006
Elsewhere by Will Shetterly. Ron runs away from home to search for his older brother and ends up in Bordertown, between Faerie and the human world. He meets up with Mooner and Wiseguy, elves who live at Castle Pup, a haven for anyone who needs it, and boy, does Ron need it.
Gothic! Ten original tales edited by Deborah Noyes. Short stories geared for young adults in the tradition of Gothic style.

March 21, 2006
The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman. Cathy and I listened to the book-on-tape during our trip to North Carolina for spring break, so this wasn't actually a re-read for me. 11 year old Lyra is unruly, uncaring, and impulsive, but curious and fiercely friend-supportive. With her daemon, Pantalaimon, Lyra sets out to find out why children are disappearing and what is this thing called Dust?

March 20, 2006
Labyrinth by Kate Mosse. I was distinctly disappointed by this book, as I'd been looking forward to reading it for 3 months. Very predictable. Two parallel stories, one woman's life going forward, one woman's life reaching back, circling around the secret of the Grail.

March 18, 2006
Criss-cross by Lynn Rae Perkins. I think this is the 2005 Newbery award winner. Could it be any more boring? Yes, sadly. 4, maybe 5, teenage friends spend lazy days together. The only thing that's interesting about the book is the different formats employed - one chapter is in written in haiku, another is written like a news story, etc. The story itself is pretty bland, the characters not very well developed, except for Rowanne, who was a pretty minor character.

March 15, 2006
for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf by ntozake shange. 7 voices representing black girls and women in america in a choreopoem. Their experiences range from first sex to children's deaths.
Pedro and me by Judd Winnick. I've never watched MTV's The Real World, so knowledge of who Judd and Pedro are to television viewers is lost on me. This is Judd's graphic novel about his friendship with Pedro, who was HIV positive when on The Real World and died a few months afterwards of AIDS.

March 12, 2006
The bachelor preferred pastry by Shirley Jump. A fun romantic comedy accompanied by sugary pastry recipes. Olivia will do anything to draw business to her sagging sales pastry shop, including bidding on Boston's most eligibile playboy bachelor in a charity auction. Daniel is supposed to be a 24-hr date, but finds himself wearing an apron instead.
Avalon High by Meg Cabot. I ran across this title when doing my King Arthur collection development paper for Reference class last semester. Eleanor, named for the Lady of Shalott who committed suicide after Lancelot turned his love towards Guinevere, gets to spend her junior year of high school near Washington, D.C. One of the first things she does is draw attention of the high school quarterback, Will, whose life has some strange parallels to that of the legendary King Arthur. And life just gets stranger from there. This is the first book by Meg Cabot that I've read and I quite enjoyed it. Avalon High does what Dancing in red shoes will kill you tried to - bring historical literature to the attention of current teenagers in a contemporary form.

March 5, 2006
Annie on my mind by Nancy Garden. The object of many banning/censhorship attempts, Annie on my mind is the story of 2 girls, Liza and Annie, who begin a deeply romantic relationship. Not the most well-written book, but of historical significance.

March 4, 2006
Deadly kisses by Brenda Joyce. In a note to the reader, Joyce states that she is "going to follow [her] muse" and write some other stuff besides Francesca Cahill novels for a bit. Thank goodness. The beginning of the novel dragged on and Francesca was far from the daring detective that I liked, being all mopey and "I'm not beautiful enough for Calder." I get her insecurities, but I don't need to be bashed over the head with them. Hart's former mistress, Daisy, is murdered, and he is the main suspect in her death. Once the novel got going after 50 pages, it was more engaging and interesting to read, with some excellent plot points. I like intelligent characters. Seriously.

March 2, 2006
Blue Noon by Scott Westerfeld. Yay! Midnighters is done. The blue time occurs unexpectedly during the day and the Midnighters must figure out what plan the darklings have. Ending was not what I thought it would be, which is good - I like being surprised. Yay!

