Jan 20, 2012

Friday Round-Up

Each week I round-up all the (mostly book-related) articles/blog posts/book reviews/websites/videos that entertained me during the week. Enjoy!

Articles

Gorgeous carved book landscapes by Guy Laramee.

Salvador Dali illustrates Alice in Wonderland.

Feeling both betrayed and excited: former librarian and independent bookstore advocate, Nancy Pearl, presents Book Lust Rediscoveries, a series published by Amazon.com (ew.).

Amazing idea of the week! Weller Books is doing a huge "book drop" around the city to advertise their grand re-opening. Read about it here.

Absolutely beautiful covers for the e-book versions of Michael Chabon's works by designer Connie Gabbert showcased on The Casual Optimist.

Obviously this travel bookcase is what I'll be taking on my next vacation. Ms. Crowe - is this how you do it?

"We all read in the Yellow Trolley Bus" in Bulgaria. This cool public library housed in an old trolley bus on a deserted city street is right up there with the Book Barge in the UK for its unique idea and brilliant execution.

Read this article about book landscaping.

Digital Rights Showdown! Harper Collins vs. Open Media

Blogs


Vintage Kids' Books My Kid Loves (with pictures!)

The PageTurn, the website/blog by HarperCollins's School and Library Marketing team.

Book Lists

Book Dirt offers "8 Famous People You Never Knew Wrote Mysteries". I know I'm putting Hugh Laurie's on my TBR.

Book-to-Screen

I'm in love with Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens, the main character in the Raylan Givens series by Elmore Leonard, in the TV show Justified:



Children's Books

Cinder (a debut YA novel about Cinderella as a cyborg) author, Marissa Meyer, writes about reimagined fairy tales in "Twice Upon a Time in Hollywood"

Brain Pickings' article of the week: "Seven Nonfiction Children's Books Blending Whimsy and Education". My favorite is a tie between The First Book of Jazz by Langston Hughes and The Serif Fairy by Rene Siegfried.

Publisher's Weekly reports on Chicken House - the children's publishing company begun by the man who discovered JK Rowling's Harry Potter in the UK - expanding to the Netherlands in "Chicken House Goes Dutch".

Contests

It's that time again! (I say that like I've done this before. I haven't.) "It is time to announce the contestants, judges, and brackets for the original, one-and-only, full-combat, oddly-predictive-of-the-Pulitzer-Prize, eighth annual TMN Tournament of Books, coming March 2012, presented by Field Notes." Don't know what I'm talking about? Check it out here.

Libraries

Moment of silent appreciation for the Kansas City Public Library.


Teaching

"The Learning Network" at The New York Times has some fantastic suggestions for encouraging book discussions, particularly between multiple classrooms in "Reading With Strangers: Ways to Study Literature Collaboratively"

Videos



Despite the bizarre choice in music, this video is a cute montage of library scenes from movies and T.V. shows:

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Jan 19, 2012

Virginia Hamilton/Jean Craighead George on winning the Newbery

Thank you to Open Road Integrated Media for encouraging me to share this video of Virginia Hamilton and Jean Craighead George talking about winning the Newbery Medal.

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2012 Sydney Taylor Book Awards

Thanks to Shelf Awareness for making me aware of this! I always like to give a little shout-out to my peeps when they're in the news.

The Sydney Taylor Book Award honors new books for children and teens that exemplify the highest literary standards while authentically portraying the Jewish experience. The award memorializes Sydney Taylor, author of the classic All-of-a-Kind Family series. This award is sponsored by the Association of Jewish Libraries. The 2012 winners are:


Younger Readers: Chanukah Lights by Michael J. Rosen and Robert Sabuda (Candlewick)
9780763655334, $34.99

I'm pleased to say, I had already posted about this title during my Chanukah picture book round up back in December.

