Where Things Come Back

Where Things Come Back John Corey Whaley

This is a book that lives up to the hype. I read it after it won the Morris, after it won the Printz. I read it after my librarian friends gushed all over it. I went in with high expectations, and it blew me away.

The town of Lily, Arkansas, is taken by storm with the possible sighting of the Lazarus Woodpecker, a bird long thought to be extinct. Cullen likes to mock it. His brother, Gabriel, is a bit more zen about it. Then, Gabriel disappears without a trace. Cullen tries to hold it together. His best friend, Lucas, is there for him every step of the way. Girls get involved and the town is still obsessed with that stupid woodpecker.

In another story, Benton Sage goes to Ethiopia on his mission trip. Mission work is more about helping and less about preaching, which Benton can't handle. He comes home obsessed with the Book of Enoch, a lost gospel. His obsession with the book spreads as he tries to come to grips with his failure in Africa.

The stories alternate between chapters. You know they have to collide, but you'd never entirely sure how. The Benton Sage storyline, in particular, kept me guessing and wondering where it was going to go. The Cullen Witter storyline is a bit more straightforward, especially for frequent readers of YA.

I loved Cullen's voice. I loved the portrayal of his relationship with his brother and his best friend. Cullen manages to walk that line of being sarcastic teenage boy without being annoying. (I would have been so in love with him in high school.) I also really loved the sense of place. Lily is a main character in Cullen's storyline. Whaley is from a small town in the south and it shows, because he paints it so well-- the geography, the people, and the excitement when there's finally something to get excited about it. It also gets point for being a small town that's filled with normal people, not quirky characters.

But, I also really liked the Benton Sage storyline (which not a lot of people talk about--I was actually rather surprised when this other storyline started up because I didn't remember hearing anything about it.) It's a different voice and a different feel. The obsession with the Book of Enoch, and the failure of the mission trip bring in questions of belief and faith that tie back to the themes of the other storyline, even before the two plots meet. You know I love a good book that explores faith and religion without being faith-based/inspirational fiction. The questions of faith are hard and messy and felt different than most that I've seen in fiction, especially YA fiction, but I can't explain why.

It's a book that might take a bit of a hand-sell, even though it shouldn't. On the other hand, I think if you just read the first page aloud, it'll get teens sucked in:

I was seventeen years old when I saw my first dead body. It wasn't my cousin Oslo's.

Also, did you see TATAL's coverage last week of this book?

I got to meet and talk to Whaley at ALA this year. He is super nice and gracious and has a kick ass tatto of the Lazarus woodpecker on his arm. I can't wait to see what he does next.

Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Sunday Salon: Second to the Right and Straight on 'til Morning

It was a rumor that I enjoyed, but never one that I thought would actually come true. There was no way it would actually happen. No way way it was true. NO WAY.

And then, it did happen. It WAS true.

On Friday night, a 100 foot tall Voldemort was taken down by a team of Mary Poppins. And it wasn't just Voldemort. Cruella de Vil, Captain Hook, the Queen of Hearts, and the Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Not only did the Olympics celebrate Children's Literature, it celebrated its villains and nightmares.

It's an interesting juxtaposition to the common cries of "WAH! YA lit is too dark!"

The Opening ceremonies embraced that darkness and celebrated it, and for an even younger audience.

I immediately thought of an article I read many years ago, many years before I worked in children's literature. In her December, 2000 Salon piece "Oz vs. Narnia," Laura Miller compares the two beloved classics, with Narnia being the clear winner. And one of the reasons it is the clear winner is because of the darkness. At the time, I thought the comparison didn't work-- one was written for Victorian children on the plains, one was written for British children who just survived the Blitz, of course Narnia is darker. But, I now know differently. I know the debate. I know the literature and this argument still resonates, 12 years later:

[Oz scholar] Hearn complains that American librarians have unjustly labeled Baum’s Oz books as “poorly written”; the librarians, however, are right. He attributes their preference for British fantasy to “Anglocentric” “reverse snobbism,” but the truth is that in Britain real writers like Lewis (and J.R.R. Tolkien, and J.K. Rowling and Phillip Pullman today) write children’s fantasy, and they take their readers seriously, as people facing a difficult and often confusing world.
...
Just as the British think that children are important enough to merit the work of their best writers, British children’s writers think children are important enough to be treated as moral beings. That means that sometimes things get scary.
...
Baum, like many Americans today, saw children differently, as pure innocents who need to be shielded for as long as possible from the challenges of life.

