Yellowcake

Yellowcake by Margo Lanagan
3/5 stars
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2013
223 pages
YA Short Stories

Source: Received an ARC through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

I have been very interested in short stories lately so I was thrilled to see another collection available for review. I wasn't very sure about what to expect as I hadn't really noticed any other reviews. To be perfectly blunt: this book was weird. There were a few stories I really liked but most of them went way past me and were super uncomfortable (like the one from the point of view of a rapist) or just plain confusing (like last story "Eyelids of the Dawn"-I'm not really sure what went on there.)

In an effort to keep this positive, I'll just share about the three stories I liked and feel that I at least partially understood. The other seven either completely bewildered me or disgusted me (like the cruel fascinator who curses two girls just for having the audacity to not fall in love with him or the aforementioned rapist.)

"The Golden Shroud" is a new take on Rapunzel, focusing far more on the prince and Rapunzel's magical hair while the girl herself is pretty wimpy and weak. I would have liked a stronger heroine in this take on a fairy tale but I appreciated its familiar context at least.

"Night of the Firstlings" was incredibly confusing until I figured out that it was during the time of Moses when the plague is sent to kill all firstborns and the Red Sea is parted. As I said, the beginning of this was very confusing to me but I warmed up to it as I continued reading. I guess this shows how careful reading pays off.

Lastly we have "Ferryman" which I was highly anticipating after seeing it mentioned on the back cover. I was right to look forward to it as I really liked it-possibly my favorite. This relies on Greek mythology as well as a deep father-daughter relationship.

Overall: A set of stories that does not hesitate to take you to uncomfortable places; the kind that rewards careful reading and an adventurous mind.

Other Opinions:
Good Books and Good Wine
Steph Su Reads

The Tragedy Paper

The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth LaBan
4/5 stars
Alfred A. Knopf, 2013
304 pages
YA Contemporary

Source: Received an ARC from Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a sucker for stories set at boarding schools and I read enough positive reviews of this to want to check it out. I'll admit that this might have been a better book to read on a chilly, snowy night but I live in California so I don't get many of those and just plunged ahead with this fast, absorbing read on a weekend.

It tells the overlapping tales of two male seniors at an elite boarding school in New England. Duncan is dreading his approaching senior year with the pressure to produce a tragedy paper, the standard senior assignment there as well as facing nervousness over what room he'll receive and what legacy he'll receive from the previous occupant. He is overwhelmed to receive the room of Tim, whose senior year provides the framework for Duncan's tragedy paper. Through a set of CDs narrated by Tim, Duncan receives some answers that allow him to come to terms with tragedy.

Tim is an albino, which has marked him out as different for his entire life. But on his way to a new school, he meets Vanessa and dares to hope for a romantic relationship. Once they're on the campus, she is his friend but she sticks to her jerky boyfriend even as their secret friendship flourishes. One night though changes everything; this is also the night that hangs over Duncan's head and that the tapes bring him closure about.

As I said, I found this to be a very absorbing read; I was barely able to put it down. Although I normally skip over literary fiction preferring a plot-driven story, I thought this book was not too difficult while still being thought-provoking. I didn't feel very connected to either of the leads but I had sympathy for their plights. Both have a lot hanging over them and it tugged at my heartstrings.

But for a book with a title as dramatic as The Tragedy Paper, I was expecting an ending that was, well, more tragic. When I hear tragedy, I think Hamlet with almost everyone dying and, I don't want to spoil anything but, that is not exactly the case here. I just feel like more should have been at stake and I felt a little let down with the ending.

Overall: An approachable YA literary title that should especially please fans of boarding school settings.

Other Opinions:
A Reader of Fictions
Good Books and Good Wine
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics
Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf
Shooting Stars Mag

Strands of Bronze and Gold

Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson
3.5/5 stars
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2013
339 pages
YA Historical Fairy Tale

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am a long time lover of fairy tales with "Cinderella" being far and away my favorite; happily that is one of the most popular for retelling. But I do try to seek out less well-known stories so learning that this was based on "Bluebeard" prompted me to pick it up.

