01.03.09
Parade of Shadows – Gloria Whelan
by Gloria Whelan
Summary: It’s 1907, and sixteen-year-old Julia Hamilton is excited when she learns of her father going to the middle east. As she has lived her entire life in England, she wishes for adventure and convinces her father to take her with him, although he is reluctant at first.
Julia expects adventure. She gets much, much more. She meets Edith, a woman who frequently travels in these parts and collects plants; Grahm Geddes, an English student, passionately (and dangerously) mixed in politics; and Paul Louvois, a French antiques collector who might be smuggling valubles out of the country. Julia must decide who she will trust and what she is willing to do.
I think: I liked this book very much. The writing was detailed but easy to follow, and the plot was intriguing. I had some suspicious about the result by the middle of the book, which turned out to be correct, but that didn’t really ruin the book.
I do love Historical Fiction. I find textbook history tiresome at times (who can stand all those confusing scenes of war?) but historical fiction can bring me into the story. So I was a little disappointed when there was no “Author’s note” explaining the history or similar thing at the end of the story. That was probably one of my only complaints about the book.
The other ones contain spoilers, so I won’t mention them, except to say that the so-called villain was probably one of my favorite characters of the book (and I didn’t think that person was that bad). Although that is normal, because I seem to have a liking for villains.
12.23.08
Trouble – Gary D. Schmidt
by Gary Schmidt
Henry Smith’s father says, If you build your house away from Trouble, Trouble will never find you.
But Trouble comes careening down the road one night in the form of a pickup truck that strikes Henry’s older brother, Franklin. In the truck is Chay Chouan, a young Cambodian from Franklin’s preparatory school. THe tragedy sparks racial tensions in the school – and in the town where Henry’s family has lived for generations
Caught between anger and grief, Henry does the only thing he feels he can: he sets off for Mt. Katahdin, which he and Franklin had planned to climb together. One July morning, he leaves for Maine with his best friend and the lovable stray, Black Dog, in tow. But when they encounter Chay Chouan on the road, fleeing demons of his own, Henry learns that turning a blind eye to Trouble only brings Trouble closer
- from the front flap
That is a very good summary. I tried to think up my own, but I couldn’t think of anything better than that one.
Pages: 297
My Review: This book was really, really, really good. All the characters were well developed, and the plot was brilliant. Really brilliant. My only complaint was that it went rather slowly. It took me a week to pick up the book after I’d read the first chapter, and I didn’t get hooked until the fourth. And even then, I could easily put it down.
There’s a lot of description and telling in this book. But it evens out, and I can’t help liking the tone very much. It’s hard to describe, but it lets Henry tell almost, with more revelation than if Henry had been narrating (first person should only tells you what the person narrating is aware of) and more feeling than many first person books.
12.18.08
Let it Snow – Maureen Johnson, John Green, Lauren Myracle
Let it Snow!
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Three related holiday stories by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle:
Beautiful presents wrapped in ribbons, and multicolored lights glittering in the night through the falling snow. A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you only see in movies. Well, kinda. After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle of nowhere would not normally end with a delicious kiss from a charming stranger. And no one would think that a trip to the Waffle House throught four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks
-from the back
I adored this book. Yes, it was kind of predictable, but it was very sweet and romantic, and also, I am very excited for the holidays. (See the snow!) This was a lovely holiday book.
I felt like I could relate to all the characters – Jubilee, Tobin, Addie, and all their friends. All three stories are connected, and I thought that was so cool – the way they all had something to do with each other, but they had no idea that they did. And how everyone -yes, everyone – has their own stories. That was one of the coolest parts.
12.12.08
Recent Reads – December 2008
I’ve been reading a lot lately, and I just hate it when I read too much and cannot post on them. Therefore, today I shall post my recent reads with little reviews next to them.
by Jeanne Birdsall
A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy
I loved reading this book. It was so fun! It’s one of those old-fashioned, squeaky clean books full of humor and adventure (and trouble!)
by Robin McKinley
She’s just a beekeeper with a woodright; she shouldn’t be Chalice, second in command. But she is, and she has to deal.
