The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief was originally released in 2007 and it was then that I made my first attempt to read it. For whatever reason at the time, the narrator - Death - disturbed me. I believe I got about two chapters into the book before I found myself too creeped out to continue.  I closed the covers wondering how it was that everyone else was raving about it. Yet, they went on raving and raving and I began to suspect an error in reading judgement on my part. Content to wait to read it "someday", I sort of forgot about it. Then they announced that a movie was being released based on the book and that started everyone talking again. I figured I really had better read it before someone spoiled the plot for me by accident.

Enter: a trip overseas to pick up Bookworm4. My very nice husband bought and downloaded the movie on our laptop so that could watch it on the long plane ride over. Problem: I still hadn't read the book! The moment for absolutely needing to read it had arrived. I hastily purchased a copy of the book on Amazon and devoured it, finishing it on our first plane ride. I absolutely loved it. I have absolutely no idea what I found so off putting on the first go around. Now it is only my job to add to the raves about this being a "must read" book!

In case you are unfamiliar with the storyline, I'll give you a brief description and avoid all spoilers. This book tells us about fictional Liesel Meminger who lived in Germany during World War II. We begin following her journey as a young girl who is being given up for foster care by a mother who can no longer care for her. Liesel is placed with Hans and Rosa Hubermann, an older couple who live in Munich. Liesel must learn to adapt not only to their household, but to the effects that the war has on her new friends and neighborhood. The narrator of the story is Death which could make for that creepy overtone I mentioned earlier, however, I think it is nicely played out. Who else could speak of war so well as death?

This story by Markus Zusak discusses several different topics: the treatment and hiding of Jews, the Nazi party, the loyalty the party demanded from German citizens, as well as the lack of approved reading materials under Hitler's regime. It paints a picture of Jewish sympathizers in Nazi Germany which is an angle not many authors pay attention to, choosing instead of paint all Germans out as being cold and callous instead of frequently sympathetic and just plain scared to disagree!

There really was not a page of The Book Thief that I did not like. Every bit of it was entertaining, engaging, captivating and a lot of other positive adjectives I just can't think of at the moment. I'm so glad that I purchased an actual hard copy of it, for I plan to re-read it again someday. One critic praised this book as being "destined to be a classic." I don't know that I can agree with that entirely but I would agree that this is a modern publication that is worth some attention and I wouldn't mind if it stood out in the crowd of books published since the year 2000 for future generations to read and think about.

The paperback version of this book is an easy 550 pages. I say easy because the story is so very interesting that you won't grow bored with the story telling for a second. Zusak unfolds his story in a beautiful way, causing the reader to keep turning pages. This book is perfect for high school students but I wouldn't blink an eye at the thought of handing it over to a middle school reader. The only thing to note is that there is some foul language scattered about. These words were not so frequent as to distract me from my enjoyment of the story, nor so infrequent as to cause me to ignore them completely. They are there and if foul language bothers you then you should be aware of that.

Of course, once I had finished the book we were released to watch the movie. (Ha!) I thought the movie followed the storyline fairly well, though of course the movie is never quite so good as the book itself. The story is less complex on screen and therefore it felt a bit unsatisfying on the heels of this fascinating, heart-wrenching read. I was warned that I would likely cry at the end of the movie. I wasn't as moved as all that because I found the book so much more powerful and I had just finished it. Definitely read the book before you watch the movie but if you've already messed up and watched it, please know that your sins can be pardoned. Just go read the book. You will appreciate the story so much more if you do!

Thanks, Zusak, for such a fine story! Pleased to throw my recommendation in with all of the others!

The Search for Delicious, by Natalie Babbit

One month ago today we were moved out of our home and into a temporary home due to an overcooked chicken. As we were gathering up a few items to take with us during this unknown-time of displacement, I snatched a couple of titles off my bookshelf to help tide me over. One of the titles I grabbed was The Search for Delicious, by Natalie Babbit. (By the way, my copy of the book displays the cover art you see here. I can't say I'm very fond of the new cover art displayed on the Amazon.)

I had picked up this book on a trip up to Powells, most likely for my birthday. I just hadn't gotten around to reading it. I had no idea what it was about. I selected it because I had enjoyed Tuck Everlasting so very much. (Linked to my review.) Not being familiar with anything else that Babbitt had written, I thought I'd give this one ago. Simply put: I was delighted from the first page!

"There was a time once when the earth was still very young, a time some call the oldest days. This was long before there were any people about to dig parts of it up and cut parts of it off. People came along much later, building their towns and castles (which nearly always fell down after awhile) and plaguing each other with quarrels and supper parties. The creatures who lived on the earth in that early time stayed each in his own place and kept it beautiful. There were dwarfs in the mountains, woldwellers in the forests, mermaids in the lakes, and, of course, winds in the air." (The Search for the Delicious, Prologue, page 1)

I just had a feeling this book was going to be good and I was going to love it!

As the story opens we are introduced to DeCree, the prime minister, who is putting together a new dictionary for the kingdom.

