Rumors by Anna Godbersen

Again, I'm not positive in what order I read some of these, but I know at some point here I read Rumors by Anna Godbersen.

This book is the second in a trilogy that started with The Luxe, which I read back in March. The third book, Envy, is due out in early 2009, according to Anna's MySpace blog.

I am a big fan of YA fiction, even being all grown up. And I have to say, I think Godbersen's books are an excellent cross between YA and adult fiction. A lot of teenage girls who wouldn't normally be caught dead reading YA would absolutely love The Luxe and Rumors.

My biggest complaint is the cliffhanger ending Rumors leaves us with. I read the entire book in a day because I wanted to find out what happens — only to discover that now I have to wait six months to find out! Sheesh!

No, but seriously, Godbersen's books are highly addictive — particularly Rumors. I only recommend them if you can afford to get so wrapped up in them that you, say, forget to do your homework or stay up all night reading! :o)

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

I'm a little shaky on what order I read some of these books in, but I believe Nancy Farmer's The House of the Scorpion came next. In any case, I know I was on an extended YA lit kick, and I read it at about the same time as the others.

When I first picked up this book, I wasn't sure I could get into it, but my husband had read it and really liked it. It's a classic theme in YA lit — a dystopian fantasy — but it's better done than most of the ones I've read.

The book is set in a world where there is essentially no morals — clones are created and raised as organ donors, and people's brains are destroyed to justify making slaves out of them. In the midst of this, one little boy — a clone — is being raised with his brain intact, enabling him eventually to rebel against it.

The House of the Scorpion is an award-winner, and it's easy to see why. Besides its unique story, it is also very well-planned and a compelling read. I highly recommend it!

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher is another book that I heard about on NPR. (See a pattern here?...) It was in the same column as Before I Die, listed as a book to interest teens who dislike reading.

Thirteen Reasons Why was a very suspenseful story about a teenage boy who gets a set of cassette tapes from his former crush, who just recently committed suicide. She blames a number of her classmates for basically ruining her life and leaving her no other option, and makes these cassettes to tell them all why.

The story is a mixture of the boy's narration, and embedded in that, the girl's narration on the tapes. It's a beautifully done narrative, and an intensely compelling story with a surprising lesson learned.

Before I Die by Jenny Downham

When I told my husband the premise of Jenny Downham's Before I Die — that it was about a girl with terminal leukemia who was trying to get through a list of things before she died — he commented, "That sounds depressing."

I guess to someone who's not reading the book — or to someone who doesn't know and understand the YA lit genre — it probably does sound depressing. But I found the book to be absolutely captivating.

In a way, I thought the book was also rather uplifting. Yes, the main character acted out and did crazy stuff as she was dealing with dying. But she also made a commitment to doing a bunch of things and trying to enjoy what was left of her life.

I also have to say that I think Downham perfectly and very realistically captured the inner turmoil of what a teenage girl dying of leukemia might go through.

As with many of the books I read, I heard about Before I Die on NPR. It's a good book and a quick read, though you will probably need to have a box of tissues handy at the very end.

The Thin Place by Kathryn Davis

I honestly cannot remember what book I read after Sunshine, but I do know that it was not long afterward that I tried reading Kathryn Davis's The Thin Place. Since it was recommended in the same radio story on NPR that got me hooked on Sunshine, I thought maybe it would be just as good.

I was disappointed on this one. I read the first 30 or 40 pages, and just couldn't seem to get into it. The book has a rather schizophrenic narrative style, jumping back and forth, and I just couldn't find the rhythm — or even sometimes the connection — between the different scenes and chapters.

I don't often give up reading a book once I've started it — I like to see them through to the end, even if I'm not totally sold on the writing style or the story. The Thin Place, though, I just couldn't do, so I guess this one goes into the short list of books that I don't recommend.

My Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara

I actually finished My Friend Flicka almost two weeks ago, but I've had a hard time finding time to blog lately.

Anyway, I decided to read this book after watching the movie Flicka a little while back. While I liked the movie, some things also seemed a little unrealistic to me, such as the way Flicka was trained.

The book was actually very different, and I liked it a lot better. The main character was a young boy, which I thought was more appropriate. The horse was a filly born on the ranch, but the descendant of a wild horse that had impregnanted one of the ranch's mares years ago. And although there was a mountain lion, and the father did save the horse from the mountain lion, it happened a little bit differently.

I enjoyed the book very much, especially the parts about the training and the boys' responsibilities on the horse ranch. The author, Mary O'Hara, clearly knew a lot about horses. The book was written in the 40s, but I think it's still a wonderful story for any horse lover — young adult or adult.

Truancy by Isamu Fukui

I first heard about Truancy by Isamu Fukui on NPR a couple of weeks ago. There are two stories about the novel and its teenaged author on NPR: Student Chronicles High School Misery in 'Truancy' and Teenage Author an Inspiration to Peers. I highly recommend listening to both radio spots.

