Must've Done Something Good

Must've Done Something Good by Cheryl Cory
Thirteen Hundred Media, 2008
271 pages
Fiction; Chick-lit; Austen
4/5 stars

Source: Won a signed copy through firstreads

I was intrigued by this book due to its references to The Sound of Music (who doesn't love that movie?) and the fact that had a strong focus on sisters, a plot element I am a complete sucker for. What I didn't realize was the strong references to Pride and Prejudice, my favorite book, and my love for the spunky heroine Sylvie.

What I didn't expect was how much I'd like this. I mean, I won a free copy so I figured it doesn't hurt to try but I did keep my expectations low. This had the upside that I was tremendously pleased and enjoyed myself at every point. Of course, I loved the pop culture references, the aforementioned Sound of Music and general trivia (I rock at trivia games). But the characters were great too.

Sylvie is the main character; during turbulence on a plane trip, Sylvie promises God to do something good with her life. On solid ground, she procrastinates but her sisters prod her to apply for a job at a poor high school. When she receives the position, her life changes as she becomes involved in teacher squabbles, bonds with her students, and learns about herself. I also loved getting to spend time with her sisters as well as the romantic plot although I would have liked even more of that. I also loved Sylvie's interactions with her students. As a first-time teacher, she doesn't always know what she's doing nor is she on top of everything but she tries hard and she really cares about the kids.

I guess my main problem was the romantic element, which is obviously drawn from Pride and Prejudice and thus I was frustrated with Sylvie for not realizing that. I'm not sure how she's supposed to do that when she's the character who's caught up in the drama but that's not a favorite element of mine in books.

Overall: A very humorous story with a quick-pace and a good dose of sweetness; recommended for fans of The Sound of Music film adaptation.

Liesl and Po

Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver
Harper, 2011
307 pages
Middle-Grade; Fantasy
5/5 stars

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

Before I Fall was one of my favorite books last year and while Delirium didn't quite work for me, I remain enchanted with Oliver's writing and I wanted to give her third book a shot, especially as it is the middle-grade category.

Liesl is the main character, a young girl living imprisoned in an attic by her evil stepmother who murdered her father. Soon she meets Po and Bundle, ghosts from the Other Side. Their paths are entangled when Will, an alchemist's apprentice, accidentally switches wooden boxes containing on the one hand, the most powerful magic ever and on the other hand the ashes of Liesl's dead father. When Liesl escapes to fulfill her father's final wish of having his ashes scattered by their old house, the plot kicks into high gear with various adult characters chasing after her.

My favorite part of the book was how the different characters and their wishes and schemes were first introduced and then became entwined. It always makes me think of Dickens, except in this case the prose is more manageable and less long-winded! There's the high-handed Lady Premiere and the scheming Stepmother, both mean social-climbers who are exposed and thwarted through their greed in following Liesl. But there's also the kindhearted guard Mo, who loves hot chocolate and cats (my kind of guy!)

I was also really excited about this being a middle-grade novel because it probably meant less romance, which was true! Although there is love in this book, it is familial and totally heart-warming. Friendships are fostered, good is saved, and evil is punished in appropriate ways.

As I look over what I have written, I realize that I have mostly neglected talking about the ghosts Po and Bundle. As they have been on the Other Side for a long time now, their earthly form has dissolved such that gender and species is difficult to discern; thus Po is referred to as it and Bundle might be a dog or a cat-we don't know and it doesn't matter. Because they are invisible to most (but not to Liesl), they are incredibly useful as guards and spies in assisting Liesl on her mission. But honestly I was more into seeing the wicked adults be punished so they weren't my favorite part.

Overall: A magical experience with sweet main characters, a fast-moving plot, and an easy writing style.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Simon & Schuster BFYR, 2011
452 pages
YA; Paranormal; Love Story
3.5/5 stars

Source: Library

This book attracted a lot of attention in the blogosphere for its unique cover (which I didn't really like; I prefer sad girl in a pretty dress; I like her dress but not the second person). Then I saw mixed reviews: some euphoric and swooning over Noah; others pointing out how creepy and possessive Noah is. I was pretty sure I'd end up hating Noah but I wasn't sure how that would color my perception of the book.