"It was like this," said the Prime Minster, climbing onto a stool a his desk. "I went down, you see, to show the King how far I've gotten on my dictionary. He was pleased with the first part. He liked 'Affectionate is your dog' and 'Annoying is a loose boot in a muddy place' and so on, and he smiled at 'Bulky is a big bad of boxes.' As a matter of fact, there was no trouble with any of the A's or B's and the C's were fine too, especially, 'Calamitous is saying no to the King.' But then we got to 'Delicious is fried fish' and he said no, I'd have to change that. He doesn't care for fried fish." (Chapter 1, page 14)

DeCree is worried that hunting down the definition of the word "delicious" is going to cause a civil war because no one in the kingdom can seem to agree on what delicious exactly is. Some say apples, some say nuts, and so on and so forth. The prime minister ends up sending his Special Assistant, Gaylen, out into the kingdom to take a poll. Whatever food item receives the most votes will end up being defined as 'delicious.'

The story then introduces a villan, Hemlock, who does indeed want to destroy the kingdom by starting a civil war so that he can claim the throne for himself. We dive deeper into a story of a long forgotten mermaid who has lost her rock doll and a mysterious whistle/key which will help her to find it again. We meet dwarves and angry farmers and minstrels from far away lands. Gaylen is working hard to try to take the King ordered poll, but he meets with trickery and chaos which is created by Hemlock. Being a nice and pleasing fairy tale, all ends well and everyone agrees upon the definition of delicious.

If there is a special message inside of this book, I could not discern what it was. To me it was an entertaining story and a nice diversion. Apparently this book was listed as the 1969 New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year. I thought the book humorous and spell-binding. I was completely captivated by this rather quick read. The chapters themselves are very short making this an easy book to read aloud to a younger audience. I happened to read this one on my own time and found it incredibly enjoyable. I give it two hearty thumbs up on being an engaging and fun read.

(P.S. I did a brief search online to discover if there was a deeper meaning I was supposed to have drawn from the story and I did not discover anything suggesting that there was. Most people just seem to chalk this one up as a well-crafted tale and enjoyed it just as much as I did. If you know more about this book, please do share your thoughts in the comments!)

The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart (re-read)

I first read The Mysterious Benedict Society back in 2008. At the time I finished it, I knew it was a book that everyone in the whole world needed to read. I've harped on and on and on about why you should read it, if you haven't. It is, in a word: awesome.

As you all know, there are plenty of books to read in this world and it's hard to get back to well loved books unless you purpose to do so. (I seldom purpose to re-read books which is why I don't do it very often. However, this year I'm working hard to make sure I re-read at least one title a month. So far, so good.) This particular month it was my turn to select the book for my local bookclub. It was a no-brainer as to which one I'd pick. (There was only one other gal in the club who had read it, and if I hadn't picked it this month, she was going to pick it for next!) I was positive everyone would like it and everyone did. (My friend Heather liked it, as did this person. ;) I share those testimonials to offer additional encouragement to read it yourself if you haven't.)

The first time I read it, I expressed that I thought this book was a perfect allegory of what spiritual warfare looks like. Now, I cannot find any evidence online that Stewart is a Christian. Whether he is or is not does not negate the truth which is found littered throughout each page of this glorious story. At the time I first read this, I was thinking that this book and the Narnia series were going to be at the top of my reading list when my kids are a little older. I cannot wait to share The Mysterious Benedict Society with them. In preparation for bookclub I was hunting around online, trying to learn more about Stewart. I discovered that his favorite book as a child was The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe until he read The Hobbit. You can definitely see influences of these two great stories as you read through The Mysterious Benedict Society. (Here is the fun video interview with Trenton Lee Stewart if you'd like to watch it for yourself. I now have to read The Gruffalo to see what that is all about!)

Re-reading The Mysterious Benedict Society was a very fun experience. (Except when you are re-reading it at the same exact time as your husband and you have to remember which bookmark is yours!) I gleaned more from it this time than I did last time. As I mentioned, it is littered with nuggets of truth - which is the point of the book to a great extent. I'm not going to repeat the plot in this review. (My friend offered a nice description if you'd like to read one.) Instead I'm just going to share what I pulled from it this time around.

The four children - Reynie, Sticky, Kate and Constance (two Sons of Adam, two Daughters of Eve *ahem*) - were all incredibly different and unique personalities. They possessed different skills which helped them to succeed at the task they had been given. They were not allowed to work alone to accomplish their secret mission. The key to succeed was to learn how to work together, as a team, for the good of the whole. As I read along, all I could think about was this particular passage of scripture:

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

1 Corinthians 12:4-27

These four children were stretched by having to work with one another. They didn't always "get" each other's quirks. They flat-out didn't like each other at times. They discovered how hard it is to maintain a team spirit - and yet they did so by reminding themselves constantly that this is what they were required to do. They were not to walk away from one another, but each consider the other's special gifts and talents and they were to include and involve each other even when it didn't seem to make sense to do so. They were all needed and necessary in order to get the job done and they all benefited from laying aside self for the greater good.

On that note, there was a particular passage where the character of Kate has to stop doing what she wants to be doing because it's better for the group if she joins in with the "collective" and put self aside. It reads this way:

"Exploring was what she did best, and Kate liked always to be doing what she did best. Not that she was a bad sport; in fact, she was a very good one, and she rarely complained. But Kate had spent all her life - every since her father had abandoned her, which affected her more than she cared to admit - trying to prove that she didn't need anyone's help, and this was easiest to believe when she was doing what she was good at." (Chapter 10, Nomansan Island, page 160)

It is generally much easier to go about life in the Body of Christ is we just focus on doing whatever it is that we're good at. It requires a painful amount of sacrifice to walk away from an area you feel accomplished in - where you know yourself - and walk outside of your comfort zone. But if we stay inside our own little bubbles we can easily convince ourselves that we're doin' alright on our own. It's more easy to believe the lie that we don't need other people or that everyone else has a problem and we don't. (i.e., "Well, that's her problem, not mine!") Doing what we're good at is sometimes extremely necessary and at other times it offers a false peace - and a deadly one at that. To grow and mature we need to become a part of the Body of Christ - in all it's unique and frequently confusing glory. To die to self and live for Christ. It's the hardest thing in life to do and the Body, it frequently seems, is the hardest place to do it in. Yet we must learn to live and work together a.) because God told us to; and b.) because it is all for His glory and He will have it.