And this debate still rages. Children and teens much be protected from nightmares, and reality. librarian Josh Westbrook says, "Kids are living stories every day that we wouldn't let them read."

But on Friday night, on a global stage, some of literature's most memorable and terrifying villans came out to play. We didn't frolic with puppies, Peter Pan, Alice, a flying car, or even Harry. We didn't immerse ourselves in Neverland, Wonderland, or Hogwarts. No, we recognized and reveled in their enemies. We recognized the nightmares they've given us. But, instead of ignoring they exist, instead of covering our eyes and turning away, Danny Boyle and the London Olympics paraded them out for us all to see. They were celebrated.

In the US, we gnash our teeth and wail and moan about books that portray the darker, harsher sides of our world. In the UK, they take center stage when the entire world is watching.

The prominence they were given, and the seriousness with which they were treated, surprised and delighted me even more than the Queen parachuting in with James Bond or the obligatory singing of "Hey Jude."

And, in the end, I'm still smiling with glee over the fact that the rumor of a Voldemort/Mary Poppins smackdown in the middle of the Opening Ceremonies actually happened, and was completely awesome.

LAST CHANCE TO WIN!

Happy Birthday to me!
Happy Birthday to me!
Happy Birthday to me!

Birthdays are great but I haven't been totally excited about it this year. This blog giveaway is a way to build excitement for me. In real life I haven't been this OMG BIRTHDAY! about it. (Which is a bit weird, because I'm usually OMG SQUEE about anything that involves Fudgie the Whale. My going away party at my last job involved Fudgie for breakfast and may have therefore been one of the best days of my life.)

It's not that I'm dreading being a year older but, it's not a milestone year (it ends in a 2, not a 0 or 5) and there's so much else going on right now-- like my new job (which is awesome, but it's a huge [very positive] change in a lot of different ways) and the Kung Fu Princess is really keeping me on my toes lately-- she just gained a ton of new skills that allow her to create even more mischief and she's going to start walking any second now, and then the world is doomed (you may want to start boarding your windows now).

But, today's the day. I'm going to get my free yogurt from Red Mango and my present from Sephora. I'm going to get a pedicure. I'm going to chill at home and watch the opening ceremonies.



AND YOU ARE GOING TO WIN SOME BOOKS! You have until midnight (Eastern) tonight to through your name in the hat for two autographed copies of Tom Angleberger's Fake Mustache: Or, How Jodie O'Rodeo and Her Wonder Horse (and Some Nerdy Kid) Saved the U.S. Presidential Election from a Mad Genius Criminal Mastermind provided by the very awesome Spy Museum.

Winners will be drawn tomorrow.



Book Provided by... the Spy Museum.

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

God Save the Queen

God Save the Queen Kate Locke

I saw this book at ALA (how could that cover not garner a closer look?) but the rep said they didn't have ARCs. Ah well. It was pubbing shortly after ALA, so I could buy it or get it from the library then. BUT! There was a sign next to the book saying that the author was going to part of a panel on YA/Adult crossover titles. Interesting... why hadn't I heard of this panel? Because it wasn't a YALSA panel. It was hosted by ALTAFF. Have you ever heard of ALTAFF? They're the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations. In other words, our support. I will definitely be checking out their offerings at future conferences, because this panel was great-- adult authors with high teen appeal, YA authors that adults love and great ideas and conversations. And then afterwards they gave out a copy of a book from EVERY author and had a signing. I didn't take all the books but I was very happy that God Save the Queen was on offer.

I read it on the plane ride home. It's an adult title with very high teen appeal (I field-nominated it for an Alex Award.)

It's an alternate history steampunk paranormal action mystery romance.