From a pop-up master and an acclaimed poet and author comes a glorious celebration of the true spirit of Chanukah. Open this beautiful gift book and follow the Festival of Lights through place and time -- from Herod's temple to a shtetl in Russia; from a refugee ship bound for the New World to an Israeli kibbutz. Inspired by Michael J. Rosen's reverent poem, Robert Sabuda's striking pop-ups depict each night's menorah in a different scene, using imagery such as desert tents, pushcart lanterns, olive trees, and a final panorama of skyscrapers. Sure to be a treasured family heirloom, this stunning collaboration showcases the spirit and resilience of a people in search of home. 

Older Readers: Music Was It: Young Leonard Bernstein by Susan Goldman Rubin (Charlesbridge)
9781580893442, $19.95

Beginning with Lenny's childhood in Boston and ending with his triumphant conducting debut at Carnegie Hall with the New York Philharmonic when he was just twenty-five, Music Was It draws readers into the energetic, passionate, challenging music-filled life of young Leonard Bernstein.

Teen Readers: The Berlin Boxing Club by Robert Sharenow (HarperTeen)
9780061579684, $17.99

Fourteen-year-old Karl Stern has never thought of himself as a Jew. But to the bullies at his school in Naziera Berlin, it doesn't matter that Karl has never set foot in a synagogue or that his family doesn't practice religion. Demoralized by relentless attacks on a heritage he doesn't accept as his own, Karl longs to prove his worth to everyone around him. So when Max Schmeling, champion boxer and German national hero, makes a deal with Karl's father to give Karl boxing lessons, Karl sees it as the perfect chance to reinvent himself. A skilled cartoonist, Karl has never had an interest in boxing, but as Max becomes the mentor Karl never had, Karl soon finds both his boxing skills and his art flourishing. But when Nazi violence against Jews escalates, Karl must take on a new role: protector of his family. Karl longs to ask his new mentor for help, but with Max's fame growing, he is forced to associate with Hitler and other Nazi elites, leaving Karl to wonder where his hero's sympathies truly lie. Can Karl balance his dream of boxing greatness with his obligation to keep his family out of harm's way?

Eight Sydney Taylor Honor Books were named for 2012:

The judges also named 18 notable books. The winners will receive their awards at the AJL convention in Montreal June 17-20.
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Jan 18, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday: Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta

Waiting on Wednesday (WoW) is a weekly meme hosted by

My posts about adult literary fiction are here:
Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks

My posts about my guilty pleasure reading (romantic, often paranormal, novels) can be found here:

My posts about YA/teen titles are here:
Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep 
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
The Agency: The Traitor in the Tunnel by Y.S. Lee

My posts about middle grade titles are here:

And now for today's:

Froi of the Exiles: The Lumatere Chronicles
by Melina Marchetta
9780763647599, Candlewick, $18.99, Pub. Date: March 2012

It should be no secret by this point that I adore everything Melina Marchetta writes. This, the second novel in her first fantasy series, The Lumatere Chronicles, should be no exception. Though I was originally nervous about her foray into the fantasy genre, she has not let me down, and I rave about the first book, Finnikin of the Rock, here.

Here is the publisher's description:

Three years after the curse on Lumatere was lifted, Froi has found his home . . . or so he believes. Fiercely loyal to the Queen and Finnikin, Froi has been taken roughly and lovingly in hand by the Guard sworn to protect the royal family, and has learned to control his quick temper with a warrior's discipline. But when he is sent on a secretive mission to the kingdom of Charyn, nothing could have prepared him for what he finds in its surreal royal court. Soon he must unravel both the dark bonds of kinship and the mysteries of a half-mad princess in this barren and mysterious place. It is in Charyn that he will discover there is a song sleeping in his blood . . . and though Froi would rather not, the time has come to listen.
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Jan 17, 2012

Spring 2012 Picture Book Highlights: Charlesbridge Publishing

Previously in my capacity as Children's Department Manager for the Odyssey Book Shop, I had the opportunity to look over publisher's catalogues at the new books for each season. Thanks to Edelweiss, I can now look at publisher's catalogues as a blogger!