I have so many i-clip tabs stuck throughout this book which tells me that I need to make time to re-read this book again. I need to re-read it frequently and often. Not to say that's hard work (because it isn't) but because there's so much to think about! (It is an incredibly fun book despite the fact that it is packed with truth. A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down!)

I hope that if you haven't read it, you'll consider doing so. If you have read it, make time to re-read it. I cannot believe that you'd regret doing so!

~~~~~

I've been asked a few times how old a young reader should be before embarking on this tale. I intend to save this book to read aloud until my oldest is eight. I think he'll have a greater appreciation for it then and will be able to comprehend more of the story. It's a bit beyond his five year old self but I think eight will do.

When Santa Fell to Earth, by Cornelia Funke

Worst Christmas book EVER!!!

Why did I read this?! (Well, there is a reason but it involves TMI about this being the bathroom book and my always forgetting to switch it out and so I just muddled through, hoping it would improve. When Santa Fell to Earth is a (mercifully) short and a quick read. I suppose that is it's saving grace. The content definitely belongs in the bathroom so it's sort of fitting.)

Cornelia Funke is a hit-or-miss author for me. I LOVED Inkheart. Hated Inkspell. LOVED The Thief Lord. Hate When Santa Fell to Earth. And I know that tween fans of Funke will find this post and say I'm stupid because of it (they've done it before) and so be it. I'll be stupid then. (They likely picked up the word "stupid" as applied to adults after reading this book.)

The basic premise is this:

The last real Santa has fallen to earth in his caravan (full of Christmas elves and angels) and is stranded in a location where children do not believe in the real Santa Clause anymore. Not that there are many left to believe in. The big bad Goblynch has turned all of the real Santas into chocolate Clauses and has filled Christmas with a spirit of commercialism, promoting game consuls instead of original Christmas elf gifts. Goblynch and his crew of wicked nutcrackers are out to find this last real Santa and turn him into chocolate also. If not for a young boy named Ben, and his friend Charlotte, the world would be missing the true spirit of Christmas as Goblynch would have taken over everything and Christmas magic would be no more.

This is possibly an entertaining concept - a fanciful and fun Christmas story except the elves immediately strike the tone for the book, swearing all the way. (It's "clean swearing" but still. Phrases like, "Smelly goblin farts!" and "steaming reindeer poo!" do not endear me to this particular story.)

Then there is Ben, the main character. The little boy who cheats on math tests, and outright hates his parents is written up to be the Savior of Christmas, ultimately destroying Goblynch, thereby freeing the real Santa to reign again. Ben's parents are apparently out-of-touch with reality, or at least with Ben. They long to go to a warmer climate for Christmas and simply cannot understand why Ben doesn't want to go with them. Ben wants to stay home and play in the snow. His parents "force" a vacation on him, mocking him with purchased airplane tickets which will take them south. But then, lo and behold, Ben's dad breaks his leg and curses the moon for it interfering with their vacation plans. Ben is pleased as punch with his dad's predicament and offers not an ounce of sympathy. On Christmas day itself, Ben cops such an attitude with his dad, and is so angry with his parents that he, "would have loved to kick his leg cast."

This book pictures a completely dysfunctional and angry family. Not that such types do not exist, but it's rather loathsome to read about - and completely unsatisfying in any respect - when the author chooses to leave the problems unspecified and doesn't see fit to deal with them. Most children would not be picking up this book in order to get a realistic picture of what family life can be like under hard circumstances. They'd be picking this up to read a Christmas story. As such, I have to say that it is deplorable. The book doesn't bother me because their family life is hard but because there is no justifiable reason for it being hard. Funke seems to suggest that what is wrong in their relationships is actually right and the authority structure, which should be right, is wrong. The family she gives us to spend time with just flat out doesn't work. They dislike each other. And when families just don't like each other, it's hard to want to spend time with them. Ben's family refuses to treat each other kindly under any circumstances and Funke suggests that Ben has it all right and all together when he's a pipsqueak who needs a bit of direction and instruction! (Ahem.)

I would not like Ben at all if he were a real person and I don't like the way that Funke has the real Santa suggesting that Ben is the only decent person on earth. Ben cheats. He lies. He's rude and unkind. We cannot think that he's wonderful when we find him lying, cheating and bullying without explanation or resolution. So, no. I don't like him. Not even just a little bit!

I certainly would not hand this book over to my kids. I picked it up at Goodwill for $0.99 to give it a whirl and by my estimation, it's not even worth that much. I can't decide if I'll just send it back from whence it came, or deposit it in the trashcan. Because after the bathroom, the trashcan is the only other place where this book could possibly feel at home.

The Grimm Legacy, by Polly Shulman

So there I was, standing in front of my suitcase and wondering which book I should put into it. I planned to be on an airplane for about 5 hours, but with two kids to oversee. I wasn't sure how great my reading chances would be. I picked The Grimm Legacy because it's on my Fall Into Reading Challenge list and it looked light, fun and had the most possibility for holding my attention while traveling. (It also didn't take up much space in the suitcase.)

The one and only reason I actually read this book - all the way through - was because I was stuck on an airplane with no other reading material available to me. It was nauseatingly horrible, and caused slight illness which in no way related to the slight turbulence experienced.