Basically, there was a mutation of the plague that affected aristocratic blood (blue blood has a whole new meaning here!) that makes the upper class undead. Whether they're vampires or werewolves tends to be determined by geography. So, it's 2012, and Queen Victoria is still on the throne and ruling the empire. And, like Victorian times in our world, this is a very class-divided society. Aristos rule, humans aren't worth noticing and inbetween are the halvies-- the offspring of aristos and humans. They're not undead, but they have special abilities. They're mostly used as guards to protect the aristos from human uprisings and rebellions, like the one that killed Prince Albert many years ago. Below everyone are the goblins, who will eat anyone and anything. Goblins are aristos, but the mutation went horribly wrong.

Xandra is a halvie, and a member of the elite Royal Guard who lives with her siblings (different mothers, same aristo father). She's very close to them, especially to her troubled sister Dede, who has disappeared. But then a body turns out that the authorities say is Dede's. Someone's gone through a LOT of trouble to make it look like Dede, but Xandra knows it's not. When she tracks down Dede, she finds herself in Bedlam hospital (literally) and in the middle of a movement to bring down the artistos. She's also going to discover some horrifying truths about what makes the empire tick and the truth of being a halvie.

Her investigation takes her down the sewers to see the Goblins and into the arms of Vex MacLaughlin, alpha of all UK weres (who tend to be Scottish.) Of course, Xandra's relationship with Vex doesn't sit well with her teacher, mentor, and friend, the young, hott vampire Winston Churchill.

But as she discovers more and more about why lies beneath the surface (both literally and metaphorically) she has no idea who to trust or what side is right.

Xandra kicks a lot of ass (while wearing a bustle!) and definitely has some anger management issues. She's complicated and it takes her a long time to sort our her allegiances. She also has a wonderful snarky voice. I also love the world that Locke has built, the slang, and the history, and the politics at play.

Most of all, I loved the relationship Xandra had with her siblings. The book dedication reads "This book is for my sisters: Heather, Linda and Nathalie. I could list the reasons why, but that would be a book in itself." But this book, under the politics and clothes and crazy-awesome thrill ride, is a love letter to sisterhood.

AND! We only have to wait until February for the sequel, The Queen Is Dead.


ARC Provided by... the publisher, at ALA

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

It's my party, I'll give books if I want to...

Tomorrow is my birthday! That means it's also the last day to enter to win!

The very awesome Spy Museum gave me two autographed copies of Tom Angleberger's Fake Mustache: Or, How Jodie O'Rodeo and Her Wonder Horse (and Some Nerdy Kid) Saved the U.S. Presidential Election from a Mad Genius Criminal Mastermind to give away. As it's my birthday and I can share my cake with you, I thought I'd give away some books instead.

For your chance to win, fill out the form below by midnight on July 27th (THAT'S TOMORROW!) I'll draw the winner on the 28th.



Book Provided by... the Spy Museum.

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Past Perfect

Past Perfect Leila Sales

Chelsea's best friend Fiona tells her that she needs to stop living in the past and move on from Ezra, the boy who broke her heart months ago.

But, it's hard to move on from the past when Chelsea, Fiona, and Ezra are all working as historical interpreters at Colonial Essex. Working at Colonial Essex means wearing a ton of petticoats in blazing heat and pretending that you don't know what a toilet is. It also means an ongoing war with Reenactment Land, the Civil War battlefield across the street. This summer, Chelsea's second-in-command of the Colonial troops, which means she gets kidnapped by a very cute Civil Warrior.

Why is it that the one guy who could help her move on is totally off limits?

This is a wonderful summer romance that would appeal to fans of Stephanie Perkins. I liked how much Chelsea enjoyed and respected history. As much as she grumbled about her job, she loved it and felt deeply connected to Colonial Essex. I liked her friendship with Fiona and the fallout from her secret relationship and the strain it put on the friendship. The War was intense. While they described it as a prank war, it was violent and destructive. People get sent to the hospital, graves are desecrated. It wasn't fun, it was very serious, but at the same time, I think that a multi-year prank war would very easily get to those levels. (Although the more pranky parts of it were really funny, like sending the British soldiers that invade Colonial Essex on the 4th of July to go fight with Confederate army.)