Having been 14 when I wrote my first novel, I have a lot of respect for Fukui's vision — not to mention for the fact that he was able to follow through and get his novel published as a teen (with the help and encouragement of his dad, it sounds like). However, I think it's also pretty obvious in the novel that he is a teen, so don't expect the work of a child prodigy!

Two things I noticed that betrayed Fukui's age and lack of experience as a writer:

* He uses a lot of adverbs. And I mean a lot. Most books on writing fiction advise against using them at all when you can help it, and although I don't tend to agree with that hardline approach, there are parts of Truancy where I had to laugh at the use of adverbs.

* The main pacifist, and really the hero of the book, is Fukui's first name spelled backwards: Usami. It's a clever way of reminding the reader that Fukui is trying to send a message about how futile violence is, but it's also very transparent, and kind of egotistical in a teenaged kind of way.

Those caveats aside, Truancy is an engaging, yet thought-provoking, read. I would highly recommend it to both teens and adults!

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

I saw Anna Godbersen's The Luxe during one of me and my husband's visits to the bookstore. Michael and I enjoy hanging out at Barnes and Noble or Tattered Cover, where we can get coffee to drink while we read, browse through the newest releases, or (in my case) work.

I have been on a YA kick lately, so The Luxe seemed likely a likely choice to follow The White Darkness and Hurt Go Happy. I have to admit, though, it was a very different kind of book. Even though The White Darkness was very suspenseful, The Luxe was a different kind of suspense. Even though both books dealt with issues such as betrayal and sex, The Luxe struck me as being much more adult.

While I did not find The Luxe as moving as the others (and didn't expect to), I enjoyed it immensely. The mystery was very cleverly woven, and Godbersen's world of wealth, duplicity, and indulgence felt historically accurate and very believable.

Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden

Nancy Garden's Annie on My Mind is the fourth in a list of books I checked out of the library during Banned Books Week in October. The others were:

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson

I found with some of these — such as Beloved — that simply being a banned book didn't mean I would find them meaningful or inspiring. However, I was really impressed with Annie on My Mind. It was beautifully written... But before I can say more, I need to explain what this book is about.

Annie on My Mind is a story of two high school-age girls who fall in love. As a result, in addition to the normal confusing and overwhelming feelings of first love, the book explores the difficulties of realizing you're gay at this age.

What I found so fascinating is how Nancy Garden made it all so believeable — or maybe "immediate" is a better word. Basically, she wrote the story in such a way that it is easy for a straight person to suspend disbelief, so to speak, and see things from the eyes of a young lesbian.

Which is no doubt why it has been challenged. Goodness knows, there are people out there who refuse to empathize with gays and lesbians, and who definitely don't want anyone else doing so, either.

Another reason I think Annie on My Mind is banned book material is the harsh way it illustrates the prejudices and discrimination gays and lesbians face. There are many appalling examples of discrimination in this book, but again, told in a way that makes the reader see it through the lesbian narrator's eyes. I'm sure right-wing anti-gays see that as very dangerous: Heck no, we don't want to make gays and lesbians seem human or — God forbid — normal!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

The last Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is by far my favorite of the seven. I finished Book 6 — which I did end up liking much better than I had the first time, by the way — late Saturday night, and immediately started reading Book 7. By the same time Sunday night, I had finished Deathly Hallows — I just couldn't put it down! I figure I read the entire thing — all seven-hundred-some pages — in about nine hours, tops.

There are a lot of things I could say about Book 7...but knowing that a lot of people probably still haven't read it, I don't want to give too much away. Suffice it to say that it was a perfect ending for the series. J.K. Rowling tied up all the loose ends quite nicely. I especially like Snape's role in the book...though what that is, I won't tell you.

It's hard to put into words how I feel now that Harry Potter has ended. However, this cartoon by Debbie Ridpath Ohi says it better than words ever could.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

When I posted last (about Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix), I stated that I had been less impressed with the sixth Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, when I read it shortly after it came out. This time around, however, I'm liking it quite a lot.

...So much, in fact, that I'm already about halfway through the book. I expect I'll finish in another couple of days, after which I'll start book 7 at last!!!!

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

I'm back to reading J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books, in the hopes of someday making it to Book 7. I'm sure most people just picked book 7 up and read it cold, without refreshing their memories on the first six. However, it had been six or seven years since I read the first four, and I don't remember 5 or 6 very well either.

In any case, I'm glad I decided to read the entire series before reading the newest (and final) book. I had forgotten how much I loved Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I read this book shortly after it came out, finishing it in about a day and a half, as I remember. Of course, it was summer then, and I was still in college, which meant that I had a couple of days to devote primarily to reading.