Well, aside from Noah, I did mostly like the book. It is definitely darker than some of the YA I've read and has horror elements, a genre I assiduously avoid but the way they were presented was more as part of Mara's mental state rather than as horror elements to scare the audience; it hinged on her unreliability as a narrator. There are even a few aspects where I am confused, either because information wasn't fully divulged or because the prose was a little confusing. Either way those elements actually ended up being my favorite as I attempted to puzzle out what might be true, what was truly imagined by Mara, and what Mara maybe was just plain making up.

I also liked the family element; Mara has an older and a younger brother. The older brother is pretty obviously the mother's favorite so seeing how he'd intervene on Mara's behalf was interesting. Otherwise neither sibling had much a personality besides aiding Mara and occasionally being funny. Her mother is very protective of Mara, as would be expected from the earlier events described in the book, but sadly it sounds like their relationship wasn't the best pre the start of the book so now it's just worse. Her father isn't there much either as a busy lawyer taking on a big case.

However I felt the complaints against Noah were fully justified. He's got a British accent, more money than he could ever use, and his treatment of Mara is SUPER creepy. He says that he noticed from the start that she was special, "different" from the other girls and he becomes super possessive and controlling ot her. He will guide their relationship and even though she knows she shouldn't let him, she frustratingly always does. Once they got involved, less time is spent on Mara's hallucinations and healing as Noah takes over the pages and her life.

Another warning beyond the one about this awful depiction of a guy in YA lit, is the pretty big cliff-hanger at the beginning. I could see it was the end because the very next page had acknowledgements but I could barely believe it because it changes everything!

I Capture the Castle

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
St. Martin's Griffin, 1998
Originally published 1948
343 pages
3.5/5 stars

Source: Library

SPOILERS!

Recommended by my new blogger friend Allie at The Book Stalker because of my love of the Betsy-Tacy books and the Chronicles of Narnia. While there was a lot to love in this book, there ended up being a couple of elements that were very personally not to my taste. They ended up dragging the book down and making me take about a week to finish this book. If I had loved it, I would have finished much faster.

It starts out promisingly introducing Cassandra Mortmain and her eccentric family who live in a crumbling castle in genteel poverty during the 1930s. Her father wrote a literary novel that is successful in America but has been unable to produce a successor over the years. Her stepmother Topaz manages on very little and takes care of the family. Then there's Cassandra's older sister Rose, who wants more than anything to get out of their crushing poverty and has aspirations to marry money. The last child is young Thomas, although he doesn't play a very big role. The last resident of the place is Stephen, a servant with almost undying devotion to Cassandra.

Everything starts to change though when the new American landlords move into the hall across the way. There are two sons bearded Simon and cocky Neil. Immediately Rose sets her cap for Simon and she manages to snare him. The father is finally inspired to write again, Stephen becomes a model, and the family's general standard of living drastically improves.

Well, I didn't end up liking Cassandra. I ended up sympathizing more with Rose and hating Cassandra for her selfish concern for Simon. She didn't care that maybe Rose didn't love Simon until it affected her; once she realized that she loved Simon, Rose's deceit bothered her. Sadly I spent most of this book waiting that outcome because I read spoilers of the plot. I really should avoid that. Thus waiting for the reveal had me dreading the book.

The other part I didn't quite like was the family's existence in poverty and seeming inability to get a job. I think it's the Depression so it's not like there are that many jobs available but they didn't even seem to try. Honestly I'm not sure I understand the full socio-economic circumstances behind that aspect. Additionally I was sometimes confused by some of the writing, which referred to works beyond my ken.

As you can, it's my very weird self that just wasn't digging this book despite the many factors that would make it seem like something I love, historical, fun writing, a generally sympathetic main character.

Overall: I was confused by the unsaid background information that informed the decisions of the characters and unenthusiastic about the pending plot twists.