Here are my picks for Charlesbridge Publishing Spring 2012:

Ace Lacewing, Bug Detective: The Big Swat 
by David Biedrzycki
9781570917486, $8.95, Pub. Date: February 2012

Publisher's description: Scratch Murphy is missing a fleabag full of dough, and Ace lacewing is on the case. Did Scratch's brother Scitch take the money? Could Lady DeBug be guilty? Or might "family man" Bo Weevil be the culprit? Ace and his assistant Xerces take a rollercoaster ride through Six Legs Park as they search for the latest bad bug.

 What We Wear: Dressing Up Around the World 
by Maya Ajmera, Elise Hofer Derstine, & Cynthia Pon
9781580894166, $16.95, Pub. Date: February 2012

Publisher's description: From school uniforms to costumes, traditional ethnic clothing to sports team jerseys--this book highlights children from around the world and shows that no matter what kids wear, clothes are an important part of who they are. Vibrant photographs from around the world showcase the many different types of clothing that kids wear to play, study, pretend, and celebrate. From school uniforms to costumes, traditional ethnic clothing to sports team jerseys--no matter what kids wear, clothes are an important part of who they are.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book helps support The Global Fund for Children's grantmaking toward community-based projects benefiting children around the world. 


Emily and Carlo 
by Mary Rhodes Figley, illustrated by Catherine Stock
9781580892742, $15.95, Pub. Date: February 2012

Publisher's description: I started early, took my dog...

Marty Rhodes Figley's lyrical text and Catherine Stock's luminous art create a fresh look at the life of poet Emily Dickinson, focusing on her relationship with her dog, Carlo, a large, floppy, drooly, Newfoundland. Carlo was her constant companion, her "shaggy ally" in the world. Together they explored the woods and town around them, visiting friends and enjoying eachother's company. Includes quotations about Carlo from Emily's poems and letters.

A Path of Stars 
by Anne Sibley O'Brien
978157091735, $15.95, Pub. Date: February 2012

Publisher's description: Dara loves the stories her grandmother, Lok Yeay, tells of the Cambodian countryside where she grew up--stories of family, food, and the stars above, glowing in the warm, sweet air. There are darker stories, too--stories of war and loss that Lok Yeay cannot put into words. Lok Yeay yearns to return to Cambodia to be with her brother. But when that dream becomes impossible, it's up to Dara to bring Lok Yeay back to a place of happiness.

A Path of Stars was originally developed for New Mainers Book Project, part of the Maine Humanities Council's Born to Read program. The Project sponsors high-quality children's picture books created from the experiences of Maine's refugee communities, to preserve and present their cultural heritage and to promote their English language literacy.
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Jan 16, 2012

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by
 
(And a big thank you to Book Stacks On Deck for the amazing mailbox pinup!)

I've got a couple of weeks' worth of IMM to catch up on here. 

Last week, I received:

A HUGE THANK YOU to my The Broke and the Bookish Secret Santa, Patti from Peppermint Ph.D.! She sent me two books I have been dying to read: Saints Astray and A Dirty Job. She also sent me some baking spatulas (much needed) and some other fun things like scrapbooking paper and a cheese dip mix. Thanks again, Patti!

Saints Astray by Jacqueline Carey

Publisher's Description: Fellow orphans, amateur vigilantes, and members of the Santitos, Loup Garron - the fugitive daughter of a genetically engineered "wolf man" - and Pilar Ecchevarria grew up in the military zone of Outpost 12, formerly known as Santa Olivia. But now they're free, and they want to help the rest of the Santitos escape. During a series of escapades, they discover that Miguel, Loup's former sparring partner and reprobate surrogate brother, has escaped from Outpost 12 and is testifying on behalf of its forgotten citizens - at least until he disappears from protective custody. Honor drives Loup to rescue Miguel, even though entering the U.S could mean losing her liberty. Pilar vows to help her. It will take a daring and absurd caper to extricate Miguel from the mess he's created but Loup is prepared to risk everything...and this time she has help.