This book can be classified as YA Fiction for all the reasons why I hate YA Fiction. This book has it all! Ridiculous high school (or middle school....I couldn't tell) romances, poor writing, implausible storyline and a whole lot of fantasy (literal and figurative) which, for some reason, sells. In fact, the only thing that this book has going for it is the cover art, the title and a promising premise. (I was actually being incredibly nice and generous in that last sentence. But don't hold your breath for any more generosity wherein this book is concerned.)

The premise is this (copied from the back cover because I'm feeling incredibly lazy when it comes to trying to make this book sound interesting in my own words:)

"Elizabeth has just started working as a page at the New York Circulating Material Repository, a lending library of objects - contemporary and historical, common and obscure. And secret, too - for in the repository's basement lies the Grimm Collection, a room of magical items straight from the Grimm Brothers fairy tales. But the magic mirrors and seven-league boots and other items are starting to disappear. And before she knows it, she and her fellow pages - handsome Marc, perfect Anjali, and brooding Aaron - are suddenly caught up in an exciting but dangerous adventure!"

It sounds intriguing, right? Bleh.

Things I did not like about the book:

1. Author Polly Shulman described the character of Elizabeth as being one who is loyal, brave and honest. Over and over again, in fact, she suggests that Elizabeth is an honest soul. She scores well on exams without cheating, she only makes friends with personalities that she truly likes and she somehow gained the respect of all of her elders. However, despite the fact that her authorities repeatedly tell her that if she notices anything suspicious going on with the Grimm Collection of items she is to report it immediately, she never does so. She "rationalizes" her way out of going to the adults in the story and buys all kinds of lies which her "friends" are telling her about what they are doing with various items in the collection. Elizabeth constantly falls prey to the fallacy that her friends, calling themselves such, will never lie to her and therefore she probably shouldn't "bother" an adult with problems that she and the others encounter. A truly honest soul - which again, Shulman wants you to believe Elizabeth is - would see, hear and know that she was witnessing suspicious problems related to the Grimm Collection. She should have made haste to tell an adult about such problems.
2. Conservative Reader Alert!: Teenage drama, drama, drama. Crushes. Long, slow kisses. Arms wrapped around each other. It actually sickens me to even have to try to describe this in a review. Shulman apparently buys into the idea that teenagers are totally capable of having adult romantic relationships and goes so far as to suggest that one is happening and has an adult figure wink it off. This is totally repulsive to me. The parents in the story were buying all kinds of lies about where their daughters actually were at night and never questioned the behavior of any of the teens, despite being given good reason to ask questions. The gross mishandling of their parental responsibilities was unfathomable to me. I suppose some might say that this book is for older teen readers. I would say that there are far better books out there that could be read and that if you find yourself stuck on an airplane with only this book or Sky Mall - you might do well to give great consideration to Sky Mall, no matter the age of your reader!
3. While the premise of the story is intriguing on its face, it was not written out in a very clear, straightforward manner. I felt like Shulman had scads of ideas to incorporate into her story but was limited as to page space and therefore certain interesting aspects of the story (i.e., a very large and scary bird which appears periodically throughout the book) falls flat during the last two chapters when Shulman is frantically trying to wrap up all of the loose ends to her tale. There were too many good ideas and instead of culling her thoughts, she ran down about a hundred and fifty rabbit trails and then had to hurry up and offer a line of conclusion for each element at the very tail end of the book. As a result, I, as the reader, felt that the story was chaotic with lots of characters shouting at me all at once to hear their story and figure out how things applied to them. It's not that you cannot understand what has, is and did happen but it's a whirl of words that can give you a headache. I also think that Shulman's manner of writing out conversation between characters leaves a bit to be desired and the conversations easily jarred me out of the story - allowing me a second on each occasion to exhale and roll my eyes around in my head a bit - as I read through.
4. You know how it is when you watch a movie and sometimes you think to yourself, "It's amazing how much can happen in your life when you don't have to stop and go to the bathroom!"? How many times have you or others commented on the fact that characters on screen never have to break for the necessary? Well, I will never complain about that lack of realism in a story again after Shulman attempted to provide breaks for one particular character. Awkward. I think I would just like to know what the human body has need of without it being spelled out for me. I'm infinitely happier that way.
   

I considered leaving this book on the plane instead of taking up time and space repacking it. Then I feared that the person who sat in my seat after me might actually read it. Repeating after myself, "Be kind one to another, tenderhearted..." I opted to use both the time and the space to repack the book so that I could come home and dispose of it properly without risking scalding the mind of another.

My advice? Do not waste your time with this one.

Feeling like a good twist on a fairytale? I'd suggest checking out Entwined, by Heather Dixon instead. (Linked to my review.) Or anything by Robin McKinley.

Fairest, by Gail Carson Levine

This book was not on my reading list for the month of January. It's in my reading stack but I intended to get to some other titles first. However, Fairest was staring at me from my bookshelf and I was feeling in the mood for a fun piece of fiction so I picked it up. I had picked up a used copy of this book sometime last year and just never got around to reading it. Now, I'm glad to have done so.

First off, this book is marketed to 8 to 14 year olds which I think is atrocious. There is no way on earth I would hand this book over to an 8 year old. I would also personally think twice about handing it over to a 12 year old. Fourteen is growing more reasonable.

The reason: the romance. Oh, it's incredibly tame if you are an adult. (It's just some kissing and extremely mild descriptions of love.) But EIGHT!? I think not!

