Review: Gretel and the Case of the Missing Frog Prints

April 29, 20152 Comments

P.J. Brackston, Gretel and the Case of the Missing Frog Prints

In the small town of Gesternstadt in 18th-century Germany, Gretel is something of a local celebrity. Her first claim to fame is being the Gretel, the one who escaped the clutches of an evil witch along with her gluttonous brother, Hans (a.k.a. Hansel). Now, the 35-year-old woman makes her living as a private investigator, and the biggest case of her life has just fallen into her lap. She has been summoned by Albrecht Durer the Much Much Younger, whose beautiful and beloved frog prints have been stolen. Gretel takes the case and travels to the busy metropolis of Nuremberg, accompanied by Hans, who wants to attend the city’s world-famous sausage festival. She soon stumbles across a variety of surprises, including a housecleaning hobgoblin, a secret brothel in the basement of a fancy hotel, and a veritable mafia of talking mice. And, naturally, her most promising suspect is later murdered at the scene of the crime. Can Gretel discover the thief, return the prints, and catch the murderer, all without being sidetracked by her dimwitted brother?

I got very excited by the premise of this book, which sounds like a delightfully subversive romp through both mystery and fairy-tale tropes. And indeed, there’s lots of fun stuff in this novel. Gretel has some wonderfully entertaining characteristics: she’s determined, confident, and extremely pragmatic. Hans is a good foil for her, reminding me of a Teutonic Bertie Wooster. But at the same time, I never found a reason to care about these characters; they don’t really develop over the course of the novel. Some of the humor also seemed forced, and the mystery itself was nothing special. I did enjoy the weird genre mashup of mystery plus fairy tale, and I would potentially read the sequel when it comes out. But a novel that’s pure spoof has got to be funny enough to justify itself, and I’m not sure that this one is. It certainly never reaches the zany heights of P.G. Wodehouse! Again, this book is an enjoyable read, but I was ultimately underwhelmed by it.

Review: Saga, Volumes 3-4

April 29, 2015Leave a comment

Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples, Saga: Volume Three and Saga: Volume Four

Volumes 3 and 4 of this saga (see what I did there?) continue the story of star-crossed lovers Marko and Alana and their daughter, Hazel, who is now a toddler. Fleeing their many pursuers, the family first takes shelter with Alana’s favorite author, D. Oswald Heist, whose romance novels have a surprisingly political subtext. But they’re unable to stay there for long, since a variety of people (and other entities) are hot on their trail. These pursuers include: The Will, a bounty hunter who’s still grieving for his dead paramour; Marko’s ex-fiancée Gwendolyn, who has a score to settle; a robot prince who’s following orders, even though he’d rather be at home with his wife and son; and two tabloid reporters named Upsher and Doff. Now, in addition to the many dangers that Marko and Alana will face if they’re caught, they also begin to face troubles within their marriage. Alana gets a job that introduces her to a dangerous drug, while Marko is tempted by a young mother he meets while at the playground with Hazel.

I enjoyed the first two volumes of this series, and I’m pleased that these two volumes continue to be entertaining, with a nice blend of dark humor and pathos. I remember being a little bit confused in the earlier installments because of the plethora of characters, but I think I’m clearer now about what’s going on. I was particularly happy to get a little more background on the robot kingdom, so I can see now how they fit into the bigger picture. I’m genuinely concerned about Hazel and her little family, and I hope they will be able to stick together going forward! I also have a soft spot for The Will and am interested to see what happens to him next. I definitely think that fans of graphic novels and/or science fiction should check out this series. Unfortunately, I believe only four volumes have been published as of now, but I’ll definitely look for Volume 5 when it comes out!

Review: Epitaph

April 28, 20154 Comments

Mary Doria Russell, Epitaph: A Novel of the O.K. Corral

In the late 19th century, Tombstone, Arizona was a thriving silver-mining town in the American West, but it has become known to history only as the site of the infamous gunfight at the O.K. Corral. The story has been told many times and has become part of the mythology of the Wild West. But what was the fight really like for the men and women who lived it? What were its real causes? Who was really to blame? This novel, the follow-up to Doc, seeks to re-examine the legend and portray events as they really happened — or might have happened. The story begins more than a year before the gunfight, with local and national politics having a significant effect on daily life in Tombstone. Wyatt Earp wants to be sheriff someday, but although he is a man of integrity, he is too naive to realize that others are manipulating him. Meanwhile, the Clantons and the McLaurys are cattle thieves, pejoratively dubbed “cow boys,” who resent the intrusion of the lawmen onto their traditional way of life. These two conflicting ideologies are bound to clash, but in the fallout from the gunfight, the truth is obscured by many conflicting versions of the story, until at last it is covered by legend.

