On the Road Again

Well, I'm going to be in and out for the next month. I am facing down the end of the semester, 3 weddings (including my sister's!) and my college reunion.

Lots of reading will happen, but maybe not so much with the blogging. Tomorrow features 2 storytimes, classes (involving a review session AND a final presentation) and packing. Friday morning involves getting the oil changed before my flight, and then I'm off to Ann Arbor.

I get back Sunday. Then, bright and early Wednesday morning, we're driving down to Asheville for my sister's wedding. I'll get back Sunday. I'll take a final while down there. On the following Tuesday my final paper is due and I'm done with the semester! Yay! And then I'm off until mid-July when YA lit starts.

I'm tired just writing about it.

But, I'm excited for the reading all that travel means. I'm gearing up to read all of the Fusion Stories-- all of the ones that have been published are either checked out, bought, or on hold, so get ready for that!

Be sure to take the poll on the sidebar!

Also, Miss Erin pointed me to the "what's your pen name" formula. I am Mo B. Fishbein. Or Mo B. Shirley. Yeah.

I like my porn name better. First pet + street you grew up on= Blackie Hancock. Oh yeah.

Until then, here's a book I just finished reading.

The Totally Made-up Civil War Diary of Amanda MacLeish Claudia Mills

So, because I judge books on their covers and titles, I thought this would be funny. Doesn't it sound like the title to a funny book? It's not funny.

But it is really good.

Amanda's parents fight all the time and then her mom asks her dad to move out. Amanda can't understand why her mom has to ruin everything. And how can she tell her best friend Beth what's going on? Beth's family is perfect, and Amanda's is just broken. In Amanda's withdrawal, Beth starts spending more time with Meghan, leaving Amanda feeling even more alone.

Her only solace is writing the Civil War diary of Polly Mason, a Maryland girl whose brothers have gone off to fight--one for each side. It might dorky to like a school assignment so much, but Amanda's always liked writing. And school.

I liked Amanda's feelings about her parents and how they change.

I liked Amanda's older sister, Steffi-- she's perfectly Jr. High. All anger and sarcasm, and every so often really, really nice.

I also really liked Amanda's diary. She's a great writer, almost *too* good (but then she thinks about word choice during other parts in the book when she thinks of the leaves as red and yellow and then corrects herself to scarlet and golden). The diary was engaging and contains a lot of little facts about the Civil War.