For myself, the romance was so tame and the fairy tale and magical aspect of the story so strong that my 30-something year old self wasn't bothered by it. Awhile back I read Ella Enchanted (linked to my thoughts) and had the same feeling. Fun story. Magical. Winsome. Not really suitable for the age it's being marketed to.

In Fairest we meet a young girl named Aza whose "singing is the fairest in the land" of Ayortha. Her drawback is that she is hideously ugly - such that customers at the Inn that her family owns do not even want to look at her. Aza doesn't know, exactly, where she comes from. She was brought to the Inn by a wench who smuggled baby Aza in and herself out. The innkeeper and his wife (and their children) adopt Aza and love her as one of their own.

Despite her ugliness, a Duchess who patronizes the inn takes a fancy to Aza's company and invites Ava to join her as her companion when she travels to the castle to see the king marry. Aza is both excited and terrified to be able to go. She would love to see the King marry (and his chosen bride!) and participate in the sings but she knows that her appearance causes others distress. What other people do not realize is that Aza also has a secret talent. She can "illusing" - which involves throwing her voice to different parts of the room and mimicking others. Unfortunately, the new queen discovers Aza's talent and this ultimately puts Aza in great danger.

I thought this was a really clever story. I enjoyed the plot, I cared about the characters and I had a hard time putting the book down! I devoured it in one day. It is an absolutely fanciful fairy tale and I really enjoy Levine's style.

As an aside - the family structure in this book is top notch. Aza's parents love her fiercely and devotedly. Her relationship with her siblings is admirable. Much better than the father figure in Ella Enchanted, that's for sure! At one point in the story, when Aza is in danger, her father writes her a letter in which he states: "We know the daughter we raised. We fear for your future, but never for your character. You take our love and our trust wherever you wander. Father."

My dad said something similar to me at one time and so this particular passage in the book struck a deep chord with me. I so loved reading about the relationship that Aza had with her parents. I could say a good bit more on this topic but I'll leave it with Aza's Father's remarks for now.

I heartily recommend this one to adults who just want to escape into a good, solid story. I just have problems, as I said, with handing it over to younger readers because of the kissing and romance. Probably this is very tame and light romance, all things considered. Still, I hardly see the point. The twist, turns, suspense, ogres, gnomes and daily castle life is thrilling and enchanting enough. I wish authors would let girls be girls and save the romance for later. Definitely not a read for an eight year old, but I was completely enthralled and delighted! I would be happy to lose myself in more of Levine's work. In fact, I look forward to doing so!

Although this is marketed as middle grade reading, I'm marking it YA and General Fiction because I think that's more appropriate.

The Agency: The Body at the Tower, by Y.S. Lee

The Mary Quinn Mysteries are rather a guilty pleasure for me. I read The Agency: A Spy in the House (linked to my review @ 5M4B) earlier this year. As I expressed then, the first book in the Mary Quinn trilogy has some mature themes in it which makes me not want to hand it over to younger readers, but I have no qualms about recommending to adults.

When the second book, The Agency 2: The Body at the Tower, was released I was ready to read! (Now I'm hopping up and down awaiting the release of the third book!)

Again, I have to tell you that Candlewick Press marked these books for ages 12 and up but I heartily disagree. If the first book had mature themes, the second book had more of them and I was thinking that although this is labeled YA I personally would not hand them over to any daughter of mine until she was 15 or 16 (at least.)

If you want a good, fun, clean mystery, then this book is just right! It's just....well....FUN! I don't really have another word for it. Y.S. Lee tells a good story, which involves eighteen year old Mary Quinn who works for an all-female undercover agency. In The Agency 2: The Body at the Tower Mary is recruited to disguise herself as a 12 year old boy who is sent to a construction site (i.e., Big Ben) to discover whether or not there had been a murder on site, or just an unfortunate accident. The story is set in Victorian England so it's a fun setting. (I know I need another word but I tell you I haven't got one!) The romantic interest in the book pops back in (because what would the story be without him?) and being a 30-something reader I didn't care. It's a very, very tame romance.

This book/this series is a real page turner for me. I like a good, clean mystery every now and again and these books most definitely fit the bill! If I have to look for my cleaner reads among the YA books, I don't really mind. The story is fabulously told with plenty of plot twists (just like in the first book) and it's just enjoyable. (There. I found another word!)

Again, I know there are conservative readers out there and the main thematic element in the book that I didn't care for was the issue of homosexuality which I thought was unnecessary, particularly for this story. Mentioning this in the story came across more as Lee just wanting to say something shocking, rather than adding anything to any of the character's development. Generally, it just lacked in taste although she certainly didn't delve into that subject matter at all. Like I said, it was a surface level mention, designed for shock value. Also, as in the first book, there is a random smattering of foul language which is what makes me personally classify this book right out of YA literature and throws it into the adult category.

Despite these things, it is a clean mystery and Y.S. Lee does tell a remarkably good story. So, in the end, I don't mind mentioning it at all.

For myself, I'd liken these books to Laurie R. King's The Beekeeper's Apprentice series featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. They are rather similar in style. (FYI - I enjoyed The Beekeeper's Apprentice but had a harder time with the sequels for the same thematic elements which are in Lee's books.)

