Tag: children’s book

Mini-Reviews: Rules, Witch, Bride

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Sinéad Murphy, The Jane Austen Rules: A Classic Guide to Modern Love

This short book positions itself as a dating guide based on the timeless wisdom of Jane Austen. As a diehard Austen fan, I loved the premise, but I have mixed feelings on the execution. I do think the advice, both about dating and how to be a woman in the modern world, is largely good. The Austen analysis is also interesting; it’s not super deep literary criticism, but some of Murphy’s interpretations are ideas I hadn’t considered before. However, I wasn’t a fan of the writing style, which is trying—and mostly failing—to imitate Austen. Plus, Murphy misquotes the first sentence of Pride and Prejudice, which is frankly inexcusable! So, while I didn’t hate the book, I wouldn’t recommend it either, even for Austen fanatics.

Elizabeth George Speare, The Witch of Blackbird Pond

In 1687, orphan Kit Tyler experiences severe culture shock when she leaves her life of luxury on a Barbados plantation and moves in with her aunt’s family in Connecticut Colony. At first Kit hates her new life: Her uncle is strict, she’s forced to help with the unending household chores, and the broader Puritan community is suspicious and unwelcoming. Gradually she comes to appreciate her new situation, particularly after she befriends an old woman widely reputed to be a witch. But when the town’s hostility toward the “witch” turns ugly, Kit’s own safety is threatened. This was my favorite book for a while growing up, and upon rereading, I was surprised by just how many scenes I remembered. I found it a very enjoyable read that paints a vivid picture of colonial New England, both good and bad. I also loved Kit’s character development, as well as the multiple satisfying love stories. I’m glad I decided to revisit this one!

Cornell Woolrich, The Bride Wore Black

This thriller features a mysterious woman who is systematically murdering men throughout New York City. Her motive is unclear, as she doesn’t seem to know any of the men personally. Beautiful and clever, she’s easily able to gain access to her victims, and she always vanishes directly after the murder without a trace. Eventually, a policeman notices a pattern among the killings and makes it his mission to bring this femme fatale to justice. This is a fascinating, suspenseful novel with a clever structure, following the woman and each of her male victims in turn. As a result, I felt some measure of empathy for every character and was eager to discover the woman’s motive. The ending is both satisfying and heartbreaking—everything is resolved, but none of the characters get what they want. I’d definitely recommend this one to fans of suspense and noir, and I’m interested in reading more by Woolrich.

Mini-Reviews: Howling, Charity, Rider

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Maryrose Wood, The Mysterious Howling

Miss Penelope Lumley has just graduated from the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females and is about to take up her first position as a governess. When she arrives at the vast estate of Ashton Place, she soon learns that the three children under her care aren’t the biological children of Lord and Lady Ashton. Rather, they were found in the forest surrounding the estate, apparently having been raised by wolves. As Penelope teaches Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia how to speak and behave like human children, she notices several sinister aspects of her new life, such as Lord Frederick’s obsession with hunting and an apparently deliberate plot to make the children regress into wolflike behavior. This is a fun, cheeky read with more than a few nods to Victorian gothic novels. I liked Penelope and the children and enjoyed reading about their shenanigans. My only complaint is that the larger questions about the children’s identity and background are unanswered; I may just have to continue with the series to find out more!

Georgette Heyer, Charity Girl

The young, rich, and handsome Viscount Desford gets into a scrape when he meets Charity “Cherry” Steane, the poor relation of a family he happens to be visiting. The day after their meeting, he discovers her running away from her family’s cruel treatment, and he feels honor-bound to help her reach her grandfather in London. But of course, when they reach London, her grandfather is nowhere to be found; so Desford leaves Cherry with his old friend, Lady Henrietta, and sets off to discover the grandfather’s whereabouts. In the midst of these events, romance blooms in an unexpected place. Much as I adore Heyer, this novel isn’t one I frequently revisit, and now I remember why. Too much of the book is spent on Desford’s solo adventures and on introducing characters who appear in just one or two scenes. As a result, the romance gets short shrift and almost feels like an afterthought. The book is still a pleasant read with a lot of funny moments, but it’s not one of Heyer’s best, in my opinion.

Kristen Britain, Green Rider

Karigan G’ladheon is a university student who’s on her way home after being unfairly suspended. She unexpectedly crosses paths with a Green Rider, one of the king’s messengers, who is dying with two black arrows in his back. He urges her to complete his mission and take the message he’s carrying to the king. Karigan somewhat reluctantly agrees and is immediately plunged into a series of dangerous adventures. Meanwhile, King Zachary faces many threats, including the ambition of his disgruntled brother and the dark powers of a supernatural being known only as the Gray One. I first read this book back in 2010 and liked it enough to pick up the next two in the series. Rereading it now, I still enjoyed it, though it’s pretty standard sword and sorcery. Karigan definitely seems to be some kind of “chosen one,” though I liked that she wasn’t amazing at everything and often needed help to complete her mission. All in all, I’m interested in continuing with the series to see what’s next for Karigan and her new friends and allies.