Publisher's Description: Charlie Asher is a pretty normal guy with a normal life, married to a bright and pretty woman who actually loves him for his normalcy. They're even about to have their first child. Yes, Charlie's doing okay—until people start dropping dead around him, and everywhere he goes a dark presence whispers to him from under the streets. Charlie Asher, it seems, has been recruited for a new position: as Death. It's a dirty job. But, hey! Somebody's gotta do it.

This week, I received:


I won this from a giveaway run by Penguin Publishers.

Publisher's Description: Through fiction of dazzling skill and astonishing emotional force, Siobhan Fallon welcomes readers into the American army base at Fort Hood, Texas, where U.S. soldiers prepare to fight, and where their families are left to cope after the men are gone. They'll meet a wife who discovers unsettling secrets when she hacks into her husband's email, and a teenager who disappears as her mother fights cancer. There is the foreign born wife who has tongues wagging over her late hours, and the military intelligence officer who plans a covert mission against his own home. Powerful, singular, and unforgettable, these stories will resonate deeply with readers and mark the debut of a new talent of tremendous note. 

This week, I borrowed from the library:

Spud: The Madness Continues... by John van de Ruit

This is part of my Around the World Challenge. For January, I am reading a book (two books, actually, as the book I picked had a sequel) from South Africa. Review soon to follow!

The Informationist by Taylor Stevens

I first heard about this book - kick-ass action heroine - by hearing about its sequel, The Innocent, at last year's New England Independent Bookseller's Association trade show. As I am counting down the days before the movie Haywire is out, I figured this would be the perfect week to begin reading this series.

Eona by Alison Goodman

This is the sequel to the book Eon: The Last Dragoneye that I read last week. Unfortunately, I wasn't that thrilled with this second one, so I doubt I'll end up reviewing them. Only about a 3 on my personal rating scale.
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Jan 13, 2012

Typography Book Art by the readables

Hi all! Please excuse my inconsistent posting lately - been battling a dead personal computer and other issues that has made blogging difficult. Hopefully this upcoming three day weekend will help me get back on track.

In the meantime, please enjoy these typographic book art posters of favorite quotes done by Priscilla from the readables. Her whole Tumblr blog is fantastic, with great pictures, videos, music, reviews, and these pieces of book art. Enjoy!

Harry Potter... by J.K. Rowling 

      

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness


Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

 

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk 
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins 


So You Want to be a Wizard by Diane Duane 


Rampant by Diana Peterfreund 


 Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins 
 Frank Zappa 


 C.S. Lewis 


Posted by at 11:18 AM 2 comments

Jan 11, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday: The Agency: The Traitor in the Tunnel by Y.S. Lee

Waiting on Wednesday (WoW) is a weekly meme hosted by

My posts about adult literary fiction are here:
Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks

My posts about my guilty pleasure reading (romantic, often paranormal, novels) can be found here:

My posts about YA/teen titles are here:
Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep 
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

My posts about middle grade titles are here:

And now for today's:
9780763653163, Candlewick, $16.99, Pub. Date: February 2012 

I really enjoyed the mix of spy thriller, romance, and character growth that were present in the first two historical YA novels in this series (A Spy in the House and The Body at the Tower), so am very much looking forward to book # 3. Maybe I'll even write up a review this time!

Publisher's description:
Get steeped in suspense, romance, and high Victorian intrigue as Mary goes undercover at Buckingham Palace - and learns a startling secret at the Tower of London.