Sophie has just been orphaned but receives a very welcome invitation from her godfather to come live with him, lifting her from being a burden to her three older siblings. He is fantastically wealthy, living in an English abbey he had shipped over to his plantation in Mississippi in the antebellum era. Although initially cowed by Bernard de Cressac's charm and wealth, Sophie soon finds herself increasingly uncomfortable and on the verge of a terrible discovery.

Having finished, I kind of wish I hadn't known that it was based on that tale (if you thought this looked interesting and didn't know that, I'm sorry for spoiling you-hugs!) as it would have had a lot more dramatic tension for me if I hadn't known. If you don't know the tale of "Bluebeard," maybe don't read it beforehand. Instead I spent the entire book waiting for Sophie to figure out what I already knew and cursing her slowness.

This book also suffered due to some of the other books I've been reading, which featured abusive relationships such as how Bernard controls Sophie. My emotions were already pretty spent from them and it was harder for me to become engaged in yet another one. I did feel very isolated and trapped (almost the entire book is set in the abbey and it gets a bit boring), right alongside with Sophie as Bernard won't let her leave but I spent more time checking the page count than worrying about Sophie's fate.

On the positive side, I thought the atmosphere was very well-done. The abbey was very Gothic and fitting for the plot while the muggy Mississippi climate was well communicated to me. I have mixed feelings about the slavery as presented in this book. I feel like it was mostly used to communicate how awful Bernard is and how good Sophie is for morally opposing slavery even if unable to actually do anything about it. But none of the slave characters got to have much of a personality and I just wish a few could have had a presence.

Apparently there is going to be a sequel, set in the same world and based on The Ballad of Tam Lin. I wonder if that means we will focus on one of Sophie's siblings or if it will be set in the plantations around.

Overall: A slow dark-ish read-recommended for those who don't really know the Bluebeard story or those who really love the Bluebeard story.

Other Opinions:
The Book Monsters
The YA Kitten

Love and Other Perishable Items

Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo
4/5 stars
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2012
241 pages
YA Contemporary

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I first started seeing reviews of this, I was really freaked out to see that it featured a 15-year old girl and a 22-year old man-gross! What I didn't realize, because I mostly only skim reviews of books I haven't read to avoid spoilers, was that they were not dating. She has a crush on the charming older guy (understandable as he seems to "get" her in a way others don't) while he recognizes the inappropriateness and unsuitability of such a relationship. Saying that, I did kind of root for their friendship especially because I often age up a character if I think s/he seems older than written in the text.

In this case, I did find Amelia pretty mature especially for her age so I did sometimes catch myself making that mistake. We are in her head for most of the book so it is easy to sympathetize with what she wants for herself. She is also a responsible worker at the grocery store where she meets Chris, a trainer, and attempts to navigate the tricky social scene. I really empathized with her bewilderment over her slacker coworkers as someone who has been in that position. However I did not have a cute guy to crush on, oh woe is me!

We also get to see inside Chris' head with select journal entries, seeing him struggling with the end of university and the way his friends' lives are moving on. He is a lot of fun and it is very clear that he doesn't think of the young Amelia in a romantic way, which eased my concerns about his possible predatory status. Instead he pines for all manner of other women as he has to make big decisions about his life.

Besides the great leads, this book boasts an Australian setting. I haven't read many books set in Australia but if Buzo's debut is indicative of the quality, I will definitely be searching out some more, including her second, unrelated, title Holier Than Thou.  The hardest part was keeping track of the seasons since they're reversed from up here in the Northern Hemisphere. A sweltering Christmas is just bizarre to me!

Overall: A great contemporary read following the lives of two ordinary people and how they interact and grow over the course of a year.

Every Day

Every Day by David Levithan
4/5 stars
Alfred A. Knopf, 2012
322 pages
YA Fantasy

Source: Received an ARC through Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book on a whim having read zero Levithan books but having heard lots of buzz around him. The premise for this book is certainly different: A wakes up in a different body every day, growing in age every year but never staying. Why A is like this, if anyone else is like that, and if A can ever not be like that are some of the questions that came to me while reading. It was also hard not to define A according to the words we usually use (gender-specific comes immediately to mind but others about appearance too) although such adjectives as kind and thoughtful are still applicable. This makes A kind of a difficult character to understand.