Mini-Reviews: Jenny, Alliance, Birdy

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Anthony Berkeley, Jumping Jenny

A disagreeable woman dies at a house party, apparently by suicide, but amateur detective Roger Sheringham discovers proof that she was murdered. Yet Roger — along with all the other party guests — believes that she deserved to be murdered, so while his curiosity prompts him to search for the truth, he also works to shield the killer from the police. This novel has an interesting structure, in that you think you know what’s going on by the end of chapter 4, but there are several more twists and turns to the plot. Berkeley is a good writer but cruel to his characters, and I didn’t find a single one of them likable. I thought everyone’s attitude toward the dead woman was pretty horrifying. Yes, she was obnoxious, but everyone hated her so much that I found myself pitying her! All in all, this novel was very clever but a little too mean-spirited for me.

Lois McMaster Bujold, Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance

Ivan Vorpatril likes to keep his head down and stay as far away from politics as he can. But he gets dragged into a sticky situation when an ImpSec operative asks him to protect a mysterious woman, Tej, and her blue-skinned companion from unknown enemies. Ivan is willing to help, but complications ensue when an emergency forces him to offer Tej the protection of marriage. Ivan is one of my favorite characters in this series, so I was excited to read his book, and fortunately it delivered everything I wanted! More than once I found myself chuckling and affectionately murmuring “Oh, Ivan” (not an exaggeration, I literally did this!). A large chunk of the book is a cozy reunion with beloved series characters; Byerly Vorrutyer makes a welcome return; there’s a lovely exploration of Simon Illyan’s relationship with Ivan; plus a treasure hunt, multiple romances, and a few thrilling heroics. In short, I adored this book, and it’s definitely my favorite of the Vorkosigan saga!

Karen Cushman, Catherine, Called Birdy

Catherine is a 13-year-old girl growing up in the Middle Ages, but she’s not particularly interested in becoming the lady of the manor. She loathes spinning and embroidery, her best friend is Perkin the goat boy, and she’d rather join a circus or go on crusade than get married. But when her father finds her an old, ugly, rude — but rich — suitor, Catherine doesn’t know how to escape her fate. This was one of my favorite books as a child, and I decided to reread it because there’s a new Amazon Prime adaptation coming out today. I was delighted to find that the book really holds up! Catherine’s voice is a joy as she describes her unique thoughts and the various scrapes she gets into. The depiction of life in the Middle Ages is also vivid and compelling. I’m glad I read this book again and discovered that it really is as good as I remembered!

Mini-Reviews: Return, Museum, Time

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Megan Whalen Turner, Return of the Thief

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

This last installment of the Queen’s Thief series finds the kingdoms of Attolia, Eddis, and Sounis banding together to defend themselves against the inevitable Mede invasion. The events are chronicled by Pheris Erondites, grandson of the traitorous baron whose machinations in Attolian politics are far from over. Pheris is physically disabled and mute, but he is also clever and observant. When he becomes one of Eugenides’s attendants, he gets a front-row seat to the action and even finds that he has a role to play. I don’t have much to say about this book, except that it’s a fitting end to a fantastic series. If you’ve loved the previous books, you won’t be disappointed! I did wish Costis and Kamet had a little bit more to do in this installment, since they were the focus of the last one; but that’s a very small complaint about an otherwise wonderful book. This series will definitely live on my keeper shelf to be revisited many times in the future!

John Rowland, Murder in the Museum

Mild-mannered Henry Fairhurst is working in the British Museum Reading Room when he notices that one of his neighbors has fallen asleep. His heavy snoring is attracting attention, so Henry attempts to wake him up — only to discover that the man has stopped breathing and died. When Inspector Shelley of Scotland Yard discovers that the man was poisoned, Henry becomes an important witness and uses his enthusiasm for detection to help Inspector Shelley solve the case. Along the way, they encounter a blackmail scheme, a pair of young lovers, a kidnapping, and more suspicious deaths. I liked the writing style of this book (straightforward and occasionally humorous) and found it a quick and easy read, but I wasn’t terribly excited about the mystery. I’m not sure it’s “fair play,” and the solution didn’t quite satisfy me. I did like that there was one seemingly significant event that turned out to be a coincidence; that doesn’t often happen in detective novels, but it’s very true to life! Overall, this particular book isn’t a keeper for me, but I’d definitely read more by this author.

