Tween Hobo: Off the Rails

Tween Hobo: Off the Rails Alena Smith, illustrated by Kate Harmer

Based on the twitter account, Tween Hobo documents the adventures of a modern 13-year-old riding the rails with depression-era hobo stereotypes.

Unlike the twitter account, there’s a basic plot-- Tween Hobo’s parents are pretty absent, her brother’s in California in some place called “rehab” and she needs to know what’s going on. When she learns that her teacher’s brother is a hobo, she’s inspired and off she goes to California to get answers about her brother. She live tweets/blogs her adventures and is adopted by a band of hobos who are what you think of when you think of Depression hobos. It all stays light and funny as they try to find work, perfect their bean recipes, and look for free wifi. It often mocks tween culture, but it’s obviously from a place of love and “I was totally like this when I was that age.” Lots of tweets, lots of pictures, lots of random other lists and things about life on the rails.

Although the joke occasionally wears thin, it was pretty enjoyable and funny. I liked tween hobo’s upbeat, can-do attitude and the way she never realized her adventures and life choice were bat-shit crazy insane. Plus, Hot Johnny Two-Cakes is just plain hottt.

Book Provided by... my local library

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Fool

Fool: A Novel Christopher Moore

What Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal did for the gospels, Fool does for King Lear.

I originally picked this up because when I saw Moore had a new one out, The Serpent of Venice*, I put a hold on it, only to discover it was a sequel. So, of course I went back and read Fool.

Now, I’ve never read Lear, but that’s ok. Moore’s book might have been smarter and funnier if I were more familiar with the source material, but it’s plenty smart and plenty hilarious without it.

Basically, Fool is a hilarious retelling of King Lear form the Fool’s perspective. The Fool sees everything around him, and in Moore’s version, ends up driving most of the plot (with some help from the Weird Sisters, on loan from MacBeth.)

Much like Lamb, while the commentary and the book are very smart and well done, it’s also super-raunchy and full of swearing, sex, and anachronism. This is Moore at his best. Slightly offensive, very “earthy” and extremely smart. This reminds me that Moore is one of my favorite authors for a reason.

*If Fool = Lear, I assume Serpent of Venice = Merchant of Venice

Book Provided by... my local library

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Verily, A New Hope

William Shakespeare's Star Wars Ian Doescher, George Lucas, and William Shakespeare.

So, this is pretty much what you’d expect, but a bit better. It’s A New Hope (aka, Star Wars #1) retold in the style of Shakespeare. I say “in the style of” because it does more that retell the story in iambic pentameter-- there’s a chorus that explains some of the action and sets the scene, as well as long soliloquies, really translating the story into how it would be told as an Elizabethan drama. Even the illustrations show how the staging would work in Elizabethan times.

There are several in-jokes for those who know their Shakespeare and their Star Wars. The text is full of such allusions as ”Friends, rebels, starfighters, lend me your ears…” and while the chorus refuses to say if Han shoots first, Jabba the Hutt *does* show up, as does Biggs Darklighter and Luke making plans to hang out after the battle-- so Doescher is working from the rerelease instead of the original. (Sorry, is my nerd showing?)

Overall, it was very fun, and well done. I'm looking forward to looking at William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back, which comes out next month. The Jedi Doth Return will be out this summer.

Book Provided by... my local library

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Withering Tights

Withering Tights Louise Rennison

YAY! Louise Rennison has a new series! YAY!

Tallulah is Georgia's cousin (Georgia's mentioned, as is some of her advice on boys, but she doesn't really play a role in the book) and is off to performing arts summer camp. Only, when she gets there, she discovers that small town Yorkshire is not what she expected. Everyone else is boarding at the school, but Tallulah has to do a home stay with an overly nice family obsessed with owls. There are grotty boys who play in angry bands and interesting boys at the boys reform school down the road. But Tallulah's big worry is that she wants to be accepted into the year-round program, but, unlike her friends, she's not that talented and isn't sure what to do...

Tallulah is a little less mad than Georgia, but just as funny. I like that some of her problems are real, and not entirely her own invention, unlike her cousin. But, if you thought Georgia's rehersals and performances of Shakespeare (MacUseless anyone?) were hilarious, wait until you see what Tallulah does as Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights. To top it all off, this is a novel that very much plays with the conventions of British novels set in the rural England-- complete with references to Cold Comfort Farm. Seriously. The grotty boys are named Ruben, Seth and Cain.

Cannot wait for more.

ARC Provided by... publisher at ALA midwinter

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Alcatraz versus the Shattered Lens

Alcatraz Versus The Shattered Lens Brandon Sanderson

This is the 4th book in the Alcatraz Smedry Series. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, start with Alcatraz Versus The Evil Librarians.

Alcatraz, Bastille, Kaz and Aydee are off to Tuki Tuki, where the Mokian kingdom is fighting its last stand against the Librarian invaders. There are giant robots, a Librarian sect that hates all types of glass, coma guns, teddy bear grenades, and worst of all, Alcatraz's mother.

This is the fourth book in a projected five book series (I think five. I'm often wrong on such things) And as such, most things go completely pear shaped (even more so than usual.)

But, it's a solid entry in the series. I love Alcatraz's voice, especially when addressing the reader. In this book in particular, he orders us to act everything out. He also numbers the chapters very oddly, to make Hushlander librarian's heads explode. And, there's still the same mad cap zaniness the series is known for. I mean! TEDDY BEAR GRENADES! An entire chapter where the dialogue is all quotations from Hamlet.

In short, if you like the series, you should like this book. If you haven't read the rest of the series, this is not the book to start with (it won't make any sense). If you don't like the series, this one won't change your mind so go read something else!

And beware the teddy bears. And the librarians.

Book Provided by... my local library

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