The defining event of the book is that in the first chapter (or day 5994) A falls in love with Rhiannon and breaks self-designed rules in order to keep her around. Understandably she struggles with A always wearing a new face and body and not always able to keep promises to show up. A is also frustrated by one of the bodies realizing there was possession and trying to hunt A down. I actually really enjoyed that segment and the suspense that came from it.

Still for all that I praise it, and I do want to praise this book, it just did not quite click for me. I think the concept is stunningly original and that it is very well-written with excellent pacing. It is thought-provoking and could certainly be a book club read as discussions about soul and gender identity could be addressed. But I don't love it and I'm not going to go out and push it on my in-person friends (although I will encourage bookish people to check it out especially if you are a fan of Levithan's writing.)

Cover: I love the clouds but I'm not really a fan of the people randomly there-they're weird.

All You Never Wanted

All You Never Wanted by Adele Griffin
4/5 stars
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2012
227 pages
YA Contemporary Sisters

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Immediately after finishing this, I logged onto goodreads to update and the only word I could think of to put in my review then was "wow." Just wow. This was a very hard review for me to write-Griffin is such a talented writer and when she turns her lens on rich girls and the sister-sister relationship, she really hits on my soft spots when it comes to reading.

This book is told in alternating perspectives, first-person from younger sister Thea and third-person from older sister Alex. The reviews I've seen have mostly gravitated toward Alex but personally I found Thea more compelling and I think that was partly because she was telling her story. The other reason is that I think I like to read about master manipulators and liars, which describes Thea. She thinks Alex has it all and she wants it for herself; that means the cool friends, the reputation, the boyfriend, everything, no matter what story she has to spin to secure them for herself.

Meanwhile Alex suffers crippling anxiety from something that happened at an internship. This is revealed to us fairly early in the book and while it was definitely embarrassing, I don't think it deserved as much importance as she placed upon it. Then she spends most of the book hanging out with Xander, a guy who is very much not her boyfriend but who magically lifts her out of her funk over the course of one day...um...awful fast, eh? So even as Thea made me cringe with her obvious grasping ways, I at least admired her determination and nerve over Alex's more sniveling ways.

Lastly we come to the end, which just made me drop my jaw. I can't believe it ended that way. It's been about a week and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. On the one hand, this; on the other hand, that (Obviously I can't be too specific without going into spoilers!) The way that their sibling rivalry comes to a head and is resolved (or more precisely not resolved) just blew me away. I don't think anyone could predict this ending.

Cover: Makes me think "poor little rich girl" but I don't really think Thea or Alex when I look at it.

 

Jump Into the Sky

Jump Into the Sky by Shelley Pearsall
4/5 stars
Alfred A. Knopf BFYR, 2012
342 pages
MG/YA Historical

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited to give this book a read as it is set in America during the waning days of WWII (we actually experience V-E Day as well V-J Day). I haven't read many books during that time and lately have read mostly European-set war books.

Our protagonist is Levi whose aunt has been keeping him in Chicago while his father serves in the army but who is sent to join his father at camp in North Carolina. When Levi arrives, he discovers that he just missed his father and stays with an injured armyman before they journey to Oregon to meet up with the rest of the men. It's not exactly the most exciting novel given that it's all in the US but I appreciated it (just a warning for other readers).

There are however several bursts of intensity surrounding Levi's trips through the South, where he experiences Jim Crow laws and receives threats based solely on the color of his skin. This is scariest when a shopkeeper turns a gun on Levi, who's really one of the sweetest book boys I've ever read, while forcing him to drink. I was actually prepared for even worse things to happen based on the time period and location but that was definitely the most overt aggression although there are many other instances of discrimination.

One place of discrimination is in the army (remember that troops were still segregated although integration will be coming soon). Levi's father was part of the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, an all-black airborne unit, whose members crave to serve their country overseas but who are relegated to the homefront, including fighting fires in Oregon and searching for elusive Japanese fire balloons, the very existence of which they come to doubt although their work is eventually justified. Again this isn't something I know much about so it was great to learn something new.

Lastly I wanted to mention themes of family and sticking together. The members of Levi's family always seem to leave, starting with his mother and continuing with his father's wanderings. It makes Levi wonder about his own constancy until the events of this book prove his loyalty and consistency. I also really loved the family Levi stays with in North Carolina. They are a young couple who have a child during that time and they are just good people trying to do their best under difficult circumstances and of course I loved that they took care of Levi.

Overall: A sweet slower-paced book about the homefront toward the end of WWII; vivid descriptions and characterizations reward the reader.

Cover: I'm not a huge fan of the cover given the huge face on the cover although at least he's not staring at me but I do like the plane and paratrooper superimposed over his head.

The Wednesdays

The Wednesdays by Julie Bourbeau
3.5/5 stars
Illustrated by Jason Beene
Alfred A. Knopf BFYR, 2012
245 pages
Middle-Grade Fantastical

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not entirely sure why I requested this book to read other than that I've enjoyed a lot of middle-grade stories lately so I'm always on the lookout for more to love.

The book is set in a small village that seems perfectly normal except for the fact that it completely shuts down on Wednesdays and everyone stays indoors to avoid the awful and peculiar things that happen otherwise. One exception is Max who loves the freedom that comes from no one else being around. At least he loves it, until he runs into literal Wednesdays and discovers that he is turning into one, a fate he desperately wishes to avoid.

Honestly this book was just fine but it didn't have that extra something special that gets a book onto my favorites shelf. I think that was partly because of its focus on the male gender, which may make this a great book for young boys who like that sort of thing. However I tend to prefer a female main character so it didn't work for me. Although girls used to be Wednesdays but no more, that element isn't really discussed or delved into. That might have given this book an extra punch that would have made me more interested.

I thought the writing was fun with a good sense of humor and pretty good pacing. It did get a little scary and tense toward the end but then I'm kind of a wimp so that very much depends on your own fortitude. The illustrations were cool and something I appreciated; I love getting that extra peek into an author's conception of characters and scenes. There are also some great passages about family as Max wants to stay human and be with his.

Overall: A fun adventure, one perhaps better suited for its target audience than adults.

Cover: Love that the dog Thursday is on the cover as the only character who can fend off the Wednesdays.

Please Ignore Vera Dietz

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King
4/5 stars
Alfred A. Knopf, 2010
323 pages
YA; Contemporary

Source: Library

I've seen a lot of praise for the writing of A.S. King so at a recent trip to the library, I decided to check out one of her books and this is the one that caught my eye, probably because of the lime green cover. I wondered who Vera was and why she should be ignored.

Short answer is that Vera is the main character of this book, raised by a single father after her mother ran off and whose best friend Charlie recently died after getting caught up with a bad crowd. All Vera wants is to get through the rest of her schooling before leaving for college but first she will have to confront what happened the night Charlie died.

As you can see from the synopsis, this is a dark book; certainly darker than I was expecting. In fact, I would say it is quite a bleak book with sadness creeping over me as I read further. For example, Vera hears a husband abuse his wife pretty much every day but is encouraged by her father to pretend she doesn't hear anything. Charlie sells his underwear to an old man for significant amounts of money, again with Vera turning a blind eye and not reporting anything.

While Vera is the main narrator, she also gets some help from three other sources. One is that Charlie interjects at a few crucial moments, haunting her from beyond the grave, encouraging to stand up and do the right thing while also apologizing for screwing her over in the months before his death. The third narrator is Vera's father. He only has a few moments but they were some of my favorites as they incorporate flow charts and his awareness that while he may not be the best parent, he does love Vera and wants her to have a better life than her parents did. The last narrator is also the most unusual, being a pagoda that comments upon the antics of the teenagers in the book. It has stood for years and seen their parents and it will continue to stand and see their grandchildren.

As you may have guessed from the amount of time I just spent talking about the other narrators, Vera was not exactly my favorite character. I didn't hate her and I had tremendous amounts of sympathy for her situation. But I didn't click with her and her story.

Overall: My expectations were for a lighter book so I was disappointed in this heavier story despite its excellent writing and deep themes.

Cover: While I find the green deceptive, the lighter does have relevance to the story!

Two Crafty Criminals

Two Crafty Criminals! by Philip Pullman
Illustrated by Martin Brown
4/5 stars
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2012
275 pages
Historical Mystery Middle-Grade

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think it would be nearly impossible to read these books and to be unhappy while doing so. The sheer charm and cheekiness of the main characters completely won me over as did the lighthearted tone of a romp. These stories are not very serious and there are many comedic moments that left me chuckle.

This book is actually two short stories featuring an overlapping cast of characters but focusing on different mysteries. I found the first one confusing due to the many different personalities present while the second one was more to my taste. Realism is not the priority but having fun certainly is!

We start with "Thunderbolt's Waxwork" and the New Cut Gang comprised of several youths. My main problem here was my inability to keep the kids straight. They all seemed very similar and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't tell them apart. Obviously this makes for a difficult read. The plot itself is also a bit confusing as first the gang is trying to get a sculpture of their friend into a wax museum while also investigating if the father of one of them counterfeited coins. It started with the wax plot and then added in the second awkwardly, which added to my confusion.

The second story is "The Gas Fitter's Ball" which I preferred. In this one, the kids are trying to have a guy propose to his lady love in order to collect on a bet. The mystery comes from some stolen silver. The culprit is fairly obvious but I loved the bumbling attempts of the guy as well as the kids' efforts to ensure that they win their bet. This includes a cute cameo from the Prince of Wales because, why not?

Overall: Cute stories that are well-told; great for younger readers too!

Cover: I love the cute drawings. It captures the chaos of living in their area and references an actual scene from the book.

Sisters of Glass

Sisters of Glass by Stephanie Hemphill
Alfred A. Knopf, 2012
150 pages
YA; Historical
3/5 stars

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think it has been amply recorded on my blog that I adore sister-sister relationships so it was a no-brainer to request this book after seeing the title. I didn't need to know anything else. As an additional bonus, the author and I share a first name and I have been known to read books just because of that fact (see: Stephanie Laurens, Stephanie Perkins).

Due to only looking at the cover, I wasn't sure what to expect. Imagine my surprise to discover a historical novel set in Italy told in verse. Those three elements are not hugely popular in YA although there are amazing examples for each. I love historical novels, have no opinion about Italy, and am open to verse novels so that boded well for me. However I really struggled.

I felt like I was just dropped in to the world with little context to guide me. The story is set in Murano, the glass-making part of Italy, an island near Venice although I'm still not sure what the year is. Over the course of the book, we learn a bit but not nearly enough for my taste.

The thrust of the story is that first daughters are supposed to marry Senators, the chief politicians of the time, but in this family, the father was convinced that his second daughter should have that fate. This means the dowry is placed at her disposal and all of the family's resources will go toward making her a splendid match. That daughter is Maria who wishes to be a glassblower, not a wife while her older sister Giovanna, the beauty, wants that destiny and bristles against their father's breaking of tradition. The conflict between the sisters over this issue is a big part of the first book but they come together for the second part.

The plot is quite familiar. As stated Maria wants to be a glassblower and falls for their family apprentice despite his unsuitability. Meanwhile she becomes betrothed to a noble as wished by her father who is struck by her sister's beauty. If only the girls could change places! I found it very tired and called every plot turn. Of course, predictability is not a bad thing if redeemed by gorgeous writing and/or outstanding characterization.

While the novel is told in verse, it doesn't feel as poetic as other novels I've read in verse. It seemed like a prose story arranged on the page as if to convey the impression of verse. This was easy to read but it didn't blow me away. Furthermore the characters were average with little depth. As a sister, I was able to infuse those roles with some personality but they were all pretty flat.

Overall: Lacking in setting and characterization, this failed to impress me.

Cover: Very pretty and of course I love swirly fonts!