March 1, 2006
Eva by Peter Dickinson. A second reading for me which again is not enjoyable. I really feel that Dickinson had a great concept - the story of a girl whose brain is implanted into the body of a chimpanzee following a fatal car accident - but did not execute the writing in a good form. It was very much "this happened, then that happened, and a whole bunch of things happened after that." Eva was rather passive, unengaging, when it could have been very controversial and thoughtful. There was no passion in the writing. Dickinson laid the groundwork for several discussion points - the notion of "ownership" of a person or an animal; is this the type of science we want to encourage?; what responsibilities do we hold to another person or animal? - but didn't follow through, let those questions fall flat.

February 28, 2006
Monster by Walter Dean Myers. This is a novel which I have been meaning to read for years and now that I've read it, I'm glad. Steve Harmon is a 16-year old boy accused of being accomplice to the murder of a liquor store owner who dies while trying to defend himself in a robbery. His journal details his experiences in jail and the trial. Well-written and can be taken at face value, but there are a lot of fine details to discuss and ponder.

February 26, 2006
Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta. A re-read as a consideration for booktalking in YA lit class. Josephine is a teenager in Australia (I don't remember where, sorry) and struggles with being responsible, flightly, flirtatious, and celibate. Well-written, though I have slight tinge of unsatistaction with ending and have not been able to articulate what it is.

February 25, 2006
Freaks: alive on the inside! by Annette Curtis Klause. New book from Klause. Felt heavy-handed on the "beauty is only skin deep" theme, which is obvious from the title. Reminds me a bit of Big Fish, of which I only remember the movie and not the book.

February 22, 2006
An island like you by Judith Ortiz Cofer. Short stories of growing up in a Puerto Rican barrio.

February 19, 2006
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Ender goes off to Battle School to learn how to become a great military leader. A classic tale of being young, being tough, and figuring it all out.

February 15, 2006
The chocolate war by Robert Cormier. Jerry Renault is a new student at Trinity High School. When he refuses to "volunteer" for the school's annual chocolate sale fundraiser, it has more consequences in peer pressure than he thought it would.

February 14, 2006
House of stairs by William Sleator. (Sleator grew up in Urbana, although he doesn't live here anymore, but it makes me cheerful that I've been nice to his dad when he comes to the library.) 5 children, all orphans, find themselves in a weird space filled with stairs. Together they must either figure a way out or learn how to adapt to their new home. Should have subtitle: Psych 101.

February 7, 2006
Child of the Owl by Laurence Yep. Also for class, which was talked about with Rules of the Road. I railed against the resolution of this book in a journal entry, which I won't repeat here. Casey, a 12-year girl whose father ends up in the hospital, is sent to live with her grandmother in San Francisco's Chinatown. There, Casey learns about her Chinese heritage and her dead mother.

February 5, 2006
Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer. Another class read. Very funny story of 16-year old Jenna, who is hired by Mrs. Gladstone to drive all over the Midwest and South visiting Gladstone's Shoe Stores. I do take offense at the description of Peoria as southern Illinois, but this is still a worthwhile read.
Sandpiper by Ellen Wittlinger. Sandpiper Hollow Ragsdale is a 16-year old girl who has grown tired of giving high school boys blow jobs. Her mother is getting re-married, her sister's ignoring her advice, and her father won't talk to her, so all she can do is walk with a mysterious boy she calls Walker. The ending is a little unbelievable and too quick, but Sandpiper's thought flow is easy to emphathize with in terms of teenage friendships and decision-making.

February 4, 2006
Melusine by Sarah Monette. I had seen this book back in November and was attracted to the cover (man with long hair and lots of tattoos), which also had a quote from Jacqueline Carey. As I love Carey, I decided to give Melusine a try since I don't think she would give a quote lightly. Turns out this is a book I would've picked up anyway because it's about 2 strangers whose fates are intertwined. Mildmay is a thief and Felix is a sorcerer accused of breaking the city of Melusine's magical defenses. Well-written, although I got lost with the history and geography. Hoping for a sequel.