I guess this comes across as a mixed-review. I like these books but there are some issues with it that will not appeal to the more conservative reader and I do want to make sure I point them out to you (so you aren't thinking, "What happened to Carrie?!" if you pick them up.) They have negative aspects. But for me, the positive outweighs that and I'm along for the ride!

Thanks, Candlewick, for indulging my love of mystery and giving me a chance to spend some time with Mary Quinn!

The Knights of Arrethtrae (giveaway)

Ok, this one is kinda different (for me anyway) but I was really, really fascinated by the premise and the behind-the-scenes story of these books.

Multnomah Books just recently released the final two books in the six books Knights of Arrethtrae series by Chuck Black. They sent me a copy of Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor (Book 5) and Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest (Book 6) for review.

Only (my bad) - I didn't really clue in that I was coming in on the end of a series and I have mental issues with that. I talked to the publicist though and read the introduction and I feel pretty secure in saying that each book can be read entirely as a stand-alone. The introduction really does an adequate job of explaining the point and purpose of each story and sets the stage of the series for the reader. I didn't end up feeling as lost as I thought I might (but I'm still mentally bothered by the fact that I haven't read book one because, to me, that's just wrong.)

I was drawn to these stories initially as having been written by a home schooling father (of six) who wanted to challenge kids to "live for more" than what society currently sets their expectations for. I normally don't quote from the press release but in this case, I think I'll make an exception because it explains the author's intent:

"Many kids today are being let off the hook," says Black. "They're abandoning activities that encourage creativity and self-development for forms of escapism like additions to video games or social media." He believes stories of everyday heroes who find courage in the face of fear will help youth rise above the low expectations set for them in today's world and realize God has a quest for them as well."

Black is also a former F-16 fighter pilot and, I confess it, I figured if his books were picked up by Multnomah, they wouldn't be "that bad." (I've picked up a few books written by home schooling dads that self published and I was less than impressed. Yes, I admit the bias towards self-publicized works!) I wasn't far off the mark in suspecting that this would be an interesting series. Black manages to hold his "tone" for the book pretty well. The introduction, as I said, sets the stage for a battle between good and evil.

"Like raindrops on a still summer's eve, the words of a story can oft fall grayly upon the ears of a disinterested soul. I am Cedric of Chessington, humble servant of the Prince, and should my inadequate telling of the tales of these brave knights e'er sound as such, know that it is I who have failed and not the gallant hearts of those of whom I write . . ." (from the Introduction)

I read book five and had several impressions:

1. I was entertained;
2. I was intrigued;
3. I kinda felt like I was attending a Medieval Times dinner theater;
4. I liked the way Black handled the battle between good and evil.

Conservative parents will be happy to note that Chuck Black avoids the use of magic in these books. So if you aren't sure what to make of Harry Potter or even my beloved Chronicles of Narnia, you can breathe easy with the Knights of Arrethrae series. Each one also hits on a particular character quality such as courage - or it battles against undesirable traits such as greed or apathy.

I think there are definitely things to like about this series and so I'm happy to let you know that Multnomah Books has graciously offered up a copy of Sir Quinlan and Sir Rowan to one of you.

To win? Simply leave a comment below. This contest will be open through Thursday, October 21st. US Residents only.

Thank you, Multnomah Books, for your generosity in sending me these books to read for myself, as well as for offering a copy to one of my readers.

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER (selected by Random.org, of course!) is #5 - Serena! Congratulations!

Betsy and the Great World / Betsy's Wedding, by Maud Hart Lovelace

Alright, I have done it! I have completely read through the Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace, thanks to Sarah at Library Hospital. When someone (in this case, Sarah) can't quit harping on a book or series, it really makes a person who hasn't yet read those books feel like they are missing something. That's the way that Sarah made me feel and so last year, during her Maud Hart Lovelace Challenge, I read through the first half of these books. Her reading challenge is now underway and I've completed reading the Betsy books. It definitely feels good!

There will be certain spoilers here. Nothing monumental but if you don't want to know what happens in each book, just ignore me for a moment and go read the stories for yourself.

In my last review, I left off with Betsy & Joe who were developing their relationship. It was fresh and exciting! So it was with some great amount of INSANE disappointment that I cracked open Betsy and the Great World, and discovered that Betsy had botched things with Joe in a moment of extreme lack of consciousness and understanding, and was off exploring the Great World all by her lonesome. This, of course, is a recipe for disaster for any female who is ready and willing to lose her heart to guys at a moment's notice. Which Betsy is and does with some enormous amount of annoying regularity.

I felt she slipped. I felt like we had regressed to Betsy's teenage days when she wanted to have fifteen cakes and eat them all too. I confess: I was very mad at Betsy throughout most of this book. (And I won't type what I thought of Sarah for putting me through this agony. Ha!)

But. To be fair, there is a certain element of Anne and Gilbert about this book. It has an Anne of the Island flair to it. You just have to suffer through the book until Anne Betsy comes to her senses and realizes what a ninny she's been.

So anyhow, I was pretty ticked with Betsy for a few days while I read through this one and I was glad to have her finally set things back in order at the end.

Side note: This is why I like to read series by dead authors. I can't fathom the agony of having to wait a millennium for the next installment to come out. Can you imagine having to wait for Lovelace to fix what she broke?!!?

Anyhow.

