I was at a middle school yesterday, and noticed a lot of students carrying this book around. They were reading it in their Language Arts class. One student told me they had been reading it for "two months."

Al Capone Does My Laundry, an earlier book by this author, was one I enjoyed a lot, so I picked this up during my lunch period and started reading. I was sucked in right away. This is another book where the author really effectively tells the story from the points of view of two different characters. This must be a trend for me lately, picking up books with this format. Or maybe a hot trend for authors? In any case, this is another case where the author really gets it right. The changing viewpoints between Walk and Kirsten are really effective.

The story itself is good, if not very complicated. Walk and Kirsten become unlikely friends, then find out a secret that affects their friendship and their other relationships. Choldenko realistically portrays tween/teen life and some of the trials and tribulations of youth.

I did finish this book overnight, as it was a fairly easy read (as are a lot of books aimed at kids 10 and up!), and I hope that student really hadn't spent two months reading this book. If I had had to spend several weeks reading a chapter at a time, I'd probably have lost interest in finishing.

As a final note, I am looking forward to getting Al Capone Shines My Shoes, further adventures of Moose Flanagan.

This book came recommended from several different places. One of my favorite book podcasts, Books on the Nightstand, mentioned it several times. I also read about it on LibraryThing, and my mom liked it. So, how could I go wrong?

I did really enjoy this book. Set in 1950 England, Flavia de Luce is an 11-year-old chemistry genius, due to books and a laboratory left by an eccentric uncle. Flavia and her two sisters were left motherless at an early age, with a father who seems to be distant, at best. Things start to change when Flavia finds a dead body in the garden. Aided by her superior intelligence, sense of smell and knowledge of chemicals, Flavia proceeds with an investigation to determine the killer (and clear her father of the crime).

This is by no means a children's or YA book, despite the heroine being a youngster. Although there is nothing of a graphic nature, there is murder and kidnapping.

The second book in this series, The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag, will be coming out very soon. I will be adding it to my TBR (or maybe my "To Be Listened To") pile.

I borrowed this book from my sister (thanks, Lisa!), who got it as a freebie from Bouchercon 2009. I think it was handed out during a publisher panel, but don't really remember... It wasn't part of the big free-for-all at the end of the con, I know! In any case, the FTC or whoever should be satisfied now that I have said it was free.
Boyd has written a credible and exciting thriller (even if I did figure out what was going on way before the FBI). A terrorist group is extorting the FBI, using a series of murders to get $5 million dollars. The FBI is at a loss, and calls in a fired agent to locate a missing FBI agent who might have run off with $2 million of the money. False leads abound as the hero, Steve Vail, works outside the FBI hierarchy to find the missing money and the last members of the Rubaco Pentad, who have planned what may be a perfect crime.

I finished this in just a few days, and really enjoyed it. I would pick up the next in what is sure to be an on-going series featuring Vail.

As you might know, I also read comics. One of my favorite comics is Fables, which follows a community of well-known (and lesser-known) characters from fairy tales, nursery rhymes, myth and Americana as they try to live life in our "mundy" world while hiding their special abilities from those of us without (hmmm... mundies are muggles?). The comic has been going for several years, and has spun off another series, Jack of Fables. And now, Bill Willingham has written a novel set in the world of Fables.

This novel follows what happens when Peter Piper, in our modern mundane world, has to deal with the results of his relationship with his brother, Max, the Pied Piper. Interspersed in the modern story is the back story of Peter, his wife Bo Peep, the Black Forest Witch, Max, the town of Hamelin, and more. Willingham shows that he is just as good at novel writing as he is at writing for comics.

The book is (lightly) illustrated by Steve Leialoha. The black-and-white illustrations, while not necessary in the story as they would be in a graphic novel, still add to the telling.

This book could be read by any reader who likes imaginative fiction set in a world similar to our own. You don't have to be familiar with the Fables universe, and this might even get you to consider taking a look at the comic.

I just finished reading an ARC of this book (that I did receive free from Delacourte Press, through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer Program). It is not due out until March 16 (Amazon says March 2), but I definitely recommend it for your "To Be Read" list..

The book starts off with what seems like an innocent trip to the amusement park -- although why anyone would want to take a four-year-old to an amusement park is beyond my comprehension. When Jan and David Harwood's son goes missing at the park, it is the beginning of a chain of events that has David confused about his family, his job and his sanity.

The book sucked me right in, from the first chapter. I received this Friday afternoon, and finished it in less than 24 hours. There are several things that I really liked about it. First, it appears to be a "stand-alone" novel, not one of a series. While I like series thrillers (Michael Connelly's Bosch books are a good example), I always feel like I have to read the books in order. With stand-alones, I can jump right into an author's newest book, and then look forward to going back to the previous ones if I like this one. I will definitely go back and look up Barclay's newer books!

Second, the point of view shifts throughout the book. Normally, I don't like this, but Barclay is very good at handling the alternating first-person chapters, narrated by David, with the other sections told from the points-of-view of David's wife, the investigating police officer, and other characters as needed. The transitions were not jarring at all; I was never confused or thrown out of the story.

Lastly, I really liked the font used in this book. Isn't that weird? It isn't something I normally think about, the size and layout of the print seemed really easy to read, even in the low light of the bedroom, or while I was sitting in the brightly lit living room.