My summary of this book was a pain to write, and I definitely didn’t do it justice, but all you really need to know is that I loved this book! When I read Doc a couple years ago, I thought, “This is why I love historical fiction!” And the same is true of this follow-up novel. I love how Russell is able to take legendary historical figures and make them real, living, breathing people. I love how she pays as much attention to the women of Tombstone as to the men, from the Earp brothers’ common-law wives to the beguiling Josephine Sarah Marcus, whose love for Wyatt Earp would eventually lead to her distorting the events of the gunfight and building Wyatt into a legend. I also got a huge kick out of the fact that each chapter heading is a phrase from the Iliad, which emphasizes the epic, mythic nature of the stories surrounding the gunfight. Another fun fact is that “Epitaph” was the name of one of the local newspapers in Tombstone, so even the book’s title has many layers of meaning. My one complaint is that I would have liked a little bit more of Doc Holliday and his lover, Kate. But anyone who loved Doc should definitely read this novel too! Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction.

Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon

April 25, 2015April 26, 20153 Comments

The long-awaited day has finally arrived: Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon is upon us! This post will be my home base throughout the day, where I’ll be logging my progress and participating in mini-challenges. I’ve got a bunch of snacks and a stack of books all ready to go, so let the games begin!

11:04 a.m. — Argh, I overslept! So I haven’t actually started reading yet…but I’m about to get going with Every Breath by Ellie Marney! Hope everyone is enjoying his/her day so far!

Classic Words of Wisdom Mini-Challenge

From the host’s website: “[C]reate a post highlighting your favorite ‘Classic Words of Wisdom’ and then explain their meaning to you.” This is one of my absolute favorite quotes, from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit:

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.

To me, this quote is a reminder to focus on life’s simple pleasures and to be “merry” whenever possible. Not bad life advice, I think!

Four Seasons, Four Books Mini-Challenge

From the host’s website: “This mini challenge is to convey the four seasons in four book covers, by colour, title, author, cover, or something a little less obvious. Just arrange your covers, snap a photo and then upload it.” Here are my choices for spring, summer, fall, and winter:

1:21 p.m. — About halfway through Every Breath now, and it’s SO GOOD! I’ve just put the sequel on my wishlist. 🙂

3:17 p.m. — Finished Every Breath and really, really liked it! I did guess the culprit’s identity fairly early on, but the fun is in getting there, and in watching the slow burn of Watts and Mycroft’s relationship. Now I’m on to French Leave by Anna Gavalda, of which I have high hopes, since I really enjoyed Gavalda’s previous novel Hunting and Gathering!

Treasure Hunt Mini-Challenge

From the host’s website: “[F]ind a book with one of the listed items on the cover.” The listed items were a tree, snow, and a weapon, and here’s what I found:

Tree — Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
Snow — The Winter Long by Seanan McGuire
Weapon — The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley

Book Spine Poetry Mini-Challenge

From the host’s website: “Using the titles on book spines, make a short poem at least three ‘books’ long/tall.” This is one of my very favorite mini-challenges — it’s always so much fun to get creative with the books on my shelves! Here’s my poem:

A song for summer, season of storms:
Let’s get lost in the woods.
Bewitching season, endless summer.

5:07 p.m. — I just finished French Leave, which was quite charming and a perfect palate-cleanser after the intense Every Breath. I did love this one passage, which is about a conversation between four adult siblings:

And then we talked about our parents. The way we always did. About Mom and Pop. Their new lives. Their own love stories. And our future. In short, the everyday trifles and the handful of people that filled our lives.

It wasn’t much, trifles to many people, and yet a boundless fortune.

9:32 p.m. — I took a little break from the readathon this evening to play in a community orchestra concert. But now it’s back to reading, and I’m in the middle of Katie Van Ark’s The Boy Next Door, which is really making me want to watch “The Cutting Edge”!