I loved her quiet moments with Dan as they tried to figure out what to do and talked about the role of history and the historical communities and circles they traveled in. While there is some "OMG CUTE!" instant attraction, there is something there there that is worth the risks they take (and, unlike the war, the risks they take are all friendship based, and might hurt some feelings but wouldn't do any actual damage, nor are they unhealthy.)

Overall, a wonderful book that's perfect for a hot summer day (not because it's "beachy" but because it's also a hot summer day in the book, only Chelsea's wearing petticoats and you probably aren't.) In the end, it's a book that makes you happy. Just thinking about it makes me smile. (Much like Stephanie Perkins.)


Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Win an Autographed Copy of Fake Mustache!

The very awesome Spy Museum gave me two autographed copies of Tom Angleberger's Fake Mustache: Or, How Jodie O'Rodeo and Her Wonder Horse (and Some Nerdy Kid) Saved the U.S. Presidential Election from a Mad Genius Criminal Mastermind to give away. I've been saving them for this week because it's my birthday! So I'm giving you presents! (And eating cake, but that's hard to do on the blog.)

For your chance to win, fill out the form below by midnight on July 27th. I'll draw the winner on the 28th.



Book Provided by... the Spy Museum.

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Pennyroyal Green: I Kissed an Earl

I Kissed an Earl Julie Anne Long

I’m reviewing these all out of order because I read them all out of order. The books stand alone, so you don’t have to read them in order, but you’ll find out that so-and-so recently married so-and-so, which is a technically a spoiler for the previous book, but... If you don’t realize the two main characters are going to get it together by the end of the book in this style of romance...

The odd thing about reading these in the order I read them in (which was solely determined by the order my ILLs arrived at the library) is that I read the three novels about the Redmonds first, and then the three about the Everseas. In order, the books alternate between the two rival families.)

ANYWAY, THE BOOK!

The newly minted Earl of Ardmay is a sea captain, and his new title was given in hopes he could catch a notorious pirate, one that recently killed Ardmay’s mentor and father-figure. Once Ardmay catches the pirate, the King will grant him the fortune and lands that such a title deserves, enough money for Ardmay to settle down and start the family and stability that he’s always longed for.

While talking to him at a ball the irrepresible Violet Redmond learns a few things about this pirate Ardmay’s chasing. His name is Le Chat, he looks almost identical to Violet’s brother Jonathan, and his ship is named Olivia. Of course, Violet’s mind immediately turns to her long-missing brother Lyon (for isn’t a Lion a Big Cat?) who disappeared after something happened with Olivia Eversea.

So, of course, she decides to stowaway on Ardmay’s ship because if Lyon has turned to piracy, he obviously has a really good reason and shouldn’t hang for it. (Plus, she just really wants to see Lyon. She misses him.) And of course Ardmay is *thrilled* to find a gentlewoman on his boat, intent on helping him catch a pirate, but only to free him. There are thrilling points of call, a big storm, and lots of swoony moments.

Overall, I loved this one with one reservation-- Ardmay is British/American and said to be a quarter Cherokee. This gives him his devastating cheekbones AND his “savage” ness. Being called savage is actually a childhood vulnerability for him. He doesn’t seem to personally know any Native Americans, so it’s not that, but the whole things is very problematic. True, the ton’s feelings on it are historically accurate and it’s only a few mentions, BUT. Just... why? It’s very unnecessary and, like I said, very problematic.

BUT! Despite that, LOVE. I love how Violent rushes in and tries to take charge of the situation to get what she wants without really thinking through the consequences. I also really appreciate her character growth-- while at sea she realizes that she’s always been protected by her family and her status-- something she’s never realized or appreciated before. Which means she needs to start thinking a little first.

I love that Ardmay is not a rogue. He doesn’t have time to deal with Violet, he has his mission and means to complete it. There’s not a love triangle.

The plot’s a bit insane (seriously? Stowing away?) But delightful.