Diana Wynne Jones, A Tale of Time City

It’s the beginning of World War II, and Vivian Smith is being evacuated from London to the English countryside to escape the Blitz. Her cousin is supposed to meet her at the train station, but instead she is kidnapped by two boys, Jonathan and Sam. They take her to Time City, a place outside history whose residents are tasked with observing history and making sure it doesn’t go off the rails. But something is going wrong, and Jonathan and Sam are convinced that Vivian can somehow put it right — except they’ve kidnapped the wrong Vivian Smith! Diana Wynne Jones can do no wrong, and I enjoyed this time travel adventure, although I found the plot hard to follow at first. Fortunately, everything came together in the end, and I very much enjoyed Vivian’s narrative voice. Recommended for fans of the author.

Mini-Reviews: Piccadilly, Fairyland, Nightshade

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Anthony Berkeley, The Piccadilly Murder

Mild-mannered Ambrose Chitterwick is a detection enthusiast, but apart from one notable exception (detailed in The Poisoned Chocolates Case), he “detects” merely by observing people and drawing conclusions about them. During one such people-watching adventure at the Piccadilly Palace Hotel, however, he actually sees a murder take place! As the star witness for the prosecution, Mr. Chitterwick is approached by the suspect’s wife, who insists that her husband is innocent and begs Chitterwick to reconsider what he saw. I very much enjoyed this Golden Age mystery; it’s well plotted, the central characters are interesting, and there’s plenty of humor in the form of Chitterwick’s formidable aunt. Definitely recommended if you like this type of thing!

Catherynne M. Valente, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making

A 12-year-old girl named September yearns for adventure, and she finds more than she expected when she is whisked away to Fairyland by the Green Wind. There she meets various Fairy creatures, undertakes a quest, and comes up against the sinister Marquess, who has usurped the throne of Fairy from Good Queen Mallow. This is a book I wanted to like more than I did. The writing style is interesting and unique, but I felt like the book was all style and no substance. September has a variety of adventures, but I’m not sure what was the point of them, if that makes sense. The stakes of the book are never very clear. Ultimately, I think it sort of collapses under the weight of its own whimsy. I don’t plan to continue with the series, but I would consider reading something else by Valente.

Elizabeth Daly, Deadly Nightshade

After the events of Unexpected Night, Henry Gamadge is called back to coastal Maine to assist the police with a new investigation. Several local children have eaten poisonous nightshade berries; one is now dead, and another is missing. The police suspect that someone may have intentionally given the berries to the children, but they don’t have any leads. Complicating matters is the presence of a Gypsy encampment on the outskirts of town; some of the locals view the Gypsies as convenient scapegoats, and tensions are running high. For me, this book was a mixed bag. On the one hand, I liked the writing style and the main characters. On the other hand, the mystery is extremely convoluted — I’m still not entirely sure it all makes sense — and impossible to guess in advance. So I’m still game to read more Henry Gamadge books, but I don’t think I’ll be revisiting this one.

Mini-Reviews: Q, Manners, Shades

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QMurder Is Bad MannersWell of Shades

Beth Brower, The Q

Quincy St. Claire has put her heart and soul into The Q, a popular publication owned by her Great-Uncle Ezekiel. When Ezekiel dies, she expects to inherit The Q, but she soon discovers that there are conditions attached to the inheritance. She must complete 12 undisclosed tasks within a year, or she’ll lose The Q; and she’ll be supervised in these tasks by James Arch, Ezekiel’s solicitor, whom Quincy thoroughly dislikes. This is a self-published novel, and it shows a bit; the plot tends to meander, and there are several intriguing characters on the sidelines whose stories should have been more developed. But I really enjoyed this book nonetheless; it’s part romance, part coming-of-age tale as Quincy learns what’s really important in life. The setting is great, and I’d love to read more books set in this world! I am definitely interested in reading more by Brower.

Robin Stevens, Murder Is Bad Manners

In a British boarding school in the 1930s, Hazel Wong stands out for being the only student from Hong Kong. Luckily, she’s best friends with Daisy Wells, a quintessentially English girl whose good looks and pleasant demeanor distract everyone — well, everyone but Hazel — from the fact that she’s also highly intelligent. Daisy and Hazel have formed a secret detective society, but so far their cases have been mundane and easy to solve. That is, until Hazel discovers the body of their science teacher on the floor of the gymnasium! I really enjoyed this book; not only is the mystery surprisingly satisfying for a middle-grade novel, but I also loved Hazel and was fascinated by her relationship with Daisy. They may be best friends, but Hazel is often relegated to the role of sidekick. Fortunately, she starts to realize this and to come into her own more as the book goes on. Overall, I liked this a lot and will definitely plan to continue with the series.

Juliet Marillier, The Well of Shades

I read the first two books in the Bridei trilogy years ago, and I finally decided to pick up this final installment. It focuses mainly on Faolan, Bridei’s trusted spy and assassin, who is on the road once again on a mission for Bridei. Things quickly go wrong when Faolan meets Eile, a 16-year-old girl who is clearly trapped in an abusive household. Faolan helps Eile and her daughter to escape, then decides they must travel with him so that he can keep them safe. Meanwhile, intrigue surrounds Bridei’s court once again: one of his biggest allies seems to have betrayed him; his trusted adviser, Broichan the druid, has disappeared; and a group of Christian monks is asking to live in Bridei’s lands, threatening their traditional way of life. I’m glad I finally finished this series, especially because Faolan was one of my favorite characters and I wanted to see a happy resolution for him. I really liked the Faolan/Eile chapters, but I found some of the other sections less interesting, especially everything involving Broichan. Still, I enjoyed the book overall, and it’s reminded me how much I like Juliet Marillier in general!

Mini-Reviews: Ruby, Angel, Bride

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Ruby in the SmokeDark Angel : Lord Carew's Bride

Philip Pullman, The Ruby in the Smoke

I greatly enjoyed this historical adventure set in Victorian England. When 16-year-old Sally Lockhart’s father dies under mysterious circumstances, she visits his business partner looking for answers — and stumbles into a sinister plot involving opium and murder. It’s just a really fun, pulpy novel for the MG/YA demographic, and I definitely plan to read the rest of the series!

Mary Balogh, Dark Angel / Lord Carew’s Bride

It’s a testament to how much I enjoy Balogh’s writing that I thoroughly enjoyed Dark Angel, even though it contains some of my least favorite romance tropes: reformed rake and revenge-seduction of the heroine. But the book doesn’t minimize the hero’s (initially) awful behavior or its painful consequences. The heroine doesn’t forgive him too easily, and he fully acknowledges how terrible his actions were. So I was ultimately able to root for the couple and believe in their happy ending.

I also liked Lord Carew’s Bride, though it wasn’t quite as emotionally resonant for me. Samantha has had a terrible experience with love, so she’s determined to keep her many suitors at arms’ length. Then she meets the incognito Lord Carew, who she mistakes for a common landscape gardener. He falls for her immediately, and she accepts his marriage proposal because she feels safe with him — and because the man she once loved is trying to weasel his way back into her life. I liked the hero more than the heroine in this one, but I do think they’re well matched. And I enjoyed seeing the villain get his comeuppance!

Review: Charmed Life and The Lives of Christopher Chant

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Chronicles of Chrestomanci vol 1Diana Wynne Jones, Charmed Life and The Lives of Christopher Chant

In Charmed Life, Cat Chant is alone in the world except for his sister Gwendolen: their parents died in a steamboat accident when they were very young, and they have no family except each other. Gwendolen is a gifted witch, and her talents soon outstrip the capabilities of the local magic teacher. So when Cat and Gwendolen are invited to live with the Chrestomanci, the most powerful enchanter in the world and governor of all magic, Gwendolen is ecstatic — until it becomes clear that Chrestomanci won’t teach her any magic. As Gwendolen plots her revenge, Cat gradually realizes that he may have unsuspected talents of his own. The Lives of Christopher Chant takes place 25 years earlier and gives the backstory of how the Chrestomanci came to be. Christopher is able to travel between worlds while he’s dreaming. When other magicians discover this talent and seek to use it for their own ends, Christopher is caught in a battle between good and evil — but which side is he really on?

I dimly recall reading Charmed Life as a child, but I’d forgotten almost all the details. It was a pleasure to revisit the book, which perfectly depicts Cat’s alienation and confusion as he is thrust into a new environment. And I adored Christopher in both books — he’s such a fun enigma as the Chrestomanci, but his origin story makes him an even more interesting and fleshed-out character. In both cases, I felt that the books ended just as they were getting interesting: Cat learns something important about himself, but we don’t get to see what he does with that knowledge. Similarly, Christopher survives his first test as Chrestomanci, but I wanted to see more of his story as he grows into his power. There are a few more books set in this world, so perhaps they’ll fill in some of the blanks, but I was a bit frustrated that these books both ended where they did! Still, I enjoyed both of these books a lot and will continue with the Chronicles of Chrestomanci.

Mini-Reviews: Midwife’s, Check, Talking

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Midwife's ApprenticeCheck Me OutTalking as Fast as I Can

Karen Cushman, The Midwife’s Apprentice

Catherine, Called Birdy was one of my favorite books as a child, but I don’t think I’d ever read The Midwife’s Apprentice by the same author. It’s about a young girl in medieval England who is completely alone; she begins the novel by sleeping in a dung heap to keep warm. But the village midwife eventually takes her in as a servant/apprentice, and the girl’s life improves somewhat. Eventually she learns enough about midwifery to make herself useful, makes a friend, and even gets a name of her own: Alyce. But when Alyce makes a mistake in her work, she runs away, certain that everyone will hate her. Will she ever find a place she truly belongs? I was charmed by this book and wish I had read it as a child; while it’s not a keeper for me now, I would definitely recommend it to elementary schoolers!

Becca Wilhite, Check Me Out

I really liked the premise of this book, with its librarian heroine and Cyrano vibes, but the execution was disappointing. Twenty-four-year-old Greta loves her job and her BFF Will, but she hasn’t managed to find romance yet. That is, until she meets dreamy Mac in the poetry section, and he sweeps her off her feet with his good looks and romantic texts. The trouble is, in person he’s not as sweet or witty as he is in print. Meanwhile, the library is in danger of shutting down, so Greta embarks on a series of fundraising schemes to save it. I thought the library-related stuff was interesting, and the book did a good job of covering the complexities of the situation (community benefits vs. budget, historical value of the library vs. need for a modern, accessible space). But the romance was frustrating for me; I felt Greta was clueless and shallow, and her descriptions of Will (who is overweight) were downright cruel at times. Overall, I was disappointed in this book and wouldn’t recommend it.

Lauren Graham, Talking as Fast as I Can: From “Gilmore Girls” to “Gilmore Girls” and Everything in Between

A fun celebrity memoir by Lauren Graham, best known for her roles as Lorelai Gilmore on Gilmore Girls and Sarah Braverman on Parenthood. As a huge Gilmore fan and someone who has always admired Lauren Graham, I was definitely the target audience for this book, and I enjoyed it overall. It doesn’t delve very deeply into Gilmore Girls, which I was a little disappointed by, but upon reflection it makes sense: Gilmore was legendary for its long hours and demanding showrunner who expected every line to be word-perfect, so it makes sense that Graham would be reticent about the probable difficulties of working on the show. She obviously feels much more warmly about Parenthood, a show I stopped watching after season 1. Still a worthwhile read for fans of either show, and Graham has a funny, likable voice. But Tina Fey’s Bossypants and Mindy Kaling’s two memoirs are still my favorites in this genre.

Review: Greenglass House

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Greenglass HouseKate Milford, Greenglass House

”There is a right way to do things and a wrong way, if you’re going to run a hotel in a smugglers’ town.” Thus begins the story of 12-year-old Milo Pine and his parents, who manage an inn called Greenglass House in a port city that is heavily populated with smugglers. But the smuggling business tends to die down in winter, so Milo is looking forward to an uneventful Christmas vacation with his family. His hopes for a quiet Christmas are dashed, however, when several strangers arrive at Greenglass House for an indefinite stay, and then a bad snowstorm effectively traps them all in the inn together. Then several of the guests’ belongings mysteriously go missing, and it becomes obvious that there’s a thief in their midst. Not only that, but each of the guests seems to have a connection to Greenglass House or to be interested in its history. Milo and Meddy, the cook’s daughter, decide to investigate the guests, uncover the thief, and unearth the secrets of Greenglass House. But their search, while exciting, may turn out to be more dangerous than they ever imagined.

I must admit, I picked up this book primarily because of the gorgeous cover, but I’m pleased to say that the story does live up to it! It’s not quite the story I was expecting; I was picturing a little more action in the plot, when in fact it’s a pretty quiet story up until the last chapter or two. The novel actually contains layers of stories: First, Milo is reading a book in which several travelers meet in a tavern and exchange tales. Second, he and Meddy create fictional alter egos based on a roleplaying game similar to Dungeons and Dragons. And third, the guests of Greenglass House each tell a story and thus reveal their reasons for coming to the inn. I found this structure surprisingly complex for a middle-grade novel, but it does a nice job of bringing together all the threads of the plot. One interesting aspect of Milo’s character is that he’s adopted — he is of Chinese descent, while his parents are not — so he wrestles with questions about his heritage, while also worrying about hurting his beloved parents’ feelings. I don’t have personal experience with adoption, but I think the issue is handled sensitively here. Overall, I’d recommend this to people who want a cozy, atmospheric winter read, or for smart kids who loved The Westing Game and want more.