11:40 p.m. Finished The Boy Next Door, which was fine but lacked that spark that makes me really excited about a book. Not sure it will have a permanent home on my shelves. Oh well! On to my next pick, Mindy Kaling’s Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns).

Music Is Muse Mini-Challenge

From the host’s website: “Whilst you’ve been reading I wonder if you’ve felt a particular musical connection to a book, or a character. I want to know what songs remind you of that character, or connect you to something you’ve read today. For this hour’s mini challenge please tell me the name of the song, and the connection you feel to it.” For this challenge, I’ve assigned a song to each of the books I’ve read so far:

Every Breath by Ellie Marnie — “You Really Got Me” by the Kinks (listen here). I think this is a song that main character Mycroft would listen to; he has an appreciation for the classics! Plus, the book as a whole gives me the vibe of a high-energy rock song with snarly/angry vocals.
French Leave by Anna Gavalda — “Absolutely Cuckoo” by the Magnetic Fields (listen here). The song is short and whimsical, the perfect complement to this charming French novella! For some reason, I can imagine the characters riding bikes through the French countryside with this song as a soundtrack.
The Boy Next Door by Katie Van Ark — “Love Story” by Taylor Swift (listen here). This song is THE perfect choice for this book, which is about two young lovers who believe they’re destined to be together. And Romeo and Juliet is a prominent narrative in both the book and the song!

Reading Story Mini-Challenge

From the host’s website: “For this challenge you will be writing a six word story based on your read-a-thon experience so far or what you hope for the rest of your read-a-thon.” Here is my six-word story: “Read three books on couch. Success!”

1:13 a.m. Well, it’s Hour 18, and I think I’m going to have to call it quits! Sadly, I have to get up at a decent hour tomorrow morning. 😦 But before I go, I want to leave you all with this brilliant quote from Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns), where Mindy Kaling is describing her first NYC apartment:

It was a staircase for killing someone and making it seem like an accident.

I’ve been cackling so loudly over this book that I think I’m disturbing the neighbors. Anyhow, this is me signing off, but best of luck to those of you who are still reading! You can do it!!!

Library sale!

April 17, 2015April 18, 20154 Comments

This weekend is my public library’s semi-annual sale! So naturally it’s been on my calendar for months, and I had to go twice to satisfy my craving for new (to me) books! Here’s what I got yesterday and today:

Lois McMaster Bujold, Diplomatic Immunity — I’ve only read the first few Vorkosigan books, but I’ve really enjoyed them all! This is one of the last books in the series, I believe, but I’m sure I’ll get to it eventually!

Frances Hardinge, Fly By Night — This is one of those books that’s been on my TBR list for a really long time, and I’m not entirely sure I remember why! But I know I’ve read some good reviews of it, and it was only 50 cents, so why not? 🙂

Simon Brett, Blotto, Twinks and the Bootlegger’s Moll — I really enjoyed the first Blotto, Twinks book when I read it a few years ago, and I’ve always meant to continue with the series. This is book #4, but hey, I’ve got to start somewhere!

Adi Alsaid, Let’s Get Lost — When I went to BEA last year, this was a very coveted and popular ARC, so I figured I should check it out! Also, I’m a sucker for a good road trip story.

Anna Dean, A Place of Confinement — This book is fourth in a series of mysteries set in Regency England. I’ve read the first two and enjoyed them a lot, so I’m hoping to catch up with the series soon!

Judith Martin & Jacobina Martin, Miss Manners’ Guide to a Surprisingly Dignified Wedding — I’ve already read this book, but I really enjoyed it and am happy to have my own copy! Plus, my brother is getting married soon, so it’s especially apropos. 🙂

Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg, The Heist — I’ve never read Janet Evanovich, but I’ve heard her books are fun, and this one is about con artists (and maybe also cops?). I really love a good (fictional) con!

Tracy Chevalier, Remarkable Creatures — This one’s been on my TBR list for YEARS; it’s about Victorian women who study fossils, so what’s not to love?

Mhairi McFarlane, Here’s Looking at You — This novel is billed as a romantic comedy between an ugly-duckling heroine and the guy who made fun of her in high school. It’s the sort of story that can be done well but also REALLY badly, so we shall see.

Holly Black, White Cat — More con artists, but this time in a fantasy realm! Plus, I’ve been meaning to try something by Holly Black for a while.