I haven't seen the corresponding movie yet — we haven't seen many movies in the theater this year, and we had others (Bourne, Transformers, The Brave One) that were a bit higher on our list of must-sees. However, now that I'm almost finished with Order of the Phoenix, I'm really wanting to see the movie.

Next — and hopefully without any further interruption — I'll be reading Book 6. I seem to remember not being quite as impressed with it as I was with Book 5, so we'll see how they compare when they are read back-to-back.

The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman

Michael finally finished The Amber Spyglass, so I was able to finish reading Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy. And I have to say, the third book lived up to -- and perhaps even surpassed -- The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife.

One of the things I like best about this trilogy is how original it is. It's not just a Lord of the Rings or Narnia knock-off. It is completely original fantasy at its finest.

I'm not going to say any more than that, because I don't want to spoil the third book for anyone. All I'm going to say is that I highly recommend reading this book. It is one of the best fantasy trilogies I have ever read, right up there with all-time favorites such as the Tolkien and Lewis's books.

Of course, I dare the Religious Right to find a way to spin this trilogy as a Christian analogy... Hahaha!

The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman

I just finished reading The Subtle Knife, the second book in Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy. I only recently finished the first book, The Golden Compass, but the second book was shorter and a faster read.

Unfortunately, The Subtle Knife had a cliffhanger ending. The story is obviously waiting until the third book to come to any sort of resolution. I would normally be starting the fourth book right away, but Michael is only about halfway done with it right now.

I guess I'll have to find something else to read in the meantime.

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

As you may already know, Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass has been made into a movie, due out this December. Michael loves fantasy and is excited for the movie, so he decided to read the books, as well. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he also managed to rope me into reading them, too.

I used to read Philip Pullman as a teenager, so I'm interested to see if his writing is as good as I remember it to be. (So far it is.) I'm a third or half of the way through The Golden Compass, and so far I'm enjoying it immensely. The book is entirely different from the type of fantasy found in the Harry Potter books (which I've also been reading lately), so it is a nice change.

Essentially, the book is about a little girl, Lyra, who has discovered to be involved in a huge -- and most likely sinister -- mystery. Pullman does an excellent job of giving you only a few details at a time, keeping you wondering what is going on, so unfortunately there is little I can tell you about the premise of the novel.

However, I can tell you that The Golden Compass takes place in a fantasy world, but one that is similar to ours in many ways; that children are disappearing; and that Lyra has something to do with all of this (though she doesn't know what yet). Lyra is a delightful heroine, spunky and defiant and rather wild.

While I read The Golden Compass, Michael is reading The Subtle Knife, which is the second book in the "His Dark Materials" trilogy. We'll be picking up the third one -- The Amber Spyglass -- soon, as Michael is almost done with The Subtle Knife.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

I am now reading the fourth of J.K. Rowling's books, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I was worried about not being able to get to the 7th book by the time it was due back at the library, but interestingly enough, the library made a mistake, and the book isn't registered as being checked out to me. In that case, I think I'll keep it out for a week or so longer than would usually be allowed, which should give me enough time to finish the entire series.

I have to admit, I had forgotten how long and involved these books started getting after a while. The Goblet of Fire is rather daunting, and I am an adult! How do kids feel with they see this 800-page doorstop?

It's just a good thing Rowling is so good at writing compelling, suspenseful stories -- otherwise, kids would joke about her books the same as they joke about books like War and Peace.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

Moving right along in my quest to read the entire 7 books of Harry Potter! I am now on the third book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

It's hard to know what to say when I've read all these before, except to comment about the things that are different about the movie. One thing I definitely have noticed, however, is that J.K. Rowling does an excellent job of dropping clues about what is going on -- except you don't notice it when you're reading the books for the first time.

*** Warning: I'm about to reveal something that may spoil the book (or movie) for you if you haven't read (or seen) it! ***

For instance, in the third book Hermione has enrolled in more classes than she could take in a normal 24-hour day, so she is using a time-travel device to attend them all -- but you don't find that out until the end. However, odd little things are constantly happening, like Hermione suddenly being in class when Ron and Harry didn't see her walk in, or Hermione carrying books for classes she doesn't have that day. If you already know what is going on, you really pick up on these things -- but if you don't know, some of them slip by you.

In other words, J.K. Rowling is a MASTER of subtlety!

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

I actually forgot to blog about Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets over the weekend, so I am almost done with it now. In fact, I would have finished it last night if I hadn't've been so tired.

Anyway, like with the first Harry Potter book, I am rereading this one to refresh my memory before I read #7. Once again, I am noticing differences between the book and the movie; they usually surprise me, because I have seen the movie several times but have only read the book once, and that was six years ago!