Queen Victoria has a little problem: there's a petty thief at work in Buckingham Palace. Charged with discretion, the Agency puts quickwitted Mary Quinn on the case, where she must pose as a domestic while fending off the attentions of a feckless Prince of Wales. But when the prince witnesses the murder of one of his friends in an opium den, the potential for scandal looms large. And Mary faces an even more unsettling possibility: the accused killer, a Chinese sailor imprisoned in the Tower of London, shares a name with her long-lost father. Meanwhile, engineer James Easton, Mary's onetime paramour, is at work shoring up the sewers beneath the palace, where an unexpected tunnel seems to be very much in use. Can Mary and James trust each other (and put their simmering feelings aside) long enough to solve the mystery and protect the Royal Family? Hoist on your waders for Mary's most personal case yet, where the stakes couldn't be higher - and she has everything to lose.
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Jan 6, 2012

Friday Round-Up

Each week I round-up all the (mostly book-related) articles/blog posts/book reviews/websites/videos that entertained me during the week. Enjoy!

Articles

If Famous Writers Had Written Twilight:
(originally posted on Lizzie Stark's blog, but found via io9)
 Dr. Seuss (by unicycle):
Jake likes a girl. Her name is Bella.
Bella likes a different fella.

See this vamp? This is Ed.
Ed is pale. Ed is dead.

Ed saved Bella from a van.
Ed must be a special man.

Ed won't kill boys. He won't kill girls.
Ed gets fed on deer and squirrels.

This is James. He's a tracker.
He's a sort of vamp attacker.

James hunts Bella for a thrill.
Will Ed kill him? Yes, he will.

But James gave her a little bite.
Will she be a vamp? She might!

Edward fixes Bella's cut.
She won't be a vampire.
But...

She becomes one. Read some more.
She's a vampire in book 4.
My former bookstore, The Odyssey Bookshop, in the Boston Globe!

While I admit to finding some ways more beautiful than others, Apartment Therapy features "15 Beautiful Ways to Store Your Books".

And while we're at it, Fabulous Web has a round-up of "Trendy and Stylish Bookshelves Designs" (a lot of which you can see at the side of this blog in my "Porn for Booklovers" section).

PW's round up of the best book memes. For me, it's a toss-up between Judgmental Bookseller Ostrich and Ryan Gosling Librarian Hey Girl.

Fascinating! "Three Classic Fairy Tales Examined Through the Lens of Architecture"

Children's Books

Walter Dean Myers is the next National Ambassador for Young People's Literature!

Katherine Patterson, the current National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, reflects on her term.

Quiz

Which Downton Abbey Character are You?

I happen to be Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham. Could be worse.

You’re the imperious, aristocratic head of your family who (almost) always gets her way, and you don’t suffer fools gladly. Though you’re often bossy and arrogant, you’re surprisingly adaptable and exceptionally loyal to the people you love. By the way, you also get all the best lines, so we hope you’re ready for immortality. But you should really look up the definition of “weekend.”
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Jan 5, 2012

2011 Book Survey

Thanks to Literary Musings for providing me with this book survey. This is actually a meme being held over at The Perpetual Page-Turner.

(Disclaimer: I read so much, it's often difficult for me to remember my exact feelings around any particular title if it's not by a favorite author, much-anticipated, or knocked my socks off. Thanks to my new obsessive Goodreads habit, this is becoming a little better, but please excuse me as I question the true validity of these answers, as they may have been different had I a better memory.)

1. Best Book You Read In 2011?

Adult novel: 

Tie between The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon and River of Smoke by Amitav Ghosh.

The Story of Beautiful Girl I reviewed here. River of Smoke is going to be terribly difficult to review and I can't decide if I'm going to or not. The Story of Beautiful Girl had really engaging characters. River of Smoke took me forever to finish (about 4 weeks) because it was so dense, but absolutely worth it as everything is so richly detailed and examined (and convoluted, but that's part of its charm).

Teen novel:

The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta

 I love everything she writes. I can't help it. She writes with such sensitivity, but fixes your heart even as she breaks it. I end up crying every time I read her and I love it. I talk about it here.

Children's novel:

The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall 

Hands down, just love everything she writes. Reviewed here.


2. Most Disappointing Book?


Adult novel:
 
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (sorry Emily!)


I know many people who greatly enjoyed this book. I am not one of them. Perhaps if I had read past the first 60 pages it would have grown on me, but the events of those first 60 pages — the characterization, the intense medical descriptions, the emphasis on religion and God, and the point of view of the main female character — worked together to create a singularly unpleasant reading experience that I was loathe to continue.

Teen novel:


 Touch of Frost and Kiss of Frost (Mythos Academy, books 1 & 2) by Jennifer Estep


Being such a fan of her adult Elemental Assassin series, I was particularly excited to see her writing for a teen audience. Unfortunately, the writing has gotten so much worse than in her adult novels. Truly disappointing, as by this time in your career, shouldn't your writing (or your editor's editing) get better? Maybe she's working with a different editor at a different publisher? Whatever the case, there were moments of great action and intrigue, but they were not enough to make up for the tired characterizations (the main character is basically a teen version of the star of the Elemental Assassin series), boring dialogue, and filler scenes that didn't really forward the plot.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2011?


Another tie:


A Monster Calls: Inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd by Patrick Ness


One of my favorite teen authors, this children's book blew my mind. I was sobbing on a plane as I read it and I didn't even care. Heartbreaking and wonderful and tragic and dramatic and fantastical, and that's all without considering that it's a story sparked by an idea from the talented Siobhan Dowd who sadly passed away from breast cancer in 2007. This story honors both her life and her memory.


Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell


This non-fiction book of essays about the colonization of Hawaii was ridiculously engaging. Finished the whole thing and surprised myself with how much I enjoyed it. A terrible history, as most colonizations are, but also full of humor and culture and a contemporary perspective on the smorgasbord of cultures that exist on the island today.


4. Book you recommended to people most in 2011? 


This is a tough one because everyone reads something different, so obviously I recommend different things. I did tell many people about the Flavia de Luce mysteries by Alan Bradley, beginning with Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (which I actually gave to my mother for the holidays), so I think that probably wins.

5. Best series you discovered in 2011?


Steampunk Chronicles by Kady Cross
Inn BoonsBoro trilogy by Nora Roberts 
 
6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2011?


Kady Cross
Ransom Riggs
Tamora Pierce

7. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2011?


Does it count if I haven't actually read it yet? I can hardly wait to read The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. A friend very kindly lent it to me, but I've been waiting for a day I know I have free to just sit down and read it. That day, my friends, will be this weekend. But I've been anticipating it since 2011. So, it kind of counts, right?


If you're really going to push me on it, I'd have to say Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Again.

8. Book you most anticipated in 2011?


The books I most anticipated were mostly along the lines of my guilty pleasure reading. The Next Always by Nora Roberts, New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb, Spider's Revenge by Jennifer Estep, and of course, The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta because I count down the days for every one of her book releases. 
9. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2011?


I'm sensing a theme here:


 
10. Most memorable character in 2011? 


This is going to sound like an odd choice, but the characters in Laid Bare (Brown Siblings #1) by Lauren Dane really left me thinking. Yes, it's a book mostly about hot sex and tattoos but it delves pretty deeply into a M/M/F triad relationship. It prompted me to pick up Love Times Three: Our True Story of a Polygamous Marriage by Joe, Alina, Vicki, and Valerie Darger, and Brooke Adams, so that I could read more about a true relationship of love between multiple partners.


11. Most beautifully written book read in 2011?


This is impossible to decide. The book that impressed me the most with its writing due to the various styles and voices necessitated by the various plot threads that then somehow converge at one point in the book was Amitav Gosh's River of Smoke.


12. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2011? 


Gender Born, Gender Made: Raising Healthy Gender-Nonconforming Children by Diane Ehrensaft


This non-fiction book about raising gender-nonconforming children helped change the way I look at the world. Even being open-minded and familiar with LGBT lifestyles, the all-encompassing mainstreams ideals on gender representation portrayed in this book was mind-boggling. At the same time, it was heartwarming to read the stories of families who recognized their children as gender-nonconforming, giving them the freedom to choose their own gender expression, and continuing to love them as that expression might change through the years. Of course, reading a book like this and trying to prepare myself mentally and emotionally for the children I hope to have some day also made me question what I would do if my children were completely and unequivocally gender-normative in their identity and expression. Would I be as okay with a daughter who wanted to wear pink princess dresses as I would with one who wore truck t-shirts and wanted a dirt bike? It is definitely an on-going internal thought process to make sure I will be just as accepting of gender-normative expression as not. Luckily, I've got many more years to work on this as I don't plan on having children any time soon.

13. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2011 to finally read? 


Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness, #1) by Tamora Pierce


This was actually my very first Tamora Pierce novel, period! I quickly read the rest of the series, and though I found them to be a bit juvenile for my own reading tastes, I thought they were perfect for their actual intended audience and am looking forward to reading her more sophisticated works.

14. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2011?


I didn't actually read this book, but I saw this quote from someone, somewhere, and it's really stuck with me:


"It is not where we breathe, but where we love, that we live."
- Søren Kierkegaard, from the anthology Provocations


15. Book That You Read In 2011 That Would Be Most Likely To Reread In 2012? 


Miss Peregrine. A surprise, I know.

And that's all folks! Here's looking forward to 2012!          
Posted by at 11:15 AM 5 comments
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Jan 4, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday: Diving Bells: And Other Stories by Lucy Wood

Waiting on Wednesday (WoW) is a weekly meme hosted by

My posts about adult literary fiction are here:
Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks

My posts about my guilty pleasure reading (romantic, often paranormal, novels) can be found here:

My posts about YA/teen titles are here:
Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep 
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood 
Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

My posts about middle grade titles are here:

And now for today's:
Diving Bells: And Other Stories 
by Lucy Wood
9780547595535, Mariner Books, 
Pub. Date: August 2012
I'm always thrilled to discover a new short story collection, especially one where I might actually enjoy most of the short stories. Here's the publisher's description:  

Straying husbands lured into the sea by mermaids can be fetched back, for a fee. Trees can make wishes come true. Houses creak and keep a fretful watch on their inhabitants, straightening shower curtains and worrying about frayed carpets. A mother, who seems alone and lonely, may be rubbing sore muscles or holding the hands of her invisible lover as he touches her neck. Wisht hounds roam the moors, and, on a windy beach, a boy and his grandmother beat back despair with an old white door.
Diving Belles is a luminous, spellbinding debut that introduces Lucy Wood as a spectacular new voice in fiction. In these stories, the line between the real and the imagined is blurred, as she takes us to Cornwall’s ancient coast, building on its rich storytelling history and recasting its myths in thoroughly contemporary ways. Calling forth the fantastic and fantastical, she mines these legends for that little bit of magic that remains in all our lives— if only we can let ourselves see it.
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Jan 3, 2012

Spring 2012 Picture Book Highlights: Chronicle Books

 Previously in my capacity as Children's Department Manager for the Odyssey Book Shop, I had the opportunity to look over publisher's catalogues at the new books for each season. Thanks to Edelweiss, I can now look at publisher's catalogues as a blogger! Here are my picks for Spring 2012:

Trains Go
by Steve Light
9780811879422, $8.99, Pub. Date: January 2012

For the very youngest reader, a new board book of sights and sounds guaranteed to capture their attention.

Publisher's description: All aboard! Take a trip on eight noisy trains as they huff, puff, and toot-toot their way through this lively book filled with onomatopoetic text and interactive illustrations.