February 3, 2006
Dancing in red shoes will kill you by Dorian Chrone. A 17-year girl who dreams of being cast as Cinderella in the ballet finds she has to make do with a different role. In the meantime, red shoes mysteriously appear in the school with a note, "dancing in red shoes will kill you", and causes an uproar. I found this book trying too hard to make a statement, that teenagers/people have lost literary culture. Additionally, this book felt like a string of someone's personal experiences bound with a trite want-a-boyfriend plot; it was a memory for the author, I suspect.

January 27, 2006
Dangerous Angels by Francesca Lia Block. This is actually a compilation of five books, but the first one, Weetzie Bat was required for class. Not as fun the second time around. I haven't come up with a good way of summarizing Weetzie Bat without giving away the whole story, but I'll just say it's spastic and appeals to teenagers.

January 21, 2006
Lord Byron's Novel: The Evening Land by John Crowley. When this book was mentioned in the SPL Good Reads Brown Bag lunch, which meets twice a month, I thought it sounded quite my style: several threads woven together into a whole. It also played what if with history: what if Lord Byron had written a novel spawned from the dare that he had with Mary Shelley and others (Mary Shelley's winning work was Frankenstein)? What if his daughter had hidden it away to protect it? And what if it was found hundreds of years later? Sadly, I did not enjoy this book, though I still like the concept.
Cinderella 2000 by Mavis Jakes. Not terribly interesting; the title says it all.
Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, and Anne's House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery. I love the Anne series - I re-read them every few years for comfort. This time, Anne of Green Gables was required for class, but since the copy I had was bound with Anne of Avonlea and Anne's House of Dreams, I figured I might as well read them. It was fun. Anne of Green Gables is a classic tale about an 11-year old orphaned girl who is adopted. Her wild imagination leads her into all sorts of fun escapades. This book is sweet and slightly nostalgic.

January 19,2006
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood. Atwood takes us into Penelope's side of The Odyssey, how she coped with Odysseus's 20-year long absence. Penelope's tale is interspersed with the wailings of the 20 maidens whom Odysseus and Telemachus killed upon Odysseus's return.

January 9, 2006
Raven's Shadow by Patricia Briggs. Seraph is a Traveler and a mage. When her husband Tier disappears, she finds that she can longer hide either of heritages and sets out on a journey to find her husband and thwart a nefarious plan to set evil loose on the world. I felt like I missed a scene somewhere in the climax, because it seemed like there was no hope and all of a sudden there was a rescue and rejoicing.
The King in the Window by Adam Gopnik. I don't remember the main character's name anymore, which may indicate that this book is not quite memorable. A 12-year old boy jokes about being the King in the Window one night and discovers that window wraiths have taken him seriously. He alternately thinks he can be and shrinks from the responsibility of being a king.

January 8, 2006
Evolution's Darling by Scott Westerfeld. With the help of a precocious captain's daughter, Darling becomes a sentient artificial intelligence unit. 200 years later, Darling finds himself tracking down a dead artist and puzzling over an ongoing question: is the copy ever as good as the original? Much as I love Scott Westerfeld's imagination, this was not what I expected. The novel started off strong, but the ending was a bit of a letdown and I'm not sure it answered the question.

January 3, 2006
Wicked Fantasy by Nicole Jordan. Antonia always dreamed about Trey Deverill as a lover. When he shows up in her life as she is about to become engaged to a nobleman, she is both thrilled and irked. Deverill will do anything to protect Antonia from a manipulative suitor, including fulfilling her fantasies. Sweet.

January 2, 2006
2006 started off with Blind-sighted by Peter Moore. Kirk is sixteen years old and no one understands him. After his mom starts following her dream, Kirk's life turns around with new friends and a new job. Strange ending, with not much by the way of logic or believability.

If you can think of anything that I might like to read, please let me know. Cheers!

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