I'm struck again by what an amazing writer J.K. Rowling is. I've heard people criticize her for using ploys such as cliffhanger endings on paragraphs -- but hey, this is popular fiction, not the Dead White Male literary canon. (And if it were, it certainly would not be encouraging kids to read more.)

My reasons for thinking J.K. Rowling is a good writer include:

1) Strong characterization
2) Complicated plots
3) Believable dialogue (so many writers struggle with this!)
4) Great description
5) A great sense of humor, and an amazing ability to weave it into her writing so that it catches you off guard
6) An understanding of what makes kids tick (and read)

She may not be Shakespeare, but I think J.K. Rowling is just as important in our times as Shakespeare was in his. It might be an ambitious statement, but realistically, I don't think importance is judged by the moralizing content of your work -- after all, Shakespeare's plays were intended to entertain the people then as Harry Potter is now.

Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone by J.K. Rowling

With the newest (and last) Harry Potter book now out, I decided to re-read the first 6 before I start #7. With some of them, such as Sorceror's Stone, it has been as long as 6 years since I last read them.

I am amazed at how in many cases I remember the movie better than the book. In fact, several times I've noticed places where the action or the dialogue in the book differs significantly from the movie. For instance, when Harry is picking out his wand in the book, the wrong ones don't blow anything up as they do in the movie -- they just don't do anything at all.

Michael is reading the 7th Harry Potter right now, but the way I'm cruising through #1, he'd better hurry up. We got the new one out from the library -- I had put a hold on it more than a year ago, so I was one of the few who was able to get a copy right away -- so I have 3 weeks to read all 7.

SOLD, by Patricia McCormick

Unfortunately, I'm breaking with tradition a little bit here and blogging about a book I've already finished: Sold, by Patricia McCormick. I started it last night, and literally couldn't put it down until I'd finished it.

Sold is a young adult book, but one of those that is more deeply moving than most adult novels. In fact, I'm shocked that the book hasn't won any awards - in my opinion, it's on par with award-winners such as The Giver.

Sold is about a thirteen-year-old girl, Lakshmi, who lives a peasants life in the mountains of Nepal. Then her stepfather sells her to pay for his gambling addiction, leading her to believe she is being sent into the city to work as a maid. She is illegally transported out of India and sold to a brothel, but it is not until her first night there that she realizes what has happened to her.

The book illustrates the many reasons why so many brothels are able to get away with this: primarily, the manipulation of the little girls to make them fear trying to escape. If they try and are caught, their hair is cropped close to the scalp, marking them as a runaway - and keeping them from trying it again, for the shame of it. There are also the horrible punishments the brothel owners use to keep the girls in line - beating them with a leather strap, even stuffing hot chili peppers up inside their vaginas. But worst of all is the lies that they make these girls believe - that those who want to help them (i.e. the Americans, the border patrol) will actually hurt them.

Patricia McCormick's book is well researched and deeply moving. I highly recommend Sold to readers of any age.

Anatomy of a Boyfriend, by Daria Snadowsky

This book is a perfect example why you should sometimes judge a book by its cover - or, from the publisher's perspective, create a cover that will entice judgment. Daria Snadowky's Anatomy of a Boyfriend has a cover that does just that.

Although by running a cover like that, a publisher risks running the risk of offending some people - notably those book-burners who like to scream and holler about what their children are exposed to - they are also going to generate a lot of interest in their book. Too many book covers look the same - or enough of the same that they all blur together as you walk through the aisles of a bookstore. Lucky is the author whose cover breaks through that trance of sameness and jumps out at the consumer.

Equally important is that the cover is accurate in indicating what the book is about. Just as its cover, title, and genre (YA) suggests, Anatomy of a Boyfriend is about what it's like to be a teen. Snadowsky narrates realistically from a 17-year-old girl's point of view what it's like to dream about, and eventually have, your first sexual experience. The book also demonstrates some of the less pleasant realities, such as how prevalent "hooking up" is among some teens.

I'm only partway through the book - they haven't even "done it" yet - but so far it's a fun read.

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

I am currently reading Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island for the first time since probably middle school. I'd forgotten much of the story - most of what I knew about it was from Disney's Treasure Planet (one of my favorite Disney animated movies), as sad as that may seem.

I knew that Treasure Planet, despite being adapted for a futuristic setting, drew a lot of its characters and elements from Stevenson's novel. I hadn't remembered how much of it had come directly from the novel, though. In fact, most of the book is translated into movie form in some shape or form: the sailing ship becomes a space ship, the island becomes a planet, and the marooned sailor Ben Gunn becomes a crazy robot. The names and places stay the same: the Jim Hawkins and his mother, the Benbow, Billy Bones, Long John Silver, the mutiny, etc.

In other words, anyone who loved the action and adventure of Treasure Planet is bound to enjoy Treasure Island. Robert Louis Stevenson knew what he was doing when he crafted boys' adventure novels, that's for sure!