AND! More clues to the Lyon/Olivia saga! (The last book in the series will be their story, yes? This is an undercurrent throughout the entire series, which has my interest very, very piqued.)

Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Fake Mustache Giveaway!

Instead of giving my presents for my birthday this week, I thought I'd give YOU some instead.

Luckily for us, the very awesome Spy Museum gave me two autographed copies of Tom Angleberger's Fake Mustache: Or, How Jodie O'Rodeo and Her Wonder Horse (and Some Nerdy Kid) Saved the U.S. Presidential Election from a Mad Genius Criminal Mastermind to give away.

That means TWO people get to win. Huzzah!

For your chance to win, fill out the form below by midnight on July 27th. I'll draw the winner on the 28th.



Book Provided by... the Spy Museum.

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Her Royal Spyness

Her Royal Spyness Rhys Bowen

Georgie's in some trouble. Her late father gambled away their family money and her brother, thinking she'd be married by now, has completely cut her off from their limited funds. And, of course, Georgie is actually Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, daughter of a Duke and 34th in line to the throne, which means she can't do anything as common as getting a job (even though she tries.) When someone claiming to hold the deed to her ancestral home shows up dead in her bathtub, it's up to Georgie to find to real killer, and fast. But first she must spy for the queen (on the Prince's new and completely unsuitable girlfriend) and avoid being married off to a rather horrid Romanian prince. Oh! And of course, a completely unsuitable Irish (and Catholic!) minor royal who just happens to make Georgie's knees go completely weak.

A very fun mystery that takes place in London between the wars. More Wodehouse than Winspear, Georgie's first person narrative is hilarious. I love the light-hearted chicklit feel without the invented self-doubt drama. Georgie gets herself in plenty of pickles, but she has courage, a clear head, and the ability to laugh at herself. Plus, fabulous frocks, house parties, learning to use the coal chute, and lots of summons from the Queen herself. Like, if Heather Wells had her act a bit more together, and was royal, and lived in the 1930s. Which all adds up to make her a favorite main character.

Lucky for us, this is a series, so there's plenty more Georgie to come!

Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Birthday Giveaway!

Friday's my birthday! It's not a big one, but still, I like my birthday.

The very awesome Spy Museum gave me two autographed copies of Tom Angleberger's Fake Mustache: Or, How Jodie O'Rodeo and Her Wonder Horse (and Some Nerdy Kid) Saved the U.S. Presidential Election from a Mad Genius Criminal Mastermind to give away. Why not do it for my birthday?

For your chance to win, fill out the form below by midnight on July 27th. I'll draw the winner on the 28th.



Book Provided by... the Spy Museum.

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Nonfiction Monday: You Just Can't Help It

You Just Can't Help It!: Your Guide to the Wild and Wacky World of Human Behavior Jeff Szpirglas, illustrated by Josh Holinaty

This is a very fun introduction to the science behind human behavior. It covers a wide variety of topics, from the effect color has on you to birth order. From dreaming to spacing out. The reader gets just enough explanation for it to make sense, but just short blurbs on each thing.

Each page spread is full of graphics and color that make this a great book for reluctant readers or one that's easy to dip in and out out. It's the design that really sold this book for me. The short blurbs of information, that all relate to each other so the reader gets a more complete picture, makes some difficult concepts much easier to understand. Coupled with fun pictures, lots of pictures, and a great use of white space, really make this book an easy sell to all sorts of readers. All of this is done without diluting the information presented.

Very fun, and very interesting, it's a wonderful introduction to human behavior, psychology, and biology that kids will love to read.

Today's Nonfiction Monday roundup is over at Perogies and Gyoza. Be sure to check it out!

Book Provided by... the publisher, for Cybils consideration

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Poetry Friday: The Wild Book

The Wild Book Margarita Engle

Homework Fear

The teacher at school
smiles, but she's too busy
to give me extra help,
so later, at home,
Mama tries to teach me.

She reminds me
to go oh-so-slowly
and take my time.
There is no hurry.
THe heavy book
will not rise up
and fly away.