Guy Langman, Crime Scene Procrastinator

Guy Langman, Crime Scene Procrastinator by Josh Berk
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2012
228 pages
YA; Contemporary; Mystery
4/5 stars

Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have to start out by saying that I'm a native Pennsylvanian (Philadelphia suburbs) and therefore it is basically my birthright to disdain New Jersey. Not for any particular reason, just because. Thus upon seeing that this book is set in New Jersey, I may have sniffed a little-why would you set your book in the Jerz (note: this is what the narrator calls the state, not something I would ever come up with). Of course I kept reading wanting to give this book a fair shake and when I ended up literally laughing out loud on the third page, I knew I was hooked.

Admittedly I did have high hopes for this book because I thought the title sounded cool and I am interested in the science forensics although I don't watch many procedurals (Castle and The Mentalist are my go-tos). But once I clicked with the humor, I was caught. And that is the main thing; if you like the humor, you will enjoy this book. If you don't like it, then you probably will not.

Main character Guy Langman has just lost his father and is trying to cope with that while also trying to figure out girls (...good luck with that Guy!) and joining the new forensics club at school. He would rather be playing video games, taking bubble baths, and putting forth no effort whatsoever.  Guy also indulges in some low humor with fart jokes, your mama jokes, and similar kinds springing from his mouth. While I don't think of myself as a fan of such humor, it turns out I may be wrong because I laughed at pretty much everything that could possibly be construed as humorous.

Oddly enough I thought the book went downhill about halfway through when a plot seemed to emerge. First some valuable coins are stolen from Guy's house; then a boy who looks remarkably like him is found dead, possibly murdered. These circumstances naturally frighten Guy and kick his butt into gear. While previously he had ample time for bathing and video game playing, now he is lifting finger prints, searching out family secrets, and talking to an actual girl. I think this may be because I was a little tired of the jokes, which do grow repetitive. I also thought the "murder" situation was a little confusing. But I did appreciate the growth that Guy experiences-it is a big transformation for him without losing his snarkiness.

While Guy is indisputably the main character, he has some fun supporting characters such as his mother, his best friend Anoop, crush Raquel, rich kid Hairston (seriously), smarty-pants Goth Maureen, and teacher Mr. Zant round out the most important characters as well as Guy's father Francis who lived a colorful life that Guy looks to for inspiration.

Overall: A hilarious addition to the YA category with a sprinkling of mystery and romance.

Look, I Made a Hat

Look, I Made a Hat by Stephen Sondheim
Alfred A. Knopf, 2011
430 pages
Non-fiction
4/5 stars

Source: Library

After finishing the first book Finishing the Hat, I was beyond excited to get my hands on this second book, which features a string of awesomeness, if not popular successes: Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Wood, and Assassins (my personal favorite Sondheim). And those sections were great. I loved finding out their origins and following their development. I was already pretty familiar with most of the lyrics but reading them over brought new pleasures. It was great to linger over and savor my imagination of how they might be staged (I have seen the filmed stage versions of the first two)

There are also more essays from Sondheim such as his opinion on awards (he appreciates those that come with cash) and one on critics. These were fascinating and I would have enjoyed more of them. I kept paging through some of the later sections, hoping for more essays.

Unfortunately the rest of the book wasn't too my taste, featuring Passion, Wise Guys/Bounce/Road Show: A Saga in Four Acts, and other musical, movie, and television songs from Sondheim. I just didn't really care. I wanted to read about complete shows that I loved. While I do think I'll find at least something to enjoy in Passion whenever I sit down to listen to it, I haven't done so yet and it fell flat for me. I feel so bad saying that but this review is my opinion and that's how I felt. Certainly theater geeks will want to read these but I found the content of the first book far superior.

Overall: Obviously something you'll want to complete the set but I preferred the first book.

Finishing the Hat

Finishing the Hat by Stephen Sondheim
Alfred A. Knopf, 2010
421 pages
Non-fiction; Musical
4.5/5 stars

Source: Library

While Stephen Sondheim is one of my favorite composers and lyricists (Gypsy, Assassins, and A Little Night Music being among my favorite musicals), I wasn't originally interested in this book as I thought it was just a collection of Sondheim's lyrics. Interesting as I find the writing, I can read all of the lyrics online or just listen to the songs as I have recordings for all.

Then I found out that Sondheim also included notes about the writing of the shows and about specific lyrics, which sounded very interesting. Another bonus was the pictures of the cast and of Sondheim's handwritten lyrics although they're in black and white so you don't get to see the colorful clothes and hair styles of the cast.

The book covers roughly the first half of Sondheim's career, from 1954-1981. The shows included are Saturday Night, West Side Story*, Gypsy*, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Anyone Can Whistle, Do I Hear a Waltz?*, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, The Frogs, Pacific Overtures, Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and Merrily We Roll Along (asterisks denote shows where Sondheim wrote the lyrics only). This includes some great shows but I remain more interested in the shows that will appear in the second collection (specifically Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, and Assassins).

This is a great collection for ANYONE interested in musical theater or songwriting as Sondheim does not just discuss his career but also lyric-writing (and creating a show in general) and evaluates other lyricists, such as Lorenz Hart and E.Y. Harburg. I hope that will be continued in the second collection as well.

Tighter

Tighter by Adele Griffin
Alfred A. Knopf, 2011
216 pages
YA; Contemporary
4/5 stars

Source: Received an ARC through Amazon's Vine program in exchange for an honest review.

What a creepy book-as you might guess from the cover.  Inspired by Henry James' The Turn of the Screw comes this page-turner from Adele Griffin.  Having never read that (though it's on my list!), everything that happened was completely new and surprising to me.  Even if you have read James' story, I bet there is a lot to discover in this one.

Jamie is recovering from an injury and has grown to rely on painkillers.  She receives a job offer to be a summer au pair to Isa on an island.  Although Isa is sweet, the housekeeper Connie is snippy and Isa's older brother Milo, who comes to stay after being kicked out of summer camp, knows just how to push Jamie's buttons.  Jamie also begins to learn about Jessie, the previous year's nanny, and her boyfriend Peter, who mysteriously died last year; thoughts about the two consume her until the final conclusion.

Although I at first believed this was a straightforward story, I soon realized that was not the case as Jamie's reliance on pills pushed her narration into unreliable territory.  I was constantly questioning the veracity of what she said because I wasn't sure about her sanity.  This kept me in a state of perpetual anticipation as I devoured the book, needing to know what came next.  There were even a couple of parts that frightened me, especially those relating to Peter, who may have had his own problems.

Overall: Good pacing, good writing, good story.

A Little Wanting Song

A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley
Alfred A. Knopf, 2005
262 pages
YA; Contemporary
4/5 stars

Source: Library

Read for YA Overlooked Book Battle.

This is told in alternating perspectives from Charlie, lonely city-girl, and Rose, smart country-girl dying to attend school in the city.  That marks the beginning of their friendship: Rose's desire to get out of the small Australian town where she has always lived and Charlie visits for the summer (as this is Australia, that summer is over Christmas break which was so weird to this American girl).  Their friendship brings out new aspects of each other.

This was a fine fast novel.  I enjoyed the alternating perspectives although sometimes it shifted so quick (most chapters were about two pages) that I was confused about who was talking; happily each chapter opens with the name of the narrator so it was easy to check.  Both girls have harbored mistaken impressions of each other for years but were desperate for new company.  I adored the way they came to know each other and helped the other heal in some ways.  Both of them have serious difficulties in their life.

However the part I really liked was the love story.  Rose has been dating Luke but troubles in their relationship have arisen.  But Dave has liked Charlie for years and she reciprocates!  Their courtship was super awkward but also super adorable and I rooted for them.

Another element is tidbits from the girls' respective interests.  Rose likes science and shares some cool factoids about rocks and water through her narrative.  Charlie loves music and that largely dominates her section, culminating in a performance at the end.

Overall: A sweet growing up story about wanting more.

Cover: I wish there were two girls but I really like the black and white with the splash of color.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
Translated Reg Keeland
Alfred A. Knopf, 2010
Originally published 2007
563 pages
Thriller; Mystery
Third book in Millennium Trilogy
4.5/5 stars

See my reviews of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played With Fire

Source: Bought

Summary: Lisbeth Salander is finally found and will be going on trial shortly.  Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist and her loyal friend, is out to clear her name and uncover a scandal that will rock Sweden's government.  These are the two main threads of Larsson's massive tome, the conclusion to the Millennium trilogy.

Thoughts: I was super excited to get this because I thought I would have to wait until it was in paperback.  But my mom started reading the books, she bought the third one.  My sister read it first (very slowly because she wanted to spite me!) and then I got it.  Like the previous books, it had a slowish start but picked up toward the end.  This time the end is centered around Lisbeth's trial, where she is being examined over multiple counts. I won't go too much in detail because I want you to read it for yourself.

There is also a good short summary of what the books are about: women who are abused and the men who enable that.  I was frequently brought up short by the awful things done by men toward women, specifically because the abusers were men and the victims were women and how the system which should have protected them looked the other way or actively worked to cover it up.

I actually thought this book had a lot less of the content I found distasteful in the first two books: the drinking, swearing, and sexual content all stood out much less.

Overall: A good conclusion to the Millennium trilogy.

Cover: I do like the silver a lot but the hornets freak me out.

The Book Thief

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Alfred A. Knopf, 2005
550 pages
YA; Historical
3.5/5 stars

Source: My sister bought it and now I have borrowed it.

Summary: (from goodreads-usually I like to write my own summaries but I had a lot of trouble with this one.)

"It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.  This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul. "

Thoughts: I saw many rave reviews of this before I started reading it so I had high hopes.  Alas I must be an exception for while I can see the strengths of it, it didn't work for me.

I liked the idea of Death as narrator but Zusack's Death isn't as good as Terry Pratchett's Death.  I liked the idea of a young girl in Nazi Germany.  Despite the popularity of WWII in film and fiction, I still feel as if there isn't as much in YA (in general I feel like there isn't much historical fiction in YA at all).  Another problem was that despite the little moments in the book, the overwhelming feeling I got from it was depression especially as Hitler and the Holocaust are referenced frequently.  I know the Holocaust was an awful event and I do not want anything of that kind to ever happen again but I personally had trouble handling that aspect. I also didn't like the use of German, followed by a rough translation of what was said-I found it annoying, perhaps because I have studied German and didn't always need the translation so it was like having something repeated to me.

My favorite part was the descriptions of books and the joyful experience of reading.  Liesel certainly needed some good in her life and I think book bloggers will appreciate those passages.  The ending did make me cry.  The death all around was too much and practically everyone dies.

Overall: While I recognize this as a book that is kind of book that wins awards, I didn't particularly like it.

Cover: The dominoes are a good choice for the cover.

Also: I had forgotten that this was part of my FITG challenge (see tab at top)

Fat Cat

Fat Cat by Robin Brande

Alfred A Knopf, 2009

327 pages

YA; Contemporary

Source: Checked out of my local library

Summary: Cat loves science so when she receives the chance to take an advanced science class, she wants to do her best (and beat former best friend Matt). But her project can also help her transform herself, through weight loss and eventually within herself.

Thoughts: I think the main reason I liked this book was because of the great relationship between Cat and her best friend Amanda. They are so supportive of each other and it is exactly the kind of relationship I wanted with someone when I was in high school. They each recognize their own strengths and cheer on the other's. I loved reading that. And while her parents weren't a big part of the book, they were largely supportive of her and they weren't completely neglectful in other ways.

I enjoyed reading about her experiment although I'm not sure about the scientificness of all of it (that is totally a word!) And it takes a detour in to dealing with boys.

There are five main boys; one is Cat's brother and one is Amanda's boyfriend but the other three are potential love interests for Cat. It's pretty obvious who she will end up with but her difficulties in navigating male-female romantic interaction were funny.

Overall: 4.5/5. I was very pleased with this book and I especially loved the friendship.

Cover: I love the purple but I'm not a huge fan of the cover.

Casting: I see "Matt" from Glee as Matt in this book, solely because of the name.