Lord and Lady Spy

Lord and Lady Spy by Shana Galen
Sourcebooks, 2011
238 pages
Romance; Historical
4/5 stars

Source: Bought the Nookbook

I was so captivated with the concept of this: Mr and Mrs Smith (although I don't like the movie at all) in Regency romance (aka my favorite time period!) that I broke down and actually paid for this book ($0.99 but still)

It opens just as the Napoleonic Wars are winding down and the British spies are disbanding. Both Sophia (Agent Saint) and Adrian (Agent Wolf) are discharged and find themselves at loose ends. They must now return to their placid lives as Lord and Lady Smythe. Separately each wishes for a baby and a real relationship with their spouse; each has practiced fidelity despite opportunities to cheat; and each wishes to dive back into the spy game to escape their stifling upper-class lives. But repeated miscarriages have made it hard for Sophia to consider trying for a baby again, especially as Adrian was never there to support her. Both think their spouse is boring and unable to understand them. How quickly things change!

Fairly early on, they learn about the other person's involvement in espionage and this presents them with sorts of new challenges. They are competing against each other to reclaim a spot as a spy but must work together with vastly contrasting styles. Additionally Adrian tends to underestimate the strength and abilities of women, something that Sophia simply must correct for him.

I loved watching these two fall in love; they're stubborn and passionate and perfectly suited for each other. They continually butt heads but they can complement each other and they learn to appreciate the strengths of their spouse and what makes them the perfect team, both as detectives and as mates.

I did think some parts dragged and I wasn't that interested in the mystery other than in seeing how the Smythes learned to work together to inflict some damage on England's enemies.

Overall: A hot romance although I did skim some parts for slowness.

The Dead Kid Detective Agency

The Dead Kid Detective Agency by Evan Munday
ECW Press, 2011
318 pages
Middle-Grade; YA; Ghosts
4/5 stars

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

I really wasn't sure what to expect when I opened this book as I wondered who exactly was the dead kid. It does take a bit to get explained but before that we might the delightful almost-thirteen year old October, who skipped a year to enter high school in Canada. She and her father have moved to a new town, giving them both the chance to start over.

October promptly makes an enemy from a mean girl in her grade but also makes a couple of friends and finds a favorite teacher. After he is discovered dead, October becomes consumed with the notion that he was murdered and enlists the help of five child ghosts she accidentally raised to investigate. As part of that investigation, she learns about various aspects of Canadian history, her mother's mysterious disappearance, and basic detecting skills.

I tried to make a point of emphasizing that the setting for this was Canada because the FLQ, a terrorist organization that wanted to make Quebec independent, plays a big role. Other important historical events play a role in the lives of the dead kids and, as this seems to be the start to a series, we will surely learn more.

Besides enjoying those historical elements, which weren't that prominent if you find yourself leery of them, I loved the characters. October is tough and determined, with an offbeat sense of humor. The five dead kids are all distinct personalities from different time periods. Some are more helpful, some are more resigned to their deaths but all soon warm to the task of determining if the teacher was murdered and who could have done it. That leads to several zany adventures involving some people being able to see the ghosts, some unable to do so, and general chaos ensuing.

Overall: A whimsical and promising start to a new series-excited to see what will happen.

Signing Up for The Back To The Classics Challenge 2012

I'm not planning to sign up for many challenges this year (famous last words!) but I really need some help with a long-term challenge so here are the requirements and what I *think* I will read. Obviously I reserve the right to change at my will. Hosted by Sarah Reads Too Much

• Any 19th Century Classic-Middlemarch by George Eliot
• Any 20th Century Classic-1984 by George Orwell
• Reread a classic of your choice-an Austen work (probably Emma or Persuasion)
• A Classic Play-Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
  
• Classic Mystery/Horror/Crime Fiction-The Shining by Stephen King
• Classic Romance-Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy (been dying to read this after seeing the lovely miniseries)
• Read a Classic that has been translated from its original language to your language-Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert (from French)
• Classic Award Winner-The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington (Pulitzer Prize winner of 1919)
• Read a Classic set in a Country that you (realistically speaking) will not visit during your lifetime-Dante's Inferno (Hell) or Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (Belgian Congo)

This is a great opportunity for me to catch up on my FITG challenge, where I am woefully behind. Except for the reread, these will all be new to me and ones that I can cross of the list. I hope you will consider signing up or that you will cheer me on as I try to accomplish this!