Cinda Williams Chima, The Demon King — I can’t even remember where I first heard about this book, but I definitely read a positive review that kindled my interest!

Suzanne Joinson, A Lady Cyclist’s Guide to Kashgar — This historical novel is set in British India, which is a fascinating setting to me. I’m glad I found this one at the library sale, because I’m interested in reading it but definitely wouldn’t have paid full price!

Andre Norton & Rosemary Edghill, The Shadow of Albion — Fantasy and romance in an alternate universe where the Stuart dynasty still rules England? I want to go to there!

Review: As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust

April 16, 20152 Comments

Alan Bradley, As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust

***Warning: SPOILERS for previous books in the series!***

Flavia de Luce’s life has been turned upside-down by the shocking revelation that her mother, Harriet, worked as a spy for England before her death. What’s more, Harriet was groomed for this work at an elite Canadian boarding school, where she belonged to a secret society called the Nide. Now the twelve-year-old Flavia must follow in her mother’s footsteps all the way to Miss Bodycote’s Female Academy, so that she can carry on the family’s legacy of covert service to England. But Flavia is less than thrilled about leaving Buckshaw and all her family and friends behind. Still, Miss Bodycote’s proves more interesting than Flavia expected when a dead body falls down the chimney into her bedroom on her very first night at the school. But whose body is it, and who would have placed the remains there? Was it a fellow student? The science teacher who was once tried for murder? Perhaps even the stern headmistress herself? Once again, Flavia uses her insatiable curiosity and her passion for chemistry to discover how, why, and by whom the victim was murdered. She also struggles to fit in at Miss Bodycote’s and eventually makes an important decision about her future.

This book marks a significant change in the direction of the series, as Flavia is uprooted from Bishop’s Lacey and placed in different surroundings with an entirely new cast of characters. Some people were skeptical about this change, but I was optimistic going in; if series aren’t willing to shake things up sometimes, they risk becoming stale. Unfortunately, I don’t think this particular change was terribly successful. The idea of Flavia trying to fit in at a strict boarding school filled me with glee, but this book doesn’t spend much time on her interactions with the other students, except as necessary for her investigation. And the book really suffers for not having Father, Feely, Daffy, and Dogger to be Flavia’s confidantes, friends, and sometimes enemies. I don’t read this series predominantly for the mysteries; while these are usually fine, the books’ charm lies in Flavia and her unique reactions to the people around her. And sadly, in this book, her social interactions just weren’t as funny, interesting, or poignant as they usually are. The end of this novel promises another change for Flavia, and I hope that the next book will take things in a more satisfying direction.

Review: I’ll Meet You There

April 15, 20152 Comments

Heather Demetrios, I’ll Meet You There

Skylar Evans can’t wait to escape from her dead-end hometown of Creek View, California. Fortunately, she’s just graduated from high school and is bound for art school in the fall, so she only has to survive one more summer working at the ironically-named Paradise Motel. Meanwhile, Josh Mitchell thought he had already escaped Creek View by joining the Marines, but when his leg was blown off in Afghanistan, he was forced to return and face a wildly different future than the one he expected. Now Josh is doing odd jobs at the Paradise, and Skylar finds herself trying to reach out, because it seems as though the leg is the least of Josh’s problems. Skylar and Josh begin a tentative friendship that eventually deepens into something more. But as Skylar’s mom relapses into alcoholism and Josh struggles to deal with his physical and psychological wounds, their fledgling relationship falters under the strain. Eventually, Skylar and Josh must both develop the courage to face the future — together or apart.

I like YA contemporary romances when they’re done right, and this one is definitely done right. I found both Skylar and Josh to be extremely sympathetic characters, so their romance was easy to root for. That’s not to say that they’re perfect human beings — far from it. Skylar is so focused on her desire to get out of Creek View that she subconsciously looks down on her friends who don’t want — or simply can’t afford — to leave. Meanwhile, Josh spends the first part of the novel engaging in a lot of self-destructive behaviors. While his choices are understandable given what he’s been through, they certainly don’t make him a likable character at first. I also liked the fact that the romance between Skylar and Josh doesn’t magically solve all their problems. They both still have a lot of issues to work through, and they have goals and plans that don’t revolve around each other. Ultimately, I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for a good love story; it’s one of the best YA contemporary novels I’ve read in a while.

You Book Me All Night Long

Month: April 2015