As you, dear reader, may know, I read comic books. I haven't always read comic books. I have been led to comics by my dear husband, who is a collector. But that doesn't mean I have abandoned reading traditional prose books; and, sometimes, a traditional prose book will cross over to appeal to comics readers. One of those on my reading list right now is Peter and Max, a novel set in the comics world of Fables, from Vertigo.

However, this posting is about Kavalier and Clay, a book I am clearing off my bookshelf and giving away for Christmas (maybe Peter and Max will be in next year's batch). Kavalier and Clay is an award-winning novel following the creators of a Superman-like character called the Escapist. The story of the two cousins is funny, touching, sad, and well deserving of the Pulitzer Prize it won.

Another set of books going out the door...

Griffin & Sabine, Sabine's Notebook, The Golden Mean by Nick Bannock

An extraordinary set of books. The artwork is beautiful and helps tell the story of two artists meet through the their art of postcards and stamps. Their correspondence leads to mystery and love. These books made me wish I was a letter writer. Alas, I am not.

The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson

Neal Stephenson writes long books. Really long books. Mark is a big fan of Stephenson (in ebook form, otherwise the books are just too big...they are sometimes heavy and sometimes have very small prin)t. I actually partially listened and partially read this book because it was so long.

BUT, the book is definitely worth reading. The Diamond Age melds the story lines of so many characters, in such a unique way, that it is really hard to describe. The world of enclaves based on different societies, and how they interact, is so interesting; and the driving force of the book, the Primer, is such a unique creation.

I am starting to put the giveaway books into gift bags, so I'd better get busy listing my favorites here!

The Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls by Lois McMasters Bujold
Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMasters Bujold

Cordelia's Honor was the first book I read by Bujold. I worked at a bookstore, and was straightening one of my favorite sections, science fiction. A gentleman came in and was looking at books, and I asked if I could help him find something. We started talking about various books we had read, and he recommended the Vorkosigan series to me. Cordelia's Honor might be considered a prequel to the Miles Vorkosigan books or the first in the Vorkosigan series. In any case, I was instantly taken with Bujold's science fiction romance. I have read that Georgette Heyer, the Regency romance author, influenced her writing, and I can believe that. In Cordelia's Honor, we meet Cordelia Naismith, an officer in the Betan Expeditionary Force, and Aral Vorkosigan, an infamous military officer from the planet Barrayar. How they meet, and the personal and political consequences, make a captivating start to the ongoing Vorkosigan story.

Bujold went on to write The Curse of Chalion and two sequels, including Paladin of Souls. These books are set in an alternate world, with active and interferring gods. Her characters are so well envisioned that the reader can't imagine them doing anything other than what they do. The storys are enthralling, and the mysticism of the world is maintained consistently throughout the series. If I didn't also have these books, as well as the Vorkosigan books, as e-books, they would not be leaving my self.

I am cleaning off my bookshelf. I am doing it by picking out some of my favorite books, and giving them to my friends and family for Christmas. To be sure I remember what I gave away, I am going to list them here, along with a short review. This is the first installment.


Queen's Own, by Mercedes Lackey

This is a compilation of Arrows of the Queen, Arrow's Flight and Arrow's Fall. I think this is now considered YA fiction, although when I first read it twenty years ago, it was shelved in Adult fiction. I loved this story of Talia, who becomes a Herald of Valdemar, and works selflessly for her kingdom and Queen. It is all magical horses and mind powers. I guess it really is perfect for middle school girls, and a welcome change from the current vogue of vampire fiction.

The Harper Hall of Pern by Ann McCaffrey

This compilation of Dragonsong, Dragonsinger and Dragondrums was my first exposure to McCaffrey's world of Pern. I probably read these first in high school. The series has certainly continued much beyond it's interesting lifespan, but these books, as well as the initial trilogy of Dragon Riders of Pern, are certainly good reading. Again, I think that this is a world really suitable for younger girls; much better than the Twilight books. These books, as well as the Mercedes Lackey books, feature strong female protagonists who are striving for something beyond boyfriends and clothes.

Podkayne of Mars and Starman Jones, both by Robert Heinlein

These are just two examples of the excellence that is Robert Heinlein, especially his juvenile novels. These books were originally published in the 50's and 60's, and are dated, but still provide a good story, provided one reads them within an historical SF context. These are the books that made me the SF fan I am today.

The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

My high school sophmore English teacher recommended this book to me. It was probably the first non-YA science fiction I ever read, and the first real hard SF. The story of first contact, and the moral and ethical implications of that event make very good reading. As I was typing this, I picked up the book and started reading again, and almost got sucked in. Maybe I should put this one back on my shelf...

The Spellman books (The Spellman Files/Curse of the Spellmans/Revenge of the Spellmans) by Lisa Lutz are very funny "mystery" books, along the lines of the Stephanie Plum books. I read the three of these over the last year or so. Now I see there is a new one coming out and that it is the last of the Spellman books. That makes me sad.

And Charlaine Harris has said that she has finished the Harper Connelly series (Grave Surprise, Grave Matters, and two others...). I loved this series, too. I thought Harper was a great character.

I hate it when authors end series that I love. But, I would hate it more if they felt they needed to continue writing books in a series just to make money. The books would, inevititably, lose quality. I can think of several series that I enjoyed that I won't read anymore because there is just no point. The stories are not of the same quality when the author is just writing to fulfill a contract.

So, Lisa Lutz and Charlaine Harris, thanks for ending these series while I still like them, even if it makes me sad.