Animal Spots and Stripes
by Britta Teckentrup
9781452109947, $12.99, Pub. Date: February 2012

Animal 123
by Britta Teckentrup
9781452109930, $12.99, Pub. Date: February 2012

For the toddler in your house, 2 new colorful lift-the-flap books.

Publisher's descriptions: With a bold palette, striking graphics, and a bouncing menagerie of animals, this pair of uniquely formatted lift-the-flap books introduces young readers to the basic concepts of counting and patterns. Each is a boisterous, vivid trek of discovery, providing irresistible clues which encourage lifting the flap - a hands-on, educator-approved strategy of uncovering and learning concepts. Whether it's finding out just who's next in Animal 123, or exploring differently patterned creatures hiding in the habitats of Animal Spots and Stripes, these ultra-sturdy books provide not just an intriguing way to communicate essential building blocks of learning, but also offer an energetic playground of sheer delight.


Water Sings Blue (poetry)
by Kate Coombs, illustrated by Meilo So
9780811872843, $16.99, Pub. Date: March 2012

While the poems in this book are well-written, it's really the illustrations that make this picture book worth the price. At turns a dreamy wash and a bold statement, Meilo So's watercolor illustrations are the perfect compliment to the lyrical text.


Publisher's description: Come down to the shore with this rich and vivid celebration of the ocean! With watercolors gorgeous enough to wade in by award-winning artist Meilo So and playful, moving poems by Kate Coombs, Water Sings Blue evokes the beauty and power, the depth and mystery, and the endless resonance of the sea.

Chloe, Instead
by Micah Player
9780811878654, $15.99, Pub. Date: April 2012

Bright illustrations with bold color and simple text, this is a to-the-point picture book about the trials and triumphs of a new sibling.

Publisher description: Molly always dreamed of having a sister who is just like her. But she got Chloe, instead. These two sisters are nothing alike: Molly loves to color with crayons. Chloe prefers the taste of wax. Molly loves to read. Chloe prefers to nibble a book's spine. Molly is frustrated! But then she realizes that maybe sisters aren't the ones next to you on the piano bench, they're the ones dancing to the music you play! This humorous, perceptive snapshot of sibling love is perfect for those who may need a bit of convincing what fun little siblings can be!

Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors
by Hena Khan
9780811879057, $17.99, Pub. Date: June 2012

More than a book to learn colors, this can also serve as an introduction for a child (or even an adult) to a world that might be unfamiliar to them. Even if I recognized the object, there were several words I did not know that named specific objects important in the Muslim religion and culture. This is a great cross-cultural way to learn both colors and cultural acceptance.

Publisher's description: Magnificently capturing the colorful world of Islam for the youngest readers, this breathtaking and informative picture book celebrates Islam's beauty and traditions. From a red prayer rug to a blue hijab, everyday colors are given special meaning as young readers learn about clothing, food, and other important elements of Islamic culture, with a young Muslim girl as a guide. Sure to inspire questions and observations about world religions and cultures, Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns is equally at home in a classroom reading circle as it is being read to a child on a parent's lap.

Tua and the Elephant
by Randal Harris, illustrated by Taeeun Yoo
9780811877817, $16.99, Pub. Date: April 2012

Cheating a bit as this one is not a picture book, but instead is an illustrated chapter book for the 8-12 Middle Grade Reader set.

Publisher's description: Ten-year-old Tua - Thai for peanut - has everything she needs at home in Chiang Mai, Thailand, except for one thing she's always wanted: a sister. In the market one day, Tua makes an accidental acquaintance - one with wise, loving eyes, remarkable strength, and a very curious trunk. And when Tua meets Pohn-Pohn, it's clear this elephant needs her help. Together, the unusual team sets off on a remarkable journey to escape from Pohn-Pohn's vile captors. From the bustling night market to the hallowed halls of a Buddhist temple and finally, to the sanctuary of an elephant refuge, this clever girl and her beloved companion find that right under their noses is exactly what each has been searching for: a friend.
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