It’s been so long since I read a Robin McKinley book for the first time – and it’s so nice. Her writing is so detailed and enjoyable. It could have been a short story, but it was written into a novel and it’s probably better that way.
by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer
Josie has celebral palsy, which makes her different from everyone else. But she wants to just forget her difference and live.
This book was written in verse. I’ve wanted to read this for so long, and I’m delighted that I finally have. The verses were compelling, and sweet, just like Josie herself.
by Irene Hunt
Julie’s mother has died, so she, with her brother Chris, leaves her father to live with her stern, spinster aunt. She cannot at all imagine what will happen to her.
This is a very old book (I think it was published sometime when my parents were born) but it was so good I decided to include it anyway. The book was detailed, the characters very lovable, and the story charming.
12.08.08
Suite Scarlett – Maureen Johnson
by Maureen Johnson
A formerly-grand-but-now-failing hotel, the Hopewell. Four siblings. A mysterious and demanding guest (who’s also an actress), Mrs. Anderson. And add Scarlett, who is having the most astonishing summer in her life.
This book had humor, a sweet heroine, and a nice plot. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to live in a hotel, and the Hopewell – brilliant in its day, but now fading – was great fun.
(Visit Maureen Johnson’s awesome blog @: http://maureenjohnson.blogspot.com)
11.24.08
The Smile – Donna Jo Napoli
by Donna Jo Napoli
Who was the woman in Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous portrait, Mona Lisa? In Napoli’s story, it’s a girl named Elisabetta. One day, she will marry a noble in Florence. With her father’s friend, Leonardo Da Vinci’s help, she meets Giuliano de’ Medici. But troubled times are approaching Florence, and a woman’s choices are limited…
This novel was sweet and emphatic. The time in the novel was slightly confusing, but it matched the chaotic time in history. Elisabetta was such a sweet narrator – it wasn’t hard to eventually invision her to be the model of the most famous picture in the world
11.20.08
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
by E. Lockhart
A pretty, intelligent girl. Her handsome senior boyfriend, who she is pretty sure is lying to her. His cocky friend. A boarding school. A secret society. A secret fight for power.
I had a lot of fun reading this book. This was an addicting read (especially toward the end). I loved the way Frankie fought for power, and the pranks she played, and the words she played with. The ending was bittersweet, but it fit, and it’s a pretty open ending, leaving you wondering what would happen next, as Frankie was apt to do.
visit E. Lockhart at http://e-lockhart.com
Books I found somewhat similar: the Artemis Fowl series, by Eoin Colfer
11.08.08
Palace of Mirrors- Margaret Peterson Haddix
by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Cecelia is not a normal peasant girl. Actually, she’s the real princess, raised up in this remote village so as to keep her safe, while Princess Desmia is merely a fake used to trick the people who killed her father and mother, the King and Queen.
But when Cecelia goes to claim the throne, she meets with challenges she had never imagined.
I approached this book with caution. I wasn’t sure what to expect, because I’d read Just Ella, which took place in the same universe (and which focuses on Ella Brown, who reappears in this book), I found it boring. Even now I remember it as predictable and not very impressive.
But Palace of Mirrors surprised me. The plot was entertaining and diverting, and the characters intriguing. It’s the sort of book that has both nice parts and parts that don’t seem to fit. The ending seemed too happily-ever-after, and the explanation didn’t seem quite possible. Yet, I think the idea was a good one, and almost pulled off.
Cecelia’s a good narrator, and it was interesting to revisit Ella Brown. It’s not a must-read, but it would be a nice read all the same.
10.20.08
The Crimson Thread-Suzanne Weyn
by Suzanne Weyn
Bridget is heading the America, the land of opportunity, with her fathers, brothers, and little sister. Her father eventually finds a job as a coachman for the wealthy J.P. Wellington. And with him, Bridget gets a job as a seamstress-but with an American name. Her name is Bertie now.