I moved on to Betsy's Wedding feeling a little miffed. But my ruffled and riled feathers were on their way back down because Betsy and Joe were on the mend and finally tied the knot.

This book is all about their early married life. They find an apartment, they buy their first house, they hang out with friends and generally just spend their time really getting to know one another. I suppose it's an accurate portrayal of most early marriages. Actually, this story is based on Maud's own marriage to her husband, Delos. It's a perfectly believable story and they interact with one another and struggle through their early existence in perfectly believable ways.

I just like Anne and Gilbert better, that's all. NOT to say that I dislike Betsy. See, I have this thing. (Are you ready? My good friend here in town laughs at me about this.) I don't really care to be around newlyweds. I just don't. I know I was one once but Jonathan and I weren't the type that were so mushy around other people that we were disturbing the peace or anything. You could have a normal conversation in our presence and we could have one in yours. I know newlyweds have a great learning curve, and I prefer that they learn outside of my presence. (We always strove to do our learning on our own time as well.)

Now, I like Anne and Gilbert because instantly upon marriage they were hard at work in their community and were having friends over and that's kind of what Jonathan and I did. We started two new businesses right from the get-go and threw ourselves into church events and worked alongside one of another. (Not necessarily entirely recommended but it worked for us.) We enjoyed just diving into life together and so I find more appeal in Dr. Gilbert Blythe and his red-headed bride than in Betsy and Joe. (And before you start to harass me about this, I do strongly believe that newlyweds should be left alone for a period of time so that they can figure each other out! The faster the better! A lot of outside influence and input can prove disastrous at times. Besides- there is a good Biblical argument for a couple having some time to focus on themselves for a while. That is all very good.)

That to say, I don't really take any issue with Betsy and Joe and I'm glad to hear how their story concludes (from the perspective of the series at any rate.) I just didn't end up loving them dearly. BUT! I AM very grateful to have read the books. I think they are artfully written in that they send you on a complete whirlwind of highs and lows. No matter what you feel towards Betsy at any given moment, you keep rooting for her and reading on. I think that's the mark of a good, quality series.

So there you have it. My opinion. Just one of many. Ta da! The end!

*****
Once again, thanks to Sarah at Library Hospital for hosting the Maud Hart Lovelace Challenge and to Harper Perennial Classics for providing the books to read!

Betsy Was a Junior/Betsy & Joe, by Maud Hart Lovelace

Can I just swoon about these two books? Will that suffice for a review? Can we call it good? Because I liked them that much, yes.

As you may recall, a few weeks ago I mentioned that having finished Heavens to Betsy and Betsy in Spite of Herself and didn't find Betsy to be particularly endearing. I found her to be teen aged in all of her boy crazy "glory" and I was put off. With some fear and trepidation, I launched into Betsy Was a Junior and lo and behold - Betsy is growing up!

Sure, she's still busy with boys but she's a Junior now and is trying to better herself. I can respect that. (I still respect Tacy MORE because she doesn't feel the need to do everything "The Crowd" does - even when it comes to wearing her hair in a less than fashionable way. Tacy is a brick and I very much like her!) But Betsy's life is changing and she is learning new life lessons. She wins a boyfriend she discovers wasn't worth the trouble and decides to buckle down and be more serious about friends and school and life in general. Furthermore, it looks like Joe Willard might be making her life a little more interesting during her upcoming senior year of high school.

In Betsy and Joe, Betsy's life takes a few more surprising twists and turns as she has to juggle two beaus - one of whom she loves dearly as a brother and the other, Joe Willard, she likes "in another way." Betsy seems to have mastered the art of holding her tongue a bit more and not shouting her feelings about boys from the rooftops. A fact I appreciated, I can assure you! She seems more toned down and she makes some relational mistakes with the friendly beau that cost her some pride (another good thing.) In short, she's learning what it means to be discrete and she is maturing at a rapid pace. I not only found Betsy remarkably tolerable in Betsy and Joe, but I found myself rooting for their relationship and scrambling to get to the end to verify what I already knew to be fact -they would be together. All is right with the world and I sigh in blissful happiness.

Now that Betsy is actually old enough to get married (according to 1910 standards) and is officially out of high school, I'm much more interested in her relationship with Joe. It feels more appropriate and less silly and flippant. (Not that Joe ever went for flippancy - being a rock solid gentleman from the get-go!) Their relationship, in my opinion, is realistic. They aren't over-the-moon and yet they are. They have moral standards and they follow them. They are friends first and have bumps in the relationship road. It's all so very tolerable.

So I'm writing up this review as fast as I can and moving on to Betsy and the Great World/Betsy's Wedding because it's just........SO FUN!

As a final aside - I like the clothes they wear in 1910. I think, if I actually had a choice, I now can't decide whether or not I'd prefer to live in the 1910's or the 1940's - for clothing sake. Either which way, they were so much more classy than we are these days! Anyway - off to the races to cheer on Betsy and Joe! (I cannot believe I am this wrapped up in a teenage romance! But then again, remember, it was 1910 and at 18 they frequently got married!)

***
Once again, thanks to Sarah at Library Hospital for hosting the Maud Hart Lovelace Challenge and to Harper Perennial Classics for providing the books to read!

Heaven to Betsy and Betsy in Spite of Herself

I first picked up a Betsy-Tacy book because Sarah at Library Hospital was raving about them. Last year she held her first Maud Hart Lovelace Challenge and I made it through the first four Betsy-Tacy books (click on the links below to read my thoughts):

Betsy-Tacy
Betsy-Tacy and Tib
Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill
Betsy Tacy Go Downtown (no review)

I was hoping to finished off the whole series, but didn't get around to it. Therefore, I told myself that I would finish the Betsy books during the second annual Maud Hart Lovelace Challenge and I'm currently on track with that plan!

I started off this month by reading Heaven to Betsy and Betsy in Spite of Herself which Harper Collins combined into one "volume", if you will, of a book. (Insert proper disclaimer about how I received this book from Harper Collins but I'm expressing my own opinions of the book, etc., etc.)

I cracked open Heaven to Betsy and found Betsy on her way to high school with her good friend Tacy. In the previous books I have really liked Betsy but I have to say that the teenager version of her grates upon my nerves. I'm just going to go ahead and confess it. It's all boys, boys, boys with Betsy and it becomes wearisome. Tacy, on the other hand, seems much more level headed and enjoys her life without the constant gaming that comes with being a teenage girl who makes you want to do nothing but roll your eyes at her.

Is that to say that I did not like the book!? On the contrary. See, I can't really say that I never experienced some of the same thoughts that Betsy did when I was growing up. I also had a tremendously close friend and my relationship with her reminds me of the friendship that was shared by Betsy and Tacy. And so it is with some calm, reluctant understanding that I still enjoy Betsy. She will grow out of this boy-crazy phase. I'm convinced. Most level-headed girls do and I would say that Betsy is remarkably level headed.

The only thing I honestly didn't like in Heavens to Betsy was that Betsy receives a Ouija board for Christmas and she and her friends make some good use out of it. I don't find the idea of dabbling in the spirit world remotely safe or entertaining and have no tolerance whatsoever for Ouija boards. There were about 2 chapters in the middle of the book that focused on this particular activity and given that the subject matter was dropped in short order, I had no qualms about finishing the book. However, you should know that such a thing exists in these books, regretfully.

At any rate, Betsy makes it through her freshman year in Heaven to Betsy and we find ourselves moving on to her Sophomore year in Betsy in Spite of Herself. If it is possible for Betsy to be more boy crazy in this story, I can't see how. She's very focused on making herself dark and mysterious and attractive to members of the opposite sex. Tacy plays a smaller role in this book than she did even in Heaven to Betsy which I find rather regrettable. However, it is Tacy who affirms to Betsy that she should be true to herself first and foremost. She points out to Betsy that being one's self is what is important and that people genuinely like her for her. Betsy must learn this lesson for herself though and that is the purpose of the book.

The most entertaining aspect of this book, to me, was the jab Maud Hart Lovelace took at Elsie Dinsmore. Disnmore is declared too perfect a character and on this point, I simply must agree. I know there are Elsie Disnmore fans out there but if I had to choose boy crazy Betsy to Elsie's condescension, I have to say I'd take Betsy every single day of the week!

The most intriguing thing about Betsy's high school years, to me, is the fact that they were modeled closely after Lovelace's. Lovelace seems to have "changed the names to protect the innocent" in her stories and researched her own high school diaries when writing of Betsy's high school years. In the back of the new Harper Collins editions, they provide a list of the fictional characters alongside the names of the actual people that Lovelace based her characters on. Essentially I walked away from these first two stories of Betsy in High school feeling like I got to know Lovelace in high school.

Apparently, Lovelace destroyed her diaries after the high school stories were published. She said herself that the diaries were filled with, "boys, boys, boys!" and so I'm guessing we didn't miss much excepting to find out who she had a crush on. I don't really care to know.

I recognize that this review might sound a bit more negative, but I don't meant it to be so. On the whole, I like seeing Betsy grow up, primarily because I enjoyed her past and I have high hopes for her future. Heaven to Betsy and Betsy in Spite of Herself is just that awkward in between stage for a girl when she's not really a child, nor is she an adult. You make mistakes, you know, and learn a great deal during those years. So does Betsy.

I look forward to reading more and my thanks goes out again to Sarah for hosting this reading challenge which spurs me onward!

The Mysterious Benedict Society

Hello people.

So I've harped and I've harped and I've harped on and on and on about the Mysterious Benedict Society Books and some of you have read and agreed with me - this series is fantastic and you are falling in much in love with them as I have.

Some of you are a little late to the party but that's ok because I'm here to help you catch up. (You can thank me later or thank me now. Your choice.)

Would you like to win a copy of the ENTIRE SERIES?!?! This is no April Fool's Day Joke, my friends! It's true! I have an entire set of these books to give away, with many thanks to the publisher, Little, Brown Books!

To win? Well. All you have to do is LEAVE A COMMENT below! But because this is such an awesome series, I'll reward you with one April Fool's Day point. Go and read one of the following reviews and come back and tell me why you are SO EXCITED to read this series! By doing so, you'll gain an extra entry in the contest!

(Contest open to U.S. Residents only and will remain open through Thursday, April 8th.)

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My review of The Mysterious Benedict Society.

My review of The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey.

My review of The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma.

****

Reasons to read these books if you haven't already done so:

1. They are imaginative.

2. They are creative.

3. They are clean.

4. They are thought-provoking.

5. I like them.

6. I'll stop badgering you if you read them.

Really now? Can you resist? If so, you are a brave and bold soul, my friend! Brave and bold! There is no better time like the present to pull out these books and enjoy them for yourselves or for a young reader that you know and love!

Happy April Fool's Day!
(Seriously. I'm not kidding. This is a For Real contest! I would not make something like this up.)

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED