2005: Series and Teen Lit

More book reviews: Series! Woo!

A Series of Unfortunate Events is pretty good. In the middle, all the books are pretty much them same, but then they get good again. And funny. And there is definetely stuff for adults, unless children these days know who Haruki Murakami is.

Patricia Wrede's Dragon Books are awesome, but they're kids fantasy, so they may or may not be your cup of tea. But fun dragons, unruly princesses and evil wizards abound. And they're pretty funny. I read them in 6th or 7th grade was thinking about them this summer, so checked them out from the library and laid out on the deck and read away. Also, if you like those, read Book of Enchantments, which is a book of short stories by Wrede, but includes "Utensil Strength" which takes place after Talking to Dragons and has a recipie for Cimorene's Quick After-Battle Triple Chocolate Cake. I also just want to mention how beautiful and wonderful the story "Cruel Sisters" is.

Harry Potter kicks ass.

TheThursdayNextseriesby Fforde is also HILARIOUS! You really really really need to read these books. Then you MUST read The Big Over Easy : A Nursery Crime which is bizarre and great. Jack Spratt is a detective, trying to figure out how Humpty Dumpty fell off that wall. He (and Mary Mary) are major players in Lost in a Good Book. LOVE.

I also must give props to Louise Rennison's Confessions of Georgia Nicolson, crazy shallow Brit teen extrodinaire. I read 2 of her books this year, Away Laughing on a Fast Cameland Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers. Each books is only an hour or two long, completely stupid, and totally laugh-out-loud funny. Read them all when your brain doesn't work and you're in a crappy mood. You'll feel a lot better. But it is pretty girly. And talks a lot about boys and make-up. And insane cats.

But if you want an actually well-written and good teenage girl story, check out the TravelingPantsbooks. I was suprised and impressed. But, it's a girly coming-of-age thing, FYI.

Speaking of teenage books, the two by Jacyln Moriaty (The Year Of Secret Assignments and Feeling Sorry for Celia) I really liked. Funny and moving and not too deep.

The Angelica Cookson Potts books (My Cup Runneth Over, My Scrumptious Scottish Dumplings) were pretty formulaic for teenage British chic-lit, but enjoyable and comes with recipies for all your cooking needs.

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things is American teenage chic-lit. Not as formulaic and tries to go deeper than the rest. Enjoyable, not as deep as it wants to be. Not as good as Pants, but you should read it anyway, because it was challenged in Carroll County MD high schools (unsuccessfully) and out-right banned in their junior highs, and that's not cool.