Then her father then boasts that she can “spin straw into gold”, and Bertie doesn’t know what to do. But then, amazingly, assisted with a mysterious friend by the name Ray Stalls, she is actually able to transform the blue material into stunning gowns made to look as if they are spun with gold. The only problem is, Bertie doesn’t know how to repay Ray, because the one thing he asks for she is unable to give him.
This was a wonderfully imagined book that actually followed the original fairy-tale pretty well. My only problems was that Ray Stalls’s feelings seemed a little unrealistic, and the first and last chapter seemed a little irrelevant, unimportant. But other than that, this was a sweet, romantic story.
I’ve always been interested in sewing and spinning and things like that, and I loved the way the dresses and designs were such a big part of the novel. (And I admit I love the color.) The Crimson Thread is a wonderfully quick read, and Bertie is a nice, realistic girl who I really enjoyed spending my time with.
10.11.08
Violet on the Runway & Violet by Design-Melissa Walker
I was going through my posts, and I realized that I had these two in my draft folder. I was almost certain I’d published them, and it turned out I hadn’t! So here are those reviews. They were written some time ago (I’m not sure exactly when I actually did write them) but I think they still deserved to be seen and read. So here they are, bunched together as a double treat! 
by Melissa Walker
Violet is a wallflower. She is one of those people who hang around on the sidelines. Her secret wish is to be part of Bee’s Knees, the popular girl group at school. She hates her tallness, which makes her noticeably different. But when a Tryst agent tells her she could be the next Kate Moss, and Violet goes to New York to find out what it’s about, her life changes –but for better, or for worse?
The story about a girl who becomes a supermodel, just when she thinks she’s not at all special. Who hasn’t, even for only a few weeks, years ago, wished that she could be discovered? Maybe not as a model; maybe as an actress, but anyway, a celebrity, someone famous. Who hasn’t wished that she could suddenly become famous, rich, and admired, on movies or TV shows or runways?
For those of you who have, Violet is that dream, put into reality. But it also poses questions we never consider–what about press and agents? What about pressure? What about drugs and partying, and hypocrisy?
This book brought up a lot of unasked questions, most notably, Is fame worth all this? Should I endure it? Or should I give up? Who’s real? Who’s not? Who should I trust?
It’s not a light book. But modeling isn’t a light business. And while we condemn celebrities for bad behavior, we rarely ask why they do the things they do. Violet is a real, insecure girl, stuck inside the world of modeling, full of promises and full of lies.
I really enjoyed this book. I found myself pondering these questions along with Violet. This is a life I never got to live, and in this book, I felt like I was finally having a chance to. Violet’s real, and she’s honest, but more than that? She’s a real person. And that’s why this book is so good.
——-
Violet Greenfield is back. With a mention of Brazil, her agent, Angela, has lured her back into the modeling world. In at once, it seems to good to be true: there’s Veronica, her rival-turned-friend who gives good advice; there’s Paulo, the designer who seems to have fallen in love with Violet; and best of all, she’s still famous. People love her. Turns out, it is too good to be true.
I read this book as quickly as the first, which means really quickly. But as I was sitting down to write this review, I realized exactly why I liked these books so much. They show Violet as a real person: a real, flawed person. I am annoyed at her sometimes. She does make mistakes that seem so obviously stupid to us. She doesn’t notice things that seem obvious. She ignores the obvious. She doesn’t make the choices I think are right.
But that’s what makes her real. Real people make mistakes. That’s why there are so many people today on the news, having been caught with drugs or being drunk.
And what makes Violet different? She learns. She grows. Sometimes she’ll make mistakes more than once, but after she realizes she does her best not to do it again. She does her best. And really, that’s the best we can hope for. Violet is encouraging as a girl discovering herself.
I really like the Violet series because of this. It’s predictable, yet it’s not predictable in an obnoxious way. It’s the sort of book that makes you hang on, rooting for the main character even when you know she’s making a mistake.