When I scramble the sneaky letters
b and d, or the even trickier ones
r and l, Mama helps me learn
how to picture
the sep--a--rate
parts
of each mys--te--ri--ous
syl--la--ble.
Still, it's not easy
to go so
ss--ll--oo--ww--ll--yy.
S l o w l y.
SLOWLY!

I have to keep
warning myself
over and over
that whenever I try
to read too quickly,
my clumsy patience
flips over
and tumbles,
then falls...

Why?
Wwhhyyyy?
WHY?
¡Ay!

The doctor hisses Fefa's diagnosis like a curse-- word blindness*. She'll never read, or write. It's why she hates school so much, why the other kids taunt her when she has to read OUT LOUD.

But Fefa's mother has the heart of poet and doesn't accept the prognosis. She gives Fefa a blank book (one of the most terrifying things Fefa has seen) for her to fill with words as she gets them, slowly.

Fefa deals with the bullying and taunts of her classmates and siblings and slowly fills her book and slowly learns to detangle the letters.

Y'all know I'm a huge Engle fan. I'm most familiar with her YA stuff, but this one is more middle grade. There's a lot less politics and history**, as the main focus is Fefa's struggle with the written word. It's based on Engle's own grandmother and the stories she told of her own struggle with dyslexia.

Of course, one of the things that I like so much about Engle is how she weaves stories around Cuban history, so this wasn't my favorite one of hers. Also, there's only one narrator, while I'm used to her work being told in multiple voices. THAT SAID, it's still really good.

I like how Engle works with free verse and structure in this one to really capture Fefa's voice, especially when sounding words out and trying to figure out syllables. It's one that younger readers will enjoy and will cause them to seek out more of her work.

Today's Poetry Friday Round-up is over at... A Teaching Life. Be sure to check it out!


*Apparently, this is actually what they used to call dyslexia.

**Although it is set in 1912 Cuba and there is still some historical drama, it's just not the focus like it is in her other work.

Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Sisters Grimm: Council of Mirrors

The Council of Mirrors Michael Buckley

Time to wrap up the Everafter War and say goodbye to the Grimm family-- this is the LAST book in the fantastic Sisters Grimm series. As such, it's spoiler-rific for earlier books in the series.

Mirror has taken control of Granny's body and is trying to get through the barrier. Ferryport Landing has been ransacked, looted, and reduced to little more than rubble. Uncle Jake is crazed with grief. The remaining mirrors can see only one future where the Grimms are victorious, and it involves Daphne forming a coven and Sabrina leading an army.

Sabrina's excited to be taken seriously, but she has to earn the mantle of responsibility and not just run from it.

Plus, zombie chipmunks and the end to the craziest love story ever.

A wonderful end to a wonderful series. Puck remains a perennial favorite. I love that he's the one that gives Sabrina the tough words she needs to hear to lead her army. I also enjoyed Bunny's backstory, which sheds a ton of new light on her character and motivations. I find Atticus problematic (in that way that violence against women has become a convenient short hand for "bad guy").

But, overall, a very fitting end to this series. I especially like the double epilogue.

Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Wonderstruck

Wonderstruck Brian Selznick

Two stories, one in words, one in pictures. Two children, both deaf, both run away to New York, but decades apart.

In 1977, Ben dreams of wolves and mourns the death of his mother. One stormy night, he's in her room and finds a clue to the father he never knew. He tries to call, but the house is struck by lightning, and he's hit through the phone, rendering him deaf in the one ear he could hear out of. He escapes the hospital and makes his way to New York, determined to find his father.

In 1927, Rose escapes her sheltered life, her horrible speaking and lip reading lessons, intent on tracking down her favorite actress.

Eventually, of course, both storylines must eventually collide.

This is Selznick's follow up to The Invention of Hugo Cabret and it's told in much the same fashion, part prose novel, part wordless picture book. It worked for Hugo because of the cinema plot. It works in Wonderstruck because of the deafness. I think I like this better than Hugo. Hugo was inventive and beautiful and lovely, but Wonderstuck is more powerful. It's about searching and finding different answers than the ones you wanted, the ones you thought you'd find. It spoke to me on a different level, maybe because there was that bit of fantasy to Hugo that I didn't find here.

It's very good and I hope Selznick has more stories that lend themselves to this format of storytelling.

Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Popularity Papers: The Rocky Roadtrip

The Popularity Papers: The Rocky Road Trip of Lydia Goldblatt & Julie Graham-Chang Amy Ignatow

Lydia and Julie are back!!!

Lydia's mom is off to England for the summer and Melody is building houses in Guatemala (OMG-- I want a book just about that!) so Lydia has a choice-- road trip out to California with the Graham-Changs or go to England with her mom. She chooses the Graham-Changs.

It's not an easy road trip. Daddy's parents wonder when he'll find a nice lady and settle down. (Yeah.) And Lydia spends some time with her father and his new family. (There's a reason they haven't come up in the earlier books.)

With Lydia and Julie being trapped together in a car for so long, I expected some friendship drama, but there wasn't. Instead they bonded in the face of bad family. (And, also, some hilarious wacky family). Plus, road trips always lead to hijinks and roadside attractions.

This one deals with some different issues than the other ones but it does it really well. The issues are never ISSUES THAT WE MUST DISCUSS and there's enough humor to keep the book from getting bogged down. I also like how they're "resolved." Both girls get really indignant of behalf of their slighted friend. The Graham-Changs are used to Daddy's parents and have ways of coping and can talk Lydia through it. Melody and Lydia are used to their dad and can talk Julie through it. But, although they get some understanding of the situation and aren't going to continue to rage on, you know that they're not really "over it" (yet). I thought it was very realistic. The road trip aspect also helps, because there's something new and crazy down the highway to distract them.

Overall, a most excellent addition to the series and oh! slight cliffhanger ending involving Melody and that trip to Guatemala-- cannot WAIT to see how that plays out.

I love this series so much guys. SO MUCH. If you haven't read it yet, please do. You won't be sorry.

Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Birds of a Feather

Birds of a Feather Jacqueline Winspear

This is the second book in the Maisie Dobbs series. Maisie's new client is a very wealthy businessman. Having worked his way up from the bottom, he now owns a national chain of upscale supermarkets. His socialite daughter has gone missing. Charlotte has run away before, but Mr. Waite would like her brought home before the press gets ahold of it, which is why he contacted Maisie.

When Maisie starts digging, she finds very conflicting views of Charlotte. She also discovers that her school friends are turning up dead, and they shared a terrible secret. The case is no longer simple.

Along the way, Billy's up to something strange and Maisie must deal with a change in the relationship with her father.

Since we got Maisie's backstory in the first book, this one doesn't have the same flash-back dual narrative. Winspear instead adds several subplots, but none of these hold the same tension as Maisie's backstory and so it didn't flow in the same way and some parts dragged a bit.

That said, I did still really like it. I think it's a wonderful look at how long the scars of war (both visible and invisible) last. We so rarely see something that examines how a nation and society at large continues to be affected by something like WWI. And while these books aren't about the war, they really are about the effects of it. We also start to see how the worsening economy at the start of the Depression is playing out in London.

I also enjoyed the mystery itself. It quickly becomes apparent that something else is going on besides a petulant daughter running away but it takes several twists and turns before Maisie (or the reader) can figure out where it's going. Both Charlotte and her father are difficult characters to understand and decipher, which makes their actions (and therefore the mystery) more layered than they initially appear.

I'm very much looking forward to reading the next one in the series

Book Provided by... my local library

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Nonfiction Monday: Running to Extremes

Running to Extremes: Ray Zahab's Amazing Ultramarathon Journey Steve Pitts

Ray Zahab lacked direction. He drank a lot and smoked a pack a day. He was just getting through life when he realized he needed a change. Several relatives had recently died, sooner than they should, and mostly due to complications from the same lifestyle Ray was living. It was time for a change, so he stopped smoking, cut back on the drinking, and started running. When he heard about the Yukon Ultramarathon (160km in extreme arctic conditions) he thought "why not" and signed up. Never mind that he had never run an actual marathon before. Nevermind that he didn't have the right gear to survive or the training to complete it. Off he went.

Once there, he met other dedicated ultramarathoners who gave him some tips and befriended him. Then, when the ultramarathon started, he ran. And ran. And ran.

And won.

He soon signed up for more ultra-marathons. He quickly learned that he wasn't as prepared as he had to be. He suffered severe injury and setbacks, but he kept signing up and kept getting better. A few years after his first ultra-marathon, he and some of his new running friends decided to run across Northern Africa, for fun. Parts were great, parts were horrible, but they did it.

Zahab started doing more and more long solo runs to raise awareness and money for different causes. He then started Impossibile2Possible, which helps teach kids to reach their dreams, no matter how crazy they seem.

Pitt rights a gripping and readable account of Zahab's life and running. It was one of those books that I picked up thinking I'd read a few pages and then go start dinner and the next thing I know, the book is done and my stomach is loudly protesting.

Seriously, who says "Hmm... let's go run this ultramarathon through the Arctic for shits and giggles?" Zahab's pretty badass and it's pretty cool that he found a way to turn extreme long distance running into something he could use to help other people.

Sadly, this book isn't available in the US (Zahab's Canadian and so is the book.)

Today's Nonfiction Monday roundup is over at A Curious Thing.

Book Provided by... the publisher, for Cybils consideration

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Sunday Salon: Where I've Been and Where I'm Going

Thank you for bearing with me on this unscheduled blog break.

In the meantime, I've been to ALA, which was awesome. I got to connect and hang out with a lot of great people, met some new friends, and got a ton of ideas for programming and better ways to serve my customers. (Before ALA I started having some pretty interesting conversations and THOUGHTS about customer service in the library setting, and so some of these sessions timed perfectly for me that way. But that's a whole 'nother blog post.)

Plus, my committee meetings went really well. I'm so excited about the work we're doing. It's a great year for Nonfiction.

The big news though is...

I have a new job. I start week after next. It's still youth services, but in a different system in the DC area. I don't have any time off between jobs either, so there's been a lot going on as I try to tie up all my loose ends and prepare to start someplace new.

AND! While all that was going on, there was the dreaded DERECHO. Or land hurricane.*

It was pretty awesome when it hit. We screened in the porch last summer, so we had a drink and watched the storm. I'm surprised we kept our trees-- that wind was crazy. Half the time I couldn't tell if the rumbling was thunder or just the wind in the trees. And the lightning! As one of our friends said, "It looked like there were huge strobe lights behind the clouds."

We lost power for about a day. Friends of ours kept power, so there was a big party at theirs. Of course, shortly after we all arrived, THEY lost power for a few hours. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. The library was out for a few days, too. The craziest was the day we had power back and then lost it again. The circ department kept checking books out (old skool-- BY HAND) and we stayed open until the AC started to wear off. I was super-impressed with many of the library systems in the area that stayed open late (some were even open on July 4th) to serve as cooling stations for their communities.

I lost internet in the Derecho. While I legitimately lost if for a few days, it was out even longer because I forgot that I had unplugged the FIOS box shortly after the power blew because that was the only way to make it stop beeping. There's nothing worse than BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP that won't end at 4 am when it's 90 degrees in your bedroom. Luckily the KungFu Princess dropped a toy behind the couch a few days ago and when I was fishing it out, I noticed that the internet was unplugged. D'oh.

But, no internet = limited TV (most of our TV is via iTunes and Netflix) which means LOTS of reading.

But, it's really, really, really hot. And with everything else going on, I'm more whiny and lazy than productive. I should have some reviews up this week though.

*Land Hurricanes bring Land Sharks. FYI.

I LIVE

Hi All!

Just a quick note to say I'm still alive. There has been a ton of stuff going on lately that I'll fill you in on, once I have regular access to the interwebs again.

As I'm sure you've heard, DC was hit by some pretty major storms on Friday that knocked out a lot of power. We got power back about 24 hours later, but STILL no internet at home.

I'm reading lots and have lots of books, news, thoughts, and ideas to share. So, hang tight. Hopefully Verizon will have us fixed up soon.

--Jennie