Keeping Corner

Keeping Corner by Kashmira Sheth
Hyperion, 2007
272 pages
YA; Historical
3.5/5 stars

Source: Library

Read for Book Battle; I was really excited to see that this was about India and it had some cool intersections with the discussions of my class about Indian literature.

Leela is a very spoiled twelve-year old who is about to have her anu, the ceremony that will have her go live with her husband and his family.  Before that can happen though, he dies, making her a child-widow who must remain inside for a year, keeping corner.  During that time, her schoolteacher comes to privately tutor her and open her eyes to what is happening in 1918 India.

I liked Leela a lot; she is incredibly spoiled but after her widowing, her life drastically changed.  She has to shave her head, wear a plain chidri instead of a colorful sari, take off her beautiful jewelry, and remain inside the house.  One part that especially irks her is that a widower can remarry while she will forever remain in her parents' house and will be viewed as bad luck.  Happily she has a loving family who help her through her solitude.  Really everyone in her family loves her and wants what is best for her.  The subtle

Besides the familial aspect, Gandhi has already achieved respect in his quest for Indian independence and his philosophy of satyagrah or peaceful resistance is beginning to take shape.  His view of an equal India, between genders and among castes, is highly appealing to Leela.  She also learns about Narmad, who lived earlier and had many of the same thoughts.  This story is inspired by the author's great-aunt who was also a child widow but was able to continue her education.  Gandhi and Narmad were also inspirational for the author.

Overall: A cute story with some fascinating historical and cultural tidbits for me to learn!

Recommended for people looking for a good historical novel and for younger readers to learn a bit about India.

Cover:

Beauty Queens

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Scholastic Press, 2011
390 pages
YA; Satire
4/5 stars

Source: Received an ARC via Amazon's Vine program.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book, which seems to be beauty pageant meets Lord of the Flies, a book I didn't like in high school because of its lack of women.  As a plane flies to an island for some promotional shots, it falls leaving only 13 out of the 50 pageant contestants alive and struggling to survive in an unfamiliar climate and setting.

I personally struggled keeping the girls straight.  They are alternately called by their state name and by their real name and four of them never receive real names (at least as far as I could tell).  And because there were so many, none of then received the depth that a single person focused book could reveal.  However they emerged with distinct personalities and with their own backstories and motivation.

An underlying principle is that all of them feel compelled by society to act in certain ways to fulfill stereotypes of womanhood.  Their time on the island liberates them to act authentically and in accordance with how they want to be instead of how they feel they must be.

Society is represented through the presence of the Corporation. These were some of the more biting sections: my personal favorite was a set of movie trailers that placed women in their "rightful" place in relation to men.  It was also scary how much of the advertising content rang true for me.  For example the products to improve the appearance of your earlobe reminded me of the products that would improve how your underarm looks-as if anybody really cares!

However some parts didn't exactly work for me.  At one point a group of boys show up and, while I don't want to spoil specifics, one of them was surprisingly tolerant and I didn't quite buy it.  The other issue was that in general I have no interest in beauty pageants and don't really buy into some parts of that culture. My laziness supersedes an any interest in makeup or fashion that preoccupies the characters here.  However I can see many of those instances turning on a light switch for other people and I hope they get a chance to read this too.

Winter's End

Winter's End by Jean-Claude Mourlevat
Translated by Anthea Bell
Candlewick Press, 2006
415 pages
YA; Dystopian
3/5 stars

Source: Library

Read for Overlooked YA Book Battle.

This is a French dystopian novel.  Helen, Milena, Milos, and Bartolomeo live in sex-segregated boarding schools but a chance meeting sends Milena and Bartolomeo fleeing from their horrid life and Helen and Milos searching for them.  Milos ends up caught by the government and trained to fight in an arena for the pleasure of governmental officials while the other three work for the resistance movement.

I feel bad that I couldn't identify more with any of the characters.  I mean, I wanted the government to fall, I think, but I wasn't invested as I was, for example in The Hunger Games.  I'm not sure if that is part of the original style or an effect of the translation but I didn't love this book.

I mostly wanted more background on how the repressive government came into power, what they were originally rebelling about, and about why people are forced to fight in the arena. But I also wanted to know more about the parents of the four main characters who all fought for the resistance.  Milena and Bartolomeo's parents are discussed but not Helen's or Milos's in any detail.  Also both of those couples basically fell instantly in love and while much was said about them being in love, I didn't see it.

The ending was also lackluster-another lame epilogue. I feel like I usually hate epilogues (HP7 and Mockingjay being the two other examples that spring immediately to mind as not pleasing to me).

There were some good parts.  I was intrigued by the boarding schools at the beginning but they leave them fairly early.  Two main groups assisted in the escape: first the consolers, women who welcome the students during very short leaves from the boarding school; second horse-men, combinations of horses and men who are very strong and loyal to the Resistance.  Although the writing wasn't top-notch, I didn't have to force myself to finish it and I wanted to know how everything ended even if I was disappointed with the conclusion.

Overall: A bleak atmospheric read but lacking.

Cover: Very bleak but I would prefer two people instead of just the one in isolation.

The Hollow Kingdom

The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle
Henry Holt and Company, 2003
230 pages
YA; Fantasy; Fairy Tale
3.5/5 stars

Source: Library

Read for YA Overlooked Book Battle.

This book was divided into three parts (plus a prologue) that each left me feeling very different ways. SOME SPOILERS

The first part details Kate and Emily's arrival at Hallow Hill, newly orphaned and destined to live with their great-aunts.  After their arrival, Kate begins to fret, sensing something around her. The threat emerges as the evil Goblin King Marak dogs Kate's steps and destroys her peace of mind.  This is compounded by her guardian Hugh's callous disregard for her nerves and his plan to put her in an insane asylum.  Overall the emotion I felt most was terror at Kate's attempts to achieve safety and Marak and Hugh's actions to prevent that.

The second part features Kate willingly enter Marak's kingdom in exchange for the safety of her sister.  I mostly felt anger here as Kate is magically charmed and will never leave the underground goblin kingdom again.  Marak repeatedly reminds her that she came willingly but what other options did she have?

The third part is a year and a half later where Marak and Kate have settled into marriage but outside magical forces threaten them.  Kate must fight to save her family.  This part made me more sad that a. Kate has Stockholm Syndrome and b. that she no longer really cares about the sky with its stars and moon etc.  It seems to be that Kate thinks she is better off and that she is truly in love with Marak (and has been ever since she met him, even when he was terrifying her).  I was a mix of angry, disgusted, and feeling compassion for poor misguided Kate.

Also of note are the characters Seylin and Emily who will take center-stage in the second book. Seylin is part goblin but he looks more elfish and is thus unpopular within the goblin community.  Instead he spends most of his time as a cat.  Emily becomes his friend as a fellow outsider and enthusiastic connoisseur of goblin life.  They don't play a very big role in this book other than to be introduced.

I was somewhat reminded of "Beauty and the Beast" while I was reading this, especially because Kate is reported as very beautiful and Marak is disgusting.  However the feelings inspired by BatB are overall much more positive than those inspired by this book; probably because it's shorter and isolated while the goblin stealing bride tradition has been happening for generations and its ramifications are left unexplored in this book.

Overall: An interesting fantasy with some great elements but I found the heart of the story problematic; I am interested in the sequel in order to read more about Seylin.

Cover: I think it's kind of ugly.  I mostly read this because it was short and I wanted to finish some more books for the book battle.

Waterfall

Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren
David C. Cook, 2011
369 pages
YA; Historical; Romance; Christian
4/5 stars

Source: Received an ARC via Amazon's Vine program.

After seeing rapturous reviews of this at Small Review and Edgy Inspirational Romance, I was delighted to receive my own copy for review from Amazon.

This book features one of my favorite plots: time travel.  When Gabriella and her younger sister Lia put their hands on handprints in an Etruscan remains site, they are taken back to fourteenth century Italy where battle between the Sienese and Florentines rages. Gabriella is rescued by the Fiorellos, namely hunky Marcello who is unfortunately already betrothed to a daughter of the Nine, influential leaders in Siena whose support helps Marcello's family maintain their hold.

Gabi wows everyone with her 21st century clothing although she quickly changes into a more time appropriate dress.  Thanks to her nerdy parents, she has a grasp on the Italian dialect in use and is able to communicate fairly well.  Also thanks to her parents, she can wield a sword and has basic medical knowledge that helps her heal the eldest Fiorello son who suffers from asthma.  While her boldness startles the people, they are generally pretty accepting of it and are eager to applaud her awesomeness.  I love when an amazing girl is lauded!  She also navigates the tricky politics of the region well while also searching for her sister Lia since they were separated while coming through time.

The reader spends less time with Lia but she also knows the language and her forte is archery.  I love books with sister relationships and the parts with the two were among my favorite.  Lia is necessary in order to encourage Gabi to return home; as she falls more in love with Marcello, she is less desirous of leaving.

I've seen this classified as Christian fiction but I did not think those elements were very prevalent.  Gabi does question why she was sent through time and begins to think about a relationship with God after seeing the religion of everyone around her but it's never preachy or intrusive to the narrative.

I did have two problems with the book.  First was Gabi and Marcello's romance, which started while he was still technically betrothed: I hate that.  I also didn't find Marcello very swoonworthy as I was more attracted to his asthmatic strategist brother who loves Dante (who I will totally read some day).  The other problem was Gabi's voice.  Her narration is clear and I loved most of her actions, excepting in the romance arena, but sometimes the way her modern voice clashed with the more formal language of centuries ago Italian bothered me.

The second and third books in this trilogy are due out this year (yeah for hardly any waiting!) and it looks like they will include the Black Death, which, while dark, is something I enjoy reading about.  This book did not end on a major cliffhanger but there are still many plot questions to be explored in the next two books.

Overall: A strong start to a trilogy with lots of great characters and historical details. I'm excited for the sequels!

Cover: It looks like the model is wearing a red peacoat which makes no sense in the context of the book because the modern section takes place during the summer.  I do like the pop of color against the blue and black though.

Compromised

Compromised by Heidi Ayarbe
HarperTeen, 2010
452 pages
YA; Contemporary
4/5 stars

Source: Library

Read for YA Book Battle; to me, this is a great example of overlooked. Although HarperTeen is one of the big name publishers, and I know I've read a great deal of their books, I had never heard of this.  Additionally 2010 YA books were of great interest to me but I never saw anything about this.

This was a hard book to read, rate, and review, as it deals with teenage homelessness and the idea of family.  Maya has her conman father who lets her down once again, causing her to enter foster care.  When faced with a disgusting prospective set of parents, she decides to flee and attempt to find her aunt Sarah.  As she and two unlikely friends make their way from Reno, NV to Boise, ID, they face unbelievable challenges and attempt to construct their own family.

I loved that Maya was into science; she would make up a purpose and hypothesis, followed by materials, a procedure, variables, and constants.  Although I am not quite as strict, I have a similar habit that enables me to move through my to-do list. This helped me connect with her, which I valued because everything she experienced was completely foreign to me.

I also really liked her friends Natale "Capone" and Klondike.  Natalie has long been fascinated with mob trivia hence her nickname and she follows Maya from the foster care building.  They meet Klondike on the road, a young boy probably with Tourette's whose family kicked him out without understanding his symptoms. They were very sympathetic and their interactions with Maya was great; they made a good team.

The difficult part came when reading about their life on the road.  Possessing about ten dollars and their wits, it is a struggle to survive.  They walk and hitch their way north, searching for food and compassion but rarely finding either.  The disgust for homeless people is frequently expressed and the struggles are described well.  It was very emotional for me to read about and so very different from my own life.

Overall: A difficult read with characters facing some of the toughest decisions I've ever read about. Recommended.

Cover: The colors signal a gritty contemporary read as it is.

May Stats

Info:

I had some problems with my blog this month that have left me seriously considering a move, although that will surely take a will to decide, plan, and implement.  I was very upset about blogger losing posts as I had done a lot of work that day and lost it all.  Later in the month, I had almost 24 hours where I couldn't sign into my blog nor leave comments.  These were my first and second problems with blogger and it really marred my May. I also had some blogger envy over the many people at BEA; it looked like a lot of fun but I just wasn't in the financial position to go.

I also continued to read at a good pace, almost reaching 200 books for the year! I am planning to enjoy this while it lasts because once I start my job, I will have drastically less time to read.  I read a lot of 2011 YA debuts with generally pleasant results although there were some disappointments.

In June, there will be more reviews from the Book Battle as well as some more YA debuts.  I am also participating in the blog tour for "Cinder & Ella" by Melissa Lemon on June 16th with a review of the twist on my favorite fairy tale.  I'm hoping to read a classic or two as well because I didn't read any in May, focusing on more recent books.  Happy reading everyone!

Monthly Stats:

Books Read This Month: 41
Pages Read This Month: 12,808
Average Length of Book: 312
Average Rating of Book: 3.85

Favorite Book: Mercy by Rebecca Lim

Most Disappointing Book: Eona by Alison Goodman, way too long

Longest Book: Eona by Alison Goodman at a whopping 637 pages

Shortest Book: The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross, the delightful prequel to The Girl in the Steel Corset, at only 72 pages

Year Stats:

Total Books Read: 198

Total Pages Read: 59,139

Average Length of Book: 299 pages

Average Rating of Book: 3.86

By Genre:
Mystery/Thriller-5
YA/MG-28
Romance-2

Classics-0

Science Fiction/Fantasy-1

Non-Fiction-2
Historical Fiction-1
Short Stories-0
Other-2

Challenge Updates:

Contemps: 2 read, 11 total

Cozy: 1 read, 3 total

British Books: 4 read, 31 total

YA Debut: 10 read, 26 total

Ebook: 18 read, 61 total

Source:

Home Library-12

School Library-2

Own/Borrowed/Won-5

Booksneeze-1

Netgalley-12

Other ebook source-6

Audiobook-0
Amazon Vine-3

Read for school: 0

Read for pleasure: 41

Stats for Previous Months: January; February; March; April;

Books Read (Link for those reviewed):
158. Stork by Wendy Delsol
159. Losing Faith by Denise Jaden
160. The Art of Romance by Kaye Dacus
161. Carrie Pilby by Caren Lissner
162. The Story of the Bible by Larry Stone
163. Shine by Lauren Myracle
164. Mercy by Rebecca Lim
165. Girl Wonder by Alexa Martin
166. Like Clockwork by Bonnie Dee
167. Hourglass by Myra McEntire
168. Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky
169. Royal Affairs by Leslie Carroll
170. India Black by Carol K. Carr
171. Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott
172. The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge
173. Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski
174. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
175. Clarity by Kim Harrington
176. Cinder & Ella by Melissa Lemon
177. Possession by Elana Johnson
178. Cleopatra Confesses by Carolyn Meyer
179. Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt
180. All The Things You Are by Courtney Sheinmel
181. Royal Blood by Rhys Bowen
182. The Princess and the Hound by Mettie Ivie Harrison
183. The Lost Crown by Sarah Miller
184. Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore
185. Hereafter by Tara Hudson
186. Cat Among the Pigeons by Julia Golding
187. Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis
188. Mr. Monk on the Road by Lee Goldberg
189. Escape Artist by Ed Ifkovic
190. The Julian Game by Adele Griffin
191. Infernal Devices by K.W. Jeter
192. The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross
193. Eona by Alison Goodman
194. Things I Know About Love by Kate Le Vann
195. The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig
196. A Marked Man by Barbara Hamilton
197. Divergent by Veronica Roth
198. The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross