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Hello and welcome! You have been listening to me talk about Fairy Tale Fortnight for months now, and it is finally here!!

This post will be constantly updated throughout the event with links and new information. Every night at midnight EST, the post will be updated with a full schedule of the day's upcoming events. As the posts go live, I will be updating with links throughout the day so you don't miss a thing!

At the bottom of each post will be one of these three pictures: Clicking on one of these pictures will bring you back to this page, to view all the great new updates.

There is also a link-up in an additional post where you can link up your fairy tale related posts for others to read!

Also, Bonnie at A Backwards Story has some awesome stuff happening on her blog this week! When she learned about this event, she not only provided us with a guest post, she spoke with a few of her author contacts about interviews (which will be upcoming) and she is reviewing a new fairy tale on her blog every day of the event. You will definitely want to head over there to see what she's got happening.

I really hope everyone is just as excited for this as I am! Let the Fairy Tale goodness begin!

Sunday April 17:

~ Schedule and Additional Post Link-Up
~ Anahita's Woven Riddle Contest
~ Beauty review at The Book Rat
~ A Librarian Guest Post — Winter's Child at Basically Amazing Books
~ Interview with Jessica Day George and a giveaway!
~ Her Royal Orangeness Guest Post-Tam Lin at The Book Rat
~ Entwined reivew at Basically Amazing Books

Monday April 18:

~ Why Fairy Tales Are Magic ~ a guest post from Zoë Marriott
~ Bound review at The Book Rat
~ Japanese Fairy Tales by Danya at Basically Amazing Books
~ The Healer's Apprentice Giveaway + Fairy Tales in Bruges at The Book Rat
~ Memory Monday: Beauty at Basically Amazing Books
~ Zoë Marriott Prize Pack of Awesome
~ Hush review at The Book Rat
~ Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow review at Basically Amazing Books
~ FIll-in the Blanks with JG at The Book Rat

Tuesday April 19:

~ Jaclyn Dolamore Interview & bookplate giveaway
~ Curlypow's guest post: Beauties and Beasties at The Book Rat
~ TBR Tuesday at The Book Rat
~ Beastly review at Basically Amazing Books
~ Princess and the Hound review at The Book Rat
~ The Uses of Enchantment giveaway from Edie
~ Happily Ever After — Myth... BUSTED with Jennifer AND a giveaway at Basically Amazing Books
~ 'The Red Shoe's at The Book Rat
~ A Kiss in Time review at Basically Amazing Books

Wednesday April 20:

~ Easter Giveaway at The Book Rat!!
~ Prize Pack from The Introverted Reader at The Book Rat
~ Mini-review of Ash + a giveaway! at Basically Amazing Books
~ The Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde Guest Post at Basically Amazing Books
~ Wishlist Wednesday at The Book Rat
~ Interview with Donna Jo Napoli
~ Tender Morsels and the dark side — Guest Post at The Book Rat
~ Review: The Swan Kingdom at Basically Amazing Books
~ Review: Rapunzel's Revenge and Princess Academy at The Book Rat

Thursday April 21:

~ Nancy Werlin Giveaway
~ Fractured Fairy Tales with Bonnie at Basically Amazing Books
~ Kiss part 1 at The Book Rat
~ Review: A True Princess at Basically Amazing Books
~ Interview with Alex Flinn
~ Reivew: I, Corinader at The Book Rat
~ Review: Calamity Jack at Basically Amazing Books
~ Midnyte Reader: The Horror of Fairy Tales at The Book Rat

Friday April 22:

~ Mette Ivie Harrison Guest Post and Giveaway
~ Review: Sirena at Basically Amazing Books
~ Review: Princess at the Midnight Ball at The Book Rat
~ Why I Always Forgive My Fairy Tales at Basically Amazing Books
~ Friday Face Off at The Book Rat
~ Interview with Heather Dixon
~ Enna Isilee: How Fairy Tales Changed My Life at The Book Rat
~ Review: Princess of Glass at The Book Rat
~ Review: Zel at Basically Amazing Books
~ Kiss, part 2 at The Book Rat

Saturday April 23:

~ Jessica Day George Prize Pack #2, courtesy of Sierra
~ Short Story Saturday pt. 1 at The Book Rat
~ Groovy Fairy Tales guest post by Jayme at Basically Amazing Books
~ Short Story Saturday pt. 2 at The Book Rat
~ Fables review and giveaway, guest post by Kristen at The Book Rat
~ Interview with Zoë Marriott
~ Kiss pt. 3 at The Book Rat
~ Short Story Saturday pt. 3 at The Book Rat
~ Review: Wildwood Dancing at Basically Amazing Books
~ Mini-reviews: Impossible and Extraordinary at The Book Rat

Sunday April 24:

~ My Unfair Godmother giveaway at Basically Amazing Books
~ Dark Literary Retellings + giveaway from Titania at The Book Rat
~ Kiss, the final part at The Book Rat
~ Series Review: Once Upon a Time at Basically Amazing Books
~ Poetry, Shmoetry at The Book Rat
~ Once Upon a Time Cover Discussion at Basically Amazing Books
~ Interview with Marissa Meyer
~ Book of 1000 Days from Miss Eliza at The Book Rat
~ Review: Princess of Glass guest post with Ems at Basically Amazing Books
~ The Twelve Dancing Princesses guest post with Ems at The Book Rat
~ Once Upon a Time Series Favorites at Basically Amazing Books

Monday April 25:

~ Interview with Diane Zahler + giveaway
~ Review: Cloaked at The Book Rat
~ Memory Monday: Deerskin at Basically Amazing Books
~ Interview with Cindy Pon
~ 10 Awesome FT characters guest post with CSI Librarian at The Book Rat
~ Review: Shadow Spinner at Basically Amazing Books
~ Interview with Elis O'Neal
~ A Kiss in Time: Guest post with Sierra at The Book Rat
~ My Favorite Fairy Tales guest post with Enna + giveaway!
~ Beastly Teaser at The Book Rat

Tuesday April 26:

~ Giveaway: Shadow Spinner
~ Titania's Favorite Movie Adaptations at Basically Amazing Books
~ Alanna: Acrostic Awesomeness + YA FT giveaway at The Book Rat
~ Alanna: Acrostic Awesomeness + Children's FT giveaway at Basically Amazing Books
~ TBR Tuesday at The Book Rat
~ Fairy Tales, Myths and World Building: Between the Sea and Sky
~ Review: The Princess Trio by Mette Ivie Harrison at Basically Amazing Books
~ Sleeping Beauty-Then and Now guest post by Tricia at The Book Rat
~ Fairy vs. Faeri: a guest post by Laura at Basically Amazing Books
~ A Fill-in Game with Elie at The Book Rat
~ Review: Juniper Berry at The Book Rat

Wednesday April 27:

~ Interview with Janette Rallison + giveaway!
~ Juniper Berry excerpt + giveaway! at The Book Rat
~ Guest Review: Rapunzel's Revenge with Kristen at Basically Amazing Books
~ Wishlist Wednesday — Unreleased titles at The Book Rat
~ Guest Review: Cloaked with Sierra at Basically Amazing Books
~ Sleeping Beauty: A DoublClik Editorial
~ From One Book to Another: East of the Sun, West of the Moon at The Book Rat
~ Interview with Victoria Schwab
~ Review: Keturah and Lord Death at Basically Amazing Books
~ Failed it or Nailed it: East of the Sun, West of the Moon comparison at The Book Rat

Thursday April 28:

~ Interview with Carolyn Turgeon + giveaway!
~ 2 Classic Irish Tales, from Mel U at The Book Rat
~ Guest Review: Enchantment from Cynthia at Basically Amazing Books
~ Interview with Mette Ivie Harrison
~ Review: Troll Bridge at The Book Rat
~ Video with Jessica Day George and announcement from The Giveaway Fairy
~ Interview with Sarah Porter
~ Review: Magic Under Glass at Basically Amazing Books
~ Fill-in-Game with Khadija at The Book Rat

Friday April 29:

~ Guest Post with Marissa Meyer: Not Your Average Retelling
~ Mini-reviews: Jon Scieszka at The Book Rat
~ Why Fairy Tales? at Basically Amazing Books
~ Friday Face Off at The Book Rat
~ Guest Review: Tithe by Ammy Belle at Basically Amazing Books
~ Interview with Tia Nevitt
~ Book Journey Guest Review of Cloaked at The Book Rat
~ Book Journey Giveaway at Basically Amazing Books
~ Review: The Mermaid's Mirror at Basically Amazing Books
~ Review: Castle Waiting at The Book Rat

Saturday April 30:

~ Interview with Elizabeth C. Bunce + giveaway
~ Opening lines for the Faery Reel at The Book Rat
~ Short Story Saturday 2 at The Book Rat
~ Fairy Tales I Can't Wait to Read at Basically Amazing Books
~ Review: Daughter of the Forest at The Book Rat
~ Fill-in Game with Maureen McGowan
~ Review: The Sister's Grimm at Basically Amazing Books
~ Silly interview with Misty
~ Silly interview with Ashley
~ Little Red Riding Hood Video Project
~ End credits/THANKS!

I'll be posting my actual review of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson soon, but I wanted to share a few of the links from fellow bloggers who are shouting out about this Wesley Scroggins mess. I posted some of my thoughts, but I still fume about it every time I think about it. There's so much to be said on this topic, and most of it has been said at one point or another by different bloggers and authors from all over.

So, here is a list compiled by Natalie at Mindful Musings. I can only imagine how much time and effort went into contacting everyone and gathering all this information, and I thank her for it, because it makes it so much easier to find.

Bloggers Speak Out is a movement sparked by the recent article, "Filthy Books Demeaning to Republic Education " by Dr. Wesley Scroggins that was published in the Springfield, MO News-Leader on September 18th. In this article, Scroggins vehemently advocates the censorship of books in schools, and specifically requests that the following books be removed from the Republic school system: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler, and Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. To show our support of these authors and to fight against book banning and censorship, we have decided to take action and speak out.

Below is a list of links of bloggers speaking out against book banning and censorship--in the form of giveaways, posts, and reviews. Some are "officially" participating in what we're calling Bloggers Speak Out, and others are posts that we've found around the blogosphere. If you get time, you should definitely check them out!



Giveaways of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
**All giveaways will end on 10/3, unless otherwise noted**
Papercut Reviews Braintasia Books Escape through the Pages Tina's Book Reviews Sea of Pages Mrs. Deraps Reads Moonlight Book Reviews Cari's Book Blog Just Your Typical Book Blog For What It's Worth Wondrous Reads (Ends 9/27) Frankie Writes (Ends?) The Elliot Review (Ends?) The Bookologist (Ends?) La Femme Readers

Other Giveaways
**All giveaways will end on 10/3, unless otherwise noted**
-Lisa Schroeder: ARC of The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney (Ends 9/23) -Will Write for Cake: Win Speak, Twenty Boy Summer, or Slaughterhouse Five -Mindful Musings (here): Win Speak, Twenty Boy Summer, or Slaughterhouse Five -Teens Read and Write: Win The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian -Mundie Moms: Win Speak, Burned, Twenty Boy Summer, or The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (Ends 9/26) -Wicked Awesome Books: Win a "Filthy Books" Prize Pack -Carol's Prints: Win Speak and The Mockingbirds -Myra McEntire: Win Speak, Twenty Boy Summer, or Harry Potter -The Bookish Type: Win Speak or Twenty Boy Summer -Bea's Book Nook: Win Speak & an ALA Challenged Book (Ends 10/2) -Sarah Ockler: Win a Wesley Scroggins Filthy Books Prize Pack (Ends 10/1)

Other Posts Against Book Banning and Censorship
Braintasia Books Escape Through the Pages As Told by Jen Aine's Realm The Compulsive Reader Once Upon a Bookcase Daily Dose Speak Loudly Book Drop @ Late Bloomer Online A Life Bound by Books Red House Books Frankie Writes Michelle's Bookshelf I Should Be Writing The Undercover Book Lover Punk Writer Kid Lisa and Laura Write Between the Covers Another Book Junkie Jenni Elyse Eve's Fan Garden The Ultimate Dumpees Reading the Best of the Best The Pirate's Bounty Reclusive Bibliophile Book Faery Bloggers Heart Books Book Swarm Fantasy 4 Eva The Ladybug Reads The Lady Critic's Library Emilie's Book World Jacob's Beloved Just Your Typical Book Blog Maggie's Bookshelf Basically Amazing Books Novel Thoughts Random Ramblings Holes in my Brain Readligion Vision Quest Fail Shelby Barwood Supernatural Snark Consumed by Books Ann Marie Gamble The Darker Side of the Fire Katie's Book Blog Sassymonkey (BlogHer) GreenBeanTeenQueen Jessica Lei Maria Romana Abby Minard The Mimosa Stimulus Books and Things Beyond the Trestle

Authors Speak Out
Laurie Halse Anderson: This guy thinks Speak is pornographic Laurie Halse Anderson: The power of speaking loudly Author Gayle Forman @ Eve's Fan Garden Author Saundra Mitchell @ Eve's Fan Garden Karen Rivers Sarah Ockler: I Speak Loudly for Speak Sarah Ockler: On Book Banning Zealots and Ostriches Author Laura Manivong @ Page Turners Cheryl Rainfield: Fight Against Ignorance Myra McEntire: Speak Loudly: In Defense of Laurie Halse Anderson Andrea Cremer: Speak Out Natalie Standiford on Censorship @ Emily's Reading Room

Important Articles on the Subject
"Filthy Books Demeaning to Republic Education" (the article that started it all) Scroggins' Official Complaint to the School Board (PDF) "Republic School Book Choices under Fire " (Springfield News-Leader) Laurie Halse Anderson's Editiorial in the Springfield News-Leader Sarah Ockler's Editorial in the Springfield News-Leader Natalie @ Mindful Musings' Letter to the Editor in the Springfield News-Leader Essay: Kurt Vonnegut's Thoughts on the First Amendment
Thanks to everyone who has spoken out about this. It's not something that will be going away soon, but it's something that we can fight a little better every day. We can make progress. We can make a difference. Speak out, and don't ever let anyone else do your thinking for you.

Hello fairy-tale lovers! I’m back! Did you miss me? As a reminder, I’m Enna Isilee from Squeaky Books. I posted a guest post on “How Fairy Tales Changed My Life” last Friday on Misty’s blog, and now I’m here on Ashley’s blog to give you some recommendations and a giveaway!

I’ve compiled a list of fourteen (one for every day of the fortnight!) of my favorite fairy-tale retellings. Many of these have already been featured during Fairy Tale Fortnight, but I steered away from the well-known fairy tales (Beauty, Ella Enchanted etc.) on the chance that you some of these are new to you. Check out the end of the post for a giveaway!

Plain Kate Erin Bow (My Review | Goodreads | Amazon)
My thoughts: This book is not technically a twisted fairy tale, but I included it in this list because it reads like one. It’s light and fluffy, while still being deep and touching. While reading this book I laughed and I cried. It’s beautiful.

Entwined Heather Dixon (My Review | Goodreads | Amazon)
My thoughts: This one only just barely came out. It’s a retelling of the twelve dancing princesses and I love it because it does stick very closely to the original tale, while being completely unique. This story has a strong heroine, a dastardly villain, and the cutest love story ever. Fabulous.

Ice Sarah Beth Durst (My Review | Goodreads | Amazon)
My thoughts: There are lots of retellings of “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” but this is my favorite one that I’ve found. Sarah has written a number of fairy-tale books, and I think this is my favorite. It follows the typical fairy-tale arc, but manages to keep you on your toes for the entire book.

Shadow Spinner Susan Fletcher (Goodreads | Amazon)
My thoughts: Based off the story of Scheherazade, this was one of the first twisted fairy tales I ever read. Susan has an AMAZING ability to tell a story. This book has a special place in my heart, as my mom read it aloud to me when I was a child, and I still have memories of me begging her to read just “one more chapter.”

Mira, Mirror Mette Ivie Harrison (My Review | Goodreads)
My thoughts: I included this book in the list because it’s so different. It takes its inspiration from Snow White, but is told from the perspective of the mirror, and the person trapped inside. Many people don’t like this book because of its odd format, and not-so-happy ending, but I found it powerful.

Keturah and Lord Death Martine Leavitt (My Review | Goodreads | Amazon)
My thoughts: This is also not based directly off a fairy-tale, I suppose it is a little like Scheherazade. This is a beautiful love story about an amazing girl and time period. I read this book years ago, and I still find snatches of its prose popping into my mind from time to time.

Wildwood Dancing Juliet Marillier (My Review | Goodreads | Amazon)
My thoughts: Honestly, all I can say about this book is that it’s brilliant! If you haven’t read it, do so now. It’s also based on the twelve dancing princesses, but only loosely. It’s more like a wild conglomeration of many tales.

The Swan Kingdom Zoe Marriott (My Review | Goodreads | Amazon)
My thoughts: I only just read this book a couple weeks ago and I absolutely ADORED it. It’s a retelling of “Wild Swans,” the only one I’ve read, in fact. By the time I reached the end of this book I was gasping, crying, and laughing aloud. Fabulous.

The Swan Maiden Heather Tomlinson (My Review | Goodreads | Amazon)
My thoughts: This was one of the first books I received for review. I loved it because it isn’t directly based off any tale (that I know of), but feels like it is. My absolute favorite part of this book is the French influences like that. There are lots of tales from Ireland, Eastern Europe, and such, but I’ve never read a French tale before. So nice.

Toads and Diamonds Heather Tomlinson (My Review | Goodreads | Amazon)
My thoughts: This was another recent read of mine. It’s based off the tale of the two sisters: one who speaks diamonds, one who speaks snakes. The author makes this tale so fascinating and original because both sisters see their “gifts” as a blessing, and strive to find out why they’ve been given their powers. It also is based in an Indian-like culture (as in India) which added some fabulous flavor. Only complaint about this one was that it was too short.

Dust City Robert Paul Weston (My Review | Goodreads | Amazon)
My thoughts: This book is so unique! It takes all the classic fairy tales you’ve ever read, and throws it into a New York setting. Ever wondered what the world would be like if there really were talking animals, fairies, and magic? Then what would happen if the magic went away? This book addresses all of those ideas in a very witty way.

Rapunzel’s Revenge Shannon Hale (My Review | Goodreads | Amazon)
My thoughts: I would be remiss if I didn’t throw in some Shannon Hale books. Rapunzel’s Revenge is a HI-larious take on the classic Rapunzel. Shannon wrote this book because she thought the tale was overtold, and I’m so glad! In this, Rapunzel is a kick-butt, lasso wielding, rockstar! This is a graphic novel, and is great for readers young and old!

The Goose Girl Shannon Hale (Goodreads | Amazon)
My thoughts: I mentioned in my guest post on Misty’s Blog that this was the book that sparked my voracious love of the twisted fairy tale genre, and it’s true. This book is full of beautiful prose, unforgettable characters, and one of the best plots I’ve ever read in my entire life. If you haven’t read this book yet, I BEG you to please go find a copy. Please.

Book of a Thousand Days Shannon Hale (My Review | Goodreads | Amazon)
My thoughts: I’m going to end with my favorite. And I’m serious when I say that. Most of you probably couldn’t name your favorite book of all time, I can. This is it. This was the first ARC I ever received, and it is my favorite book of all time. Have I mentioned that? It’s touching, heartwarming, beautiful, amazing, lyrical, and every other positive adjective you can think of. Khan Tegus (the love interest in this book) has ruined all real men for me. It’s the world’s most perfect book.

What do you think? Have you read any of these? Would you like a chance to win one? Well, I like to consider myself TFT evangelist, and so I want to share these books with you! I’m going to give two people their choice of any book on this list! Unfortunately, my current financial situation and privacy limitations prevent me from shipping internationally, so this is only open to the US. But to two commenters I will give their choice of any of these fourteen books in any format you’d like (hardcover or paperback, availability permitting).

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION:

• Win your choice of any one of these fourteen books
• Giveaway runs 4/25-5/5 May 8!
• TWO winners will be chosen
• Must be 13yo or older
• Must have US shipping address

• Leave a comment with which book you’d want to win in order to be entered
• Be sure to include your e-mail so I can contact you if you win! Or you just need to keep a careful eye out for the winner announcement.
• Get an extra entry by naming another of your favorite YA twisted fairy tale that wasn’t listed

* Disclaimer — I received an unbound copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair an unbiased review.

Thumbing Through Thoreau is an illustrated collection of quotations from Henry David Thoreau, compiled by Kenny Luck. According to the introduction, Kenny Luck is an avid fan of Thoreau. In Luck's words, Thoreau is his "literary and intellectual soul mate." This book is his chance to gather the best of Thoreau's writings, ideas, and philosophies into one place and make it accessible for everyone.

Before I go into my review of this book specifically, I need to make clear my opinion of Thoreau generally. I read Civil Disobedience in high school and rather enjoyed it. We also spent sometime discussing several major quotations from Walden and discussing those short passages and individual quotations. I found them interesting and thought provoking. I read Walden last year in it's entirety, and had none of the positive feelings for Thoreau I experienced in high school. I found his writings to be pompous, pretentious, and demonstrative of an over inflated sense of self and self importance, not to mention a little self-righteous. So knowing that I don't particularly love Thoreau, why would I accept a book of Thoreau's writing for review? Because I recalled those positive emotions from high school reading small excerpts and individual quotations, which is exactly what this book is! Complete with illustrations!

I decided I would read the book, because I prefer reading Thoreau as individual quotations, and I also liked the idea of the illustrations. The illustrations were lovely. The illustrations were produced by two different artists, with all of Jay Luke's illustrations on the even-numbered pages, and all the odd-numbered pages illustrated by Ren Adams. Each picture is simple but striking. More often than not, the illustrations have very little, if anything, to do with the actual quotation on the page, but instead depict a natural setting. Some are nothing more than the branch of a tree, or an individual flower. Others are more complex landscapes showing trees near bodies of water or rather detailed trees. Although, I am going to admit that when I read several quotations in a row, the illustrations did begin to blend together. Taken individually, the illustrations are each wonderful. When you begin to group them all together, they also start to run together.

However, the main complaint I had with this book was the font. (Feel free to use the 'search inside' feature on amazon.com to see what I mean. in my blog.) The quotations are printed using different sized font for the various words, as well as different shades of gray or black. I imagine the bolded words are those that Luck believed to be of more importance, and requiring emphasis. However, I like to think that I can figure out the important words on my own. I'm rather of the mind that the type of people who would be interested in piking up and reading this book already know how to determine which words are more important in a quotation. It was especially annoying on those occasions where I found myself disagreeing with the words he chose to tell me were more important. **Edit: I was just informed by the publisher (see the comments section) that the bolded words were not actually chosen by the author, and were instead included for purely aesthetic purposes. It makes me smile more fondly on the author, for not supposing he knows better than anyone else which words are more important (sorry about that Kenny...) but I still don't like the shifting font types. I think it detracts from the reading and changes the way you internalize the quotations. ** End of Edit.

I do very much appreciate the idea behind this book. I believe that it makes Thoreau more accessible to people. He isn't an easy man to read for everyone. I know some people who adored Walden and Thoreau and others who can't abide him. I think that this book would be a great addition to anyone's bookshelf. It makes Thoreau easier to approach and the illustrations were lovely. This book would be perfect as a 'coffee table book.' You know, the books that sit on the table waiting for people to glance through, and making the host/hostess look very well-versed. I can see myself picking up a bound copy of this book in the future, and having it displayed somewhere in my home. Very few people decide to sit down and read an entire book of quotations, but this is the perfect type book to take slowly, reading only a few at a time, and to flip through when you don't have the time to sit down and read from your book, but would still like to be reading.

If you like Thoreau, want to like Thoreau, or are interested in getting a glimpse of Thoreau's ideals before you invest in his complete writings, this is a great book to look into. Luck did an amazing amount of research before compiling these quotations and he has a wide variety of sources, including personal letters, and Thoreau's journals in addition to his published works.

If you would like more information about the book, or about Kenny Luck (who did participate in the 69th Annual Thoreau Society Gathering at Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts in July, 2010) you can visit the website for the book, http://www.thumbingthroughthoreau.com. Here you can find photos from the above mentioned Thoreau Society Gathering, additional information about the author and illustrators as well as samples of the illustrations. Head on over, check it out, and let me know what you think!

I mentioned before that I was going to be participating in the One Child reading experience. If you don't know what that is, you can read my original post HERE. To briefly summarize, Enthrill is a new publisher, trying new marketing techniques. They took this book and created a month long reading event. One Child is a thriller that you read in real time. Each day new chapters were released the same time the events took place within the story. The online reader also included links to facebook pages, business websites, news reports and more that made the real time reading experience realistic.

This book felt like a true story. It read like real life. I almost feel like these characters are real people. Jeff Buick is a very talented writer. So, now let me get to my review of this book, as well as the experience of reading it in real time. (And be warned... This is a long one, because there is a lot of ground to cover here!)

I just reading this early this morning, and I'm still reeling. The story includes everything that makes a good thriller. It contains realistic and sympathetic characters. People who are very clearly bad guys, people who are very clearly good guys, and several people who inhabit that shady in-between area where you aren't quite sure just where they fall. It has a conflict, a climax and a slightly unbelievable resolution that you totally eat up anyway, because seriously?! That's just what had to happen!

For all that this book had everything that makes for a great thriller, there was so much more to it that just another thriller/conspiracy story. This book makes a political statement, asking us to become more aware of our situation and the problems facing others. It takes a very real issue in America, the war in Afghanistan, and it asks Americans to take a closer look at why we are there, what we are accomplishing, and what more needs to be done there. And the best part about it? It does all of this while keeping us totally entertained, completely absorbed in the story and never makes you feel like you are being pushed or beaten over the head with the information. The book, quite simply, tells it like it is.

That is what I think was the best part about this book. It's honest. The sections of the book that take place among the American soldiers in Afghanistan is painfully real. While reading, you can feel the fear and adrenaline from the soldiers, and understand the fear, anger and pain of the Afghani people. It would be interesting to talk to someone who has been over there fighting how accurately Buick portrays the conditions, because they felt horribly real to me. It makes my heart hurt that this is what some people face every day. There's the danger of unexploded land mines being stepped on by children or animals, the angry Taliban soldiers storming through your town, not caring who they hurt in an effort to kill the soldiers fighting them, people afraid of who will next burst through the door of their homes with guns held at the ready. It's tragic and painful to read. I can only imagine how much harder it must be to live it.

There are four main story lines within this book. Initially, we don't see a connection between any of the stories, but eventually, they all pull together and we are able to find the connections, and determine how each player and each movement sets the stage for what is to come as each story line finally becomes one.

So, our first story is Kadir and his three daughters. Halima is the eldest, and she dreams that she changes the world.
Next, we have Carson Grant and William Flemming. Flemming is an incredibly wealthy big-shot on Wall Street, and Carson is his newly promoted Division Head of the High Frequency Trading Unit of his Wall Street Corporation.
Third is Russel Matthews, a reporter going to Afghanistan to bring the truth about the situation over there to the people in America. We also meet several soldiers in Afghanistan who help us understand what life is really like.
And finally, we have U2, preparing for a rock concert in Moscow, and the team lead by an ex-CIA agent trying to bring it down.

The story is crafted perfectly. The pacing is wonderful, the story flows beautifully and the characters are believable. I really enjoyed reading this book and felt like I truly got to know the characters. The only real complaint that I have with the story is the ending. It was just a little bit too pat, and a few events were a little bit too unbelievable for me. Carson Grant is a naive idiot, and I never really felt like I was able to like him. His character felt a little bit flat to me. Part of his limited character depth, I think, comes from the fact that the woman he is engaged to, Nicki, is an almost superfluous character. She is dying of Cystic Fibrosis, and I felt that she was never anything more than a device. She provides "depth" to Carson's character, a little bit of drama, and is there for consequences. She was never really developed as a person. Instead, I felt like she was developed as a disease.

Other than my problems with the Carson/Nicki dynamic, I loved the characters in this book. Not all of them are people I'd like to meet on the street, but most of them (even Carson) felt like people that I might. It's possible I could run across someone just like almost any of these characters. It's not too likely that I'd run into a psychotic Russian who gets his thrills from killing people slowly, but I'll probably run into someone who has served a tour or more in a foreign war fighting for liberty and the right to life.This is definitely a book that I will read again in the future, and one I would recommend for others. I'm going to be looking to read more by Buick in the future. I'd like to see how I feel about a book of his reading it in one straight shot. But for now, Buick is definitely someone to watch for. One Child is so much more than I expected it to be, and I strongly recommend that you go out and read it now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now, about the experience because you have to say something about that-

This book was the most unique book I've ever read because of the way it was released. As I mentioned, it was released in real time, with different chapters becoming available every day so that the events in the story unfold as you are reading about them. You are able to view the social networking pages of many characters, and are able to watch the reports that Russel Matthews sends from Afghanistan.

Although I truly enjoyed the little extras that came with the book, only having access to a limited number of pages every day stifled a lot of the excitement and adrenaline that I usually feel when reading a thriller/suspense novel. I was more invested in the characters than the events, because the chapters kept cutting off. I am a pretty fast reader, and rarely take more than 1-3 days reading a book. When I read, I prefer to read one book at a time, focus all my reading energies into that story and those characters and read it. Because this book provided me with daily cut offs, I found it really easy to distance myself from the events of the story and there were times when I'd leave it for a few days so I would have more to read when I came back to it.

The 4 videos that were released with the days events also reaffirmed what I already knew. I am more emotionally involved in what I read than in what I see or am told. The book made me cry, made my heart hurt. Watching those same events on Matthews video reports didn't even really make me sad. They were just kind of there. But that isn't the fault of the videos, it's just how I am. A really well written sad scene in a book can make me sob. A similar scene in a really well done movie just kind makes my throat hurts and my eyes tear up a little.

The timed release was a great idea and really made a difference in how the story made me feel, but I don't know that I loved it. I loved the idea, and enjoyed the execution but don't know if it's something I will be looking to repeat. However, I definitely plan to re-read this book sometime in the future and I strongly encourage you as readers to pick up a copy. It makes you think a lot more than I ever expected it too. I know that Halima has changed my world. Are you going to let her change yours?

Shortly after I finished reading One Child by Jeff Buick, I had the opportunity to interview the author. If you missed that (ridiculously long) review, you can read it HERE. It had to be a little long, because I talked about both the book, and the unique reading experience it offered. Because, Enthrill, the brand new publishing house that created it definitely brought changes to the way we view publishing.

Jeff Buick is not only an author, but he is also part of the Enthrill team. So, when I talked to him about his book, and the publishing method, I also got to talk to him about Enthrill and what will happen next. It's been a little while since that interview, (sorry about the posting delay... Life has been seriously crazy lately), but I'm finally getting it up! It was a pretty long phone call, and I can only write so fast, so much of what he said is slightly paraphrased (I warned him, and he's okay with that) but the point of each answer, what he's trying to convey is still there. It was a great conversation, and I'm really excited to see what Enthrill will be coming out with next!
_____________________________________________________

Jeff: Everything said by Jeff will look like this.
Me: Everything said by me will look like this. This is to avoid confusion, and so I don't have to keep specifying who is doing the talking.

We started off with the typical niceties:

It's really good to talk to you! Thanks so much for agreeing to this interview!

No problem. It's great to talk to you. Do you have giant potatoes in Idaho?
Yes.

(Anyway... Now to the actual stuff...)

Enthrill has been a great publishing experience. It's been a lot of work, but we are really looking forward to the response we've been getting from everyone. It's not easy to change the publishing model, so it's especially interesting to watch the reactions we've been getting, and they are pretty positive so far.
It's also interesting, because at Enthrill, we are picking social conscious thrillers to publish. It's not an accident. The issues in the books we're publishing, like the war in Afghanistan for One Child were picked specifically.
So, did you decide on the issues that you wanted to talk about before you wrote the book?

Somewhat. For this book, Wayne Logan, the CEO wanted to bring up Afghanistan specifically. This was the driving factor behind One Child. Then, we came up with high frequency trading, put that on the table and tossed that idea around for a while. It was definitely a collaborative effort. It is my book, but everyone put in some effort to get it where it is now.
So, where did this different publishing model come from? It's not anything I'd heard of before.

I currently have five books published in New York, which have done well in the US and Canada. The way that these publishers work is to put books on the shelves, and hope they sell. I've always been willing to put some of my own money down, for book signings and other marketing techniques to get my books out there.
I came up with a new business model to get more of my books out there, but it didn't work for my publisher and that likewise didn't work for me. So, we parted on amicable terms and I decided to try something on my own.
I have 13 books waiting to be published, and I feel like people started parachuting into my life.
Cameron is this business/sports and entertainment guy.
Kevin is the marketing guy. He's absolutely brilliant. He put the whole One Child marketing plan together, all the press releases, everything.
Celia is our project manager.
We all sat down together to talk about what we could do as a small publisher to stand out in the crowd. If you don't have something that sets you apart, these big houses will run right over you. So, we decided to do something drastically different. We'd publish a thriller dealing with issues that are facing us NOW. So, instead of a two minute news clip, or two pages in the newspaper, we devote 400 pages to this issue, which raises awareness and actually allows you to really understand the issues here.
Writing about a current topic does create some time constraints though. Instead of spending 18-24 months working on all stages of book development, we did everything in about 5 months, to keep all the information current and accurate. We ran into a few problems that way, it's hard to get ARCs out in advance when you only have 5 months to work on something like this. But, for every person that reads this book, it's one more that understands the war in Afghanistan.
We've already had three people come to us with an idea for a future book, and ask us if we could write about it, and they are all worthwhile ideas.
So, are you interested in getting other authors on board with this project?

Definitely! This is one of our big pushes, one of our biggest goals. We want to take authors who can really get into what we're doing and get them on board. It will have to be an author who can write fairly quickly, because we've got to keep the issues current, but we're definitely interested in new authors.
There is so much talent out there, that no one's really familiar with yet. I went to ThrillerFest and couldn't believe all the talent there that no one's heard about yet. So, we'd love to be able to take about 2 authors a year and get them out there.
One of the keys for them wanting to work with us, is that once we get them on board with us, we immediately start the marketing process. The average amount a publisher will put behind a book is about $2,000 but we are willing to put $500,000 to $1 million behind you, right up front.
So, do you have the next Enthrill project planned?

We have about three possibilities right now. We need to make a decision on them soon, so we can get started on them, but whichever idea we decide on, the end result will be pretty cool.
What type of research do you do for your books?

I do a lot of research for my books. If I had been able to find the time, I would have gone to Afghanistan myself to research what it's like over there for my books. I didn't have time, but I am lucky enough to be connected to people who were able to give me a lot of information.
I talked to a lot of military guys who had been on the ground over there, and people with higher ranks, colonels and the like. I talked to all of them about what it's really like over there and not just as soldiers on the bases, but also outside the safety of the wire and the real issues that are facing everyone involved in the conflict in Afghanistan. That's where a lot of the information Russel Matthews reports on came from. They talked about the corruption over there and the mistrust between the people, the government and the troops. I used a reporter and an american soldier to convey all of this to my readers, and get across the message that this war isn't really about religious ideology. The Taliban are really just drug lords and drug runners, and that's where the crux of all this conflict stems.
The scenes in New York were different. I never really felt connected to this portion of the story the way I did with the Afghanistan scenes.
I actually agree with you here. I felt more connected and concerned about the characters in Afghanistan that I did the New York characters.

Ya. But, I did do my research for this portion of the book as well. I think that high frequency trading is really dangerous, and it's something that needs to have more controls and regulations placed on it. What happened to the market in my book is a possibility. HFT is highly volatile and I think it's important to bring it up, to get us thinking about the future here and what could happen. It actually did happen back in May. It gets ugly.
Every time I go to New York, I see these guys in $1000 suits and they are never the ones hurting. They play with other people's money and it doesn't touch them. I wanted to lay some of that out.
The publishing model for One Child was incredibly unique. I've never heard about anything like it before. Obviously, this isn't going to be Enthrill's only project. Are you planning on publishing your future projects the same way, or do you have other ideas for future projects?

Our goal right now is to be a bit of a moving target. We've heard from some of the big publishing houses, and we know we are being watched by them now. We talked to them at BookExpo, and they are actually showing a lot of interest. But, I imagine that most of that interest is so that they can begin to incorporate this into their publishing model.
So, we know that we need to be always moving and advancing our own model. We've decided to be a moving target. We will never just stand still, we will be small, agile, fun and smart.
Is there anything else you'd like to share about Enthrill or One Child?
We've covered just about everything, but I would like to reiterate that I do think One Child is a worthwhile book. It has value to the story. I hope that anyone who reads it will pass it along. It's nice to make money, of course, but more than that, it's also nice for someone to read my book, and understand the issues better.
Switching gears now, when did you decide that you wanted to write and how did you settle on writing thrillers?

About 12 years ago, I sat down and decided that I wanted to write a book. I started by writing a Young Adult book for my youngest son, and I followed that with a second YA book. They were received well, but by that time, I had already moved on to writing thrillers for adults.
Then, about 6 years ago, Dorchester publishing happened. One week, there was nothing. I was just writing and hoping. And then they came and say Hey, we want to publish your book. It was my 8th book written. I hadn't published a word before, but I just kept going. I just kept writing and hoping.

I know that this is probably an impossible question, but do you have a favorite book that you've written?

No, not really. They are just each so different. I have this back log of books I want to publish, and each one has value. I know that there are going to be people who connect differently to each book. So, I can't really say that I have a favorite.

What is your favorite book or genre? What book or author has most influenced you and your writing?

Leon Uris. He had some real talent, some major writing skills, a skill level I would say is unmatched by most writers. He can present both sides of a conflict equally, allowing the reader to fully understand both sides of the issue. That really takes a lot of talent.
I generally read thrillers. I also read biographies, a lot of suspense and mystery but I also like the literary fiction, like Three Cups of Tea or The Kite Runner. I also like learning the story behind why books were written. Some of the stories you hear are pretty amazing.
There are all kinds of serendipitous things out there waiting for you. If you find one, don't push against the flow. Keep doing the best you can, and at some point things will break for you and start to work out.

That's so great. Thank you again for taking the time to talk to me today. I really appreciate your time and everything you've shared with me.
Not a problem. Thank you for the interview and the review of One Child.

Although I do really enjoy reading book lists, and various award winners, you can't always trust the committees who pick the books. Sometimes, you get a 'bad' on in the bunch. Gay-Neck, the Story of a Pigeon by Dhan Gopal Mukerji is one such book.

While not a horrid book, Gay-Neck is also not a book I would recommend or reread. I picked it up because it is on the Newbery list, and it is one of only two books thus far that I truly disliked. (The other being Hitty: Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field.) It's been a little while since I read this one, so my memory of specific details, but the way the book made me feel is still pretty fresh. I was reorganizing my books for storage (sad, I know) and I saw this one, and decided to write my review now and get it over with while I was thinking about it...

The book is about a young boy in India who trains pigeons around the time of World War I. Gay-Neck happens to be one of his prized pigeons. Initially, our narrator is the young boy. Through him, we learn about the training procedures for carrier pigeons and what his life is like. Later in the story however, we get to hear from Gay-Neck himself as he goes off to war and a few other places as well. I have never been a big fan of animals being the ones to tell a story. There are a few exceptions, but for the most part, I rather dislike that.

There wasn't much that I liked about this book. The writing never grabbed me, the story never interested me, and the characters never moved me. I don't know what I'm supposed to feel when a pigeon starts making eyes at this pretty lady pigeon, but I definitely missed that one.

I respect this as an award winner, because there are very few award winners that are so obviously set in, or about other cultures beyond America. Not to say that the book has no merit on its own, but I believe the glimpse into another culture played a large role in earning this book the golden sticker. I can't think of another Newbery book set in India or written by an Indian author right off hand, and it's always nice to be able to add a bit of culture.

Although I wasn't a fan of this book, I can understand why some view it as a distinguished contribution to children's literature, and I've even been told that there are people out there who truly enjoyed this book. I haven't met any yet, but I'll let you know if I do! I think that this is a book with a very limited audience, and sadly, one of the Newbery winners that has not stood the test of time well.

Deerskin by Robin McKinley is a retelling of the fairy tale, Donkeyskin. I admit it's not a tale I was familiar with before I read this book, and I still haven't taken the time to seek out the original. (Perhaps I should make this a priority...) Anyway, I've posted about Robin McKinley in Memory Monday's before (here I talk about her general influence on me as a reader and here I focus specifically on Beauty.) I have always been the type who goes out of my way to find other books an author has written when I find I really like a book they've written. So, seeing that this was also a fairy tale retelling, I picked up a copy to read. In 8th grade.

From what I do know of the original tale, Donkeyskin is just as disturbing and unsettling as Deerskin. Princess Lissar is the young daughter of a fairy tale couple. No seriously — there is magic in their world, and the her father was one of many suitors to win the hand of the most beautiful woman in all the lands. They fell in love at first site and that love motivated him and gave him and gave him the strength and ability to complete the challenging quest. They marry and are deliriously in love. But when a love is that consuming, when love is that obsessive, it can become tainted and corrupted. They become so focused on and full of each other that there is not room for anyone else, not even their daughter. Always alone, Lissar is delighted when a neighboring prince sends her a dog from his prized brood. Lissar names her Ash, and they become inseparable.

Things are fine, and each of the characters are settled into their roles. But then, the queen falls ill. Afraid of losing her beauty and living when she is no longer the most beautiful woman of all, she allows herself to waste away to nothing. After the queen dies, the king is overwhelmed by grief. While the queen lived, they were so caught up in each other that they had very little attention to spare for their daughter, so she is used to being on her own. But as the king becomes more and more consumed by his grief, and the whispers that Lissar is the exact replica of her mother become stronger and louder, things start to change. Lissar doesn't know what to with all the extra attention from her father, growing more and more uncomfortable until it culminates in an announcement that shocks and horrifies her. Her father announced to the whole court that he would marry his daughter after her birthday. Sickened and terrified, she locks herself in her chambers with her beloved Ash, but the door cannot hold forever and on the third night, her father breaks into her chambers and brutally rapes and beats her. Near death, Lissar takes Ash and flees. The Moon Goddess appears to Lissar and heals hear, removing the painful memories until Lissar has healed enough to be able to handle them.

There is more to the story of Deerskin than this. Far more. There is much to say about Lissar's time in her mountain safe haven where she begins to heal, or down in the neighboring kingdom where lives Ossin, the prince who long ago gave her Ash. There is much to say about Ossin himself. But, this is a post about my memories of the book and the beginning of the story is what filled and took over my mind any time I thought about this book. A few years after I had originally read this book, I was talking to a friend who was thinking about reading it, and I couldn't remember anything beyond knowing that I *think* I liked it when I finished reading it, and that it disturbed me.

I think that I understood as an 8th grader that this book was not actually aimed at me. That I was not currently in the books targeted age bracket. I was too young. This is one of the few of McKinley's books that is specifically aimed at adults. And so, wanting to give the book a fair chance, I decided that I would reread it. And I did. I reread the book two years ago (I think) and am happy to say that, although the book did still disturb me, I genuinely liked it and would read it again. I think that now, I understand more of why the story is told as it is, and now I am disturbed as the story intended me to be, rather than as a 13 year old who wasn't old enough to be the story's target audience.

The is one of the darker retellings out there. You can't have a story based around incest without darker elements creeping into the story, especially given the way the father's inappropriate desires begin to form for his daughter. This is a book that I do recommend, a book that I think is worth the read. This is a book that I will be interested to reread in the future, so I can once again compare how my thoughts and feelings regarding the book have changed as I have gotten older and as I change.

So, I know that everyone has been talking lately about Wesely Scroggins wonderful article promoting book banning. (Spit) As soon as I read about it, I knew I was going to have to say something about it, because it makes me so angry and when I get this angry, I get a little bit irrational. Like, deciding I should fly to Missouri with my two 50 lbs suitcases and 2 carry-on items filled with copies of Speak, and Slaughterhouse-Five Twenty Boy Summer, distribute them to anyone on the street who looks like they want a copy, then head over to Scroggins office and laugh in his face when I tell him that I just handed out 200 copied of his filth to the members of his town... Ahem.

That's not practical. I don't have that kind of money, but boy do I wish I did. If I could make it rain banned books, I definitely would. I know that this little town of Republic, MO is getting a lot of attention right now, but this happens all over the place and every time, it makes me cry a little inside.

But, I'm not writing today to talk about banned books in general, although I am sure a post about that will come soon enough. I'm here today to talk about a book that I love. That I've loved since I first picked it up like 5 years ago. A book that I think could very easily make that difference in a person's life that let's them know they are not alone, that there are people who know what they are dealing with and that there are people who will listen and who will help. I'm talking about Speak.

I will say that I feel a little bad for Twenty Boy Summer and Slaughterhouse-Five. They were called out in the same article but haven't been getting nearly as much attention as Speak. I haven't read Twenty Boy Summer yet, although I did just grab it from the library and I plan to read it this week (Thank You Dr. Scroggins) but I have read Slaughterhouse-Five and I thought the book was brilliant. But, I'm going to be just like everyone else and focus on Speak because what he said about that book is reprehensible.

I did read the full article, and I specifically looked at Scroggins reasons for believing Speak to be pornographic. I read it more than once, and do you know what conclusion I came to? He's either puffed up on his own self importance or he's the guilty party and is trying to cover up his issues with a public outcry against this wonderfully uplifting, moving and incredibly powerful book. I've read the book Scroggins. Have you? Have you really read it? Or does the word rape automatically make you assume that it's pornographic. Because, if that's the case, you might have bigger issues than just not wanting the upstanding citizens in your town to read this book.

But really Scroggins, when it all comes down to it, we get the last laugh. You do realize, do you not, that more people, especially those very high school students you want to protect are now going to pick up Slaughterhouse-Five, specifically because you mentioned the frequency of the f-word and the immoral scene behind glass. Sales of Speak and Twenty Boy Summer are only going to rise with the number of bloggers, authors and people upset by your small-mindedness. Just take a look around at all these book bloggers and others who are hosting giveaways of some variation of these books. That's helping to promote them. I don't know if you are even able to comprehend the amount of publicity you are giving these books because you spoke out against them. Now, everyone is speaking up FOR them, and when it all comes down to it, you are the one going to look the fool. How does it feel to have a huge population of very well read, very outspoken people fuming mad at you? Are you proud of yourself? Does it make you feel better to know that you are publicly condemning a book that has saved the sanity and emotional well being of countless young girls and boys?! If you don't believe me, view Ms. Anderson's website. She has a video link up, where she talks about the thousands and thousands of letters she has received from victims telling her that this one book saved them, brought them hope. I highly doubt that anyone who has been the victim of rape or any sexual attack would be writing thank you notes to the author of a book glorifying the action, or making it pornographic. It just wouldn't happen.

I'm going to say something mean now, so I need to be clear that it's not just directed at Scroggins, but to all those out there who believe they are more qualified to decide what I should or should not be able to read, or what you should or should not be able to read... I hope you choke on your own bile.

I wonder if a book can sue for defamation of character... ?

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I know I am, but what are you? is a book written by Samantha Bee, currently the Most Senior Correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I haven't watched a lot of The Daily Show, because I don't really watch much TV, but I've seen a few clips and it always makes me laugh. So, I don't really know how funny Samantha is on TV, but I can tell you that she is hilarious in writing.

This book is a memoir, or more accurately, a collection of personal essays detailing the many adventures of young Samantha. She adopts a frank and droll tone as she discusses the events from her past with an almost resigned acceptance. Her writing is so clear, and her voice so well drafted that there were times I could almost hear her sigh and admit, Yes. That really is what happened. This really is my life.

Although her stories were funny, what really made this book for me was her writing. She has such a strong voice as she writes that I think she could probably make a quiet Thursday evening watching TV into something wildly entertaining. Some of the stories that she told felt a little like that. They were interesting, but told by someone else would probably end up as one of those stories that trail off awkwardly as the teller looks embarrassed and mumbles, Well, you probably just had to be there...

I didn't really know what to expect when I accepted this book. Although I enjoy comedy and humorous writing, there's a pretty thin line between really funny — makes you laugh out loud — and the wow, you really just said that?! I know you are trying to be funny, but maybe you should stop. You all know how those situations go. Someone thinks they are so funny, but no one else seems to agree. I never once felt like Samantha was trying too hard with this book. It was just the perfect blend of an interesting story, good writing, comedic timing, fact, and probably just a little bit of fiction. I don't know how much creative license Samantha Bee used when telling the story of her life, but whatever it is she did, it definitely worked for me.

I laughed out loud reading this book more than I can remember ever laughing before. And, since I read this book on more than one occasion in public, it made for some interesting conversations, and some really awkward looks. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. From the pictures and the reader comments on the dust jacket to the very last line, this is a wonderfully entertaining and amusing book.

I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of The Daily Show, anyone who has ever felt like their life is too weird for words, and everyone who likes to laugh. I can only hope that Samantha Bee will be writing more in the future.

And, stay tuned because the awesome publishers have made copies of this book available to giveaway! More information coming soon!

WARNING: This review contains more spoilers than normal.

When I first picked up this book, I, like most readers, had heard that this is a true story. Go Ask Alice is marketed as the true diary of a 15 year old girl detailing the destruction of her life after becoming involved with drugs. (Not true, but, more on that later.)
In high school, I kept a journal. A very detailed journal. (I filled 9 large notebooks in 2 years...) Although absolutely nothing in my life relates to or compares to what Alice experienced, I did keep a journal during the same age bracket Alice was writing. Reading this book as if it were her diary was interesting for me, because I did not recognize this as an actual diary of a young teenage girl. Very little of the book focused on typical teenaged drama. She touches on major crushes, glosses over losing her virginity and gives an intensely colorful and detailed description of the wonderful colors and feelings experienced while high on acid... Hmm...
The writer of this 'journal' rarely felt 15 to me. Her writing was too advanced and cohesive to be the true ramblings and musings of a lost (and generally high) 15 year old trying to sort out her problems and her life. It just wasn't realistic. The few times the narrator felt 15 were after being ostracized from her peer groups. She expresses feelings of confusion and loneliness that range true but even those passages were so short as to almost be an afterthought. I read this believing it to be true, but was confused more than once and had to really stop to think about it. No 15 year old I know writes or talks like this.
(I am about to SPOIL the ENDING. You have been warned.) Perhaps the most disappointing thing about this novel was the ending. It leaves you with a feeling of hopelessness. Rather than being a triumphal story about a young girl overcoming her addictions, or a cautionary tale about a life of excess, it is a tale to those addicted to drugs that there is no hope for you. The end will never come, and you will be a user until you die no matter how hard you try to get away from it. Alice has got her life back on track. She is clean, living with her parents and she even has a new boyfriend who knows her past and accepts her for who and how she is. Everything seems to be going so well for her. It seems so hopeful and wonderful. So what happens? In an 'afternote' we are told that 3 weeks after Alice wrote the last page in her diary (remember, she's clean now) she ODs and DIES! Really?! She cleans herself up so that she can die in the end?! Sigh...
Okay. Now that I've told you why I didn't love this book, I should tell you that I did like it. It made me sad. It broke my heart. Although it wasn't always delivered in a perfectly believable manner, the situations Alice discovered herself in were traumatic and portrayed quite well. If nothing else, this book made me feel. For the most part, I was able to ignore the parts of the story that didn't ring perfectly true until I had finished the read. It's a short book, and one that I would say is definitely worth the read. Even though some of the descriptions and the writing itself isn't always on the level a 15 year old would use, the language of emotion was. When Alice did speak about her emotions, I found myself easily believing the sincerity of the narrator's emotions, especially when feeling lost, lonely and homesick.
So, although overall I DID enjoy this book, and I DO recommend it, I am going to warn you now — This book is a work of fiction, no matter what you have heard otherwise. Check out snopes.com for the specifics about this book. And, read the copyright page! It clearly states that this book is a work of fiction. My recommendation to you — Read this book knowing that it is NOT really the anonymous diary of a teenager addicted to drugs and is instead someone's story of what could happen to you if you find yourself mixed up with drugs. It's a horrifying tale that doesn't need to be marketed as non-fiction to accomplish it's goal. I would have enjoyed this book much more had I know beforehand that it wasn't really true.

Being Jamie Baker by Kelly Oram was a lot of fun to read. It's the story of a girl with comic book-like super powers struggling to deal with life and high school.

I absolutely love super heroes, and super hero movies/stories. I've seen all the Batman, Spiderman, X-Men etc movies they've been producing lately (although I've never gotten into Superman. Shrugs.) so when I saw this book, I knew I had to read it. I love the superhero idea (not to be confused with paranormal. There's definitely a difference) but you don't really see a lot of actual superheros in books lately.

Being Jamie Baker was a fun book with a really fun story, but it was also well written, well planned and very non-gimmicky. Although I was pretty excited for the book, I was a little worried that it was going to be one stereotype after another, but that isn't what this book was at all.

Jamie was completely normal a year ago, but a tragic car accident killed her boyfriend and left her with superpowers. Her natural senses (taste, touch, smell, hearing, and sight) are enhanced, she is super-fast and super-strong, and she is electrically charged. The electrical charge isn't really a problem until her emotions get out of control, and then lights start flickering or exploding, and heaven help anyone who's actually touching her. She's got a bit of a temper, and her temper is a scary thing to witness (unless you are just reading the book, and then it is absolutely awesomeness). The accident has also left her with a massive case of survivors guilt, and a huge fear of getting close to anyone, because she can't control her powers. She doesn't want to hurt anyone, and she can't risk anyone finding out her secret.

Jamie is a perfect character. Although she is completely hard core and just made of awesomeness, she is also a pretty typical teenage girl, who wants all things a normal teenage girl wants, but she feels like her superpowers make most of those things completely impossible, which is especially hard for her, because she used to have all of those things. So, when her parents move her from their small town Illinois home to Sacramento, Jamie becomes the Ice Queen. She isolates herself, both for her sake and theirs, and even if she isn't happy, at least she is content.

Well, that wouldn't make for much of a story, so enter Ryan Miller. He's honest, good looking, kind and incredibly sure of himself. His is the kiss that starts our Jamie's story, and he is the one who begins to get to know the real Jamie. He starts talking to her, and she keeps trying to brush him off. But, he's hot, she likes him, and no matter what she says to him, he's still interested. I really liked Ryan. He was perfect for Jamie. She needed someone completely sure of himself to break down the walls protecting her, because anyone else would have been discouraged long before getting to meet the real Jamie.

Although our main character happens to have the potential to become the world's greatest super hero, it's primarily a story about growing up and learning who you are and how to trust. I thought it was brilliantly done. Jamie learns about growing up at the same time she learns about her powers, and how to control and manage them.

The only thing that I would change about this book is something I can't share in detail, because it spoils something major, is the reaction both Jamie and Becky share to a semi-shared event. I know this doesn't make any sense if you haven't read the book, but you'll get it once you do. Although I understand their reaction, and the way they tried to handle things, I don't agree with how that was played out. (If you really want to know what I mean and don't mind huge spoilers, or know what I mean and want to add your thoughts, send me an email!)

Aside from that one concern, I loved this book. I enjoyed reading it, and read through it in one sitting. This was Oram's debut novel, which means there's a lot to look forward to in the future. This book is completely able to stand alone (and as far as I know is intended that way) and I am a little tired of the constant stream of series and sequels, but I must say, I would definitely read another story about Jamie. She's a girl I'd love to spend more time with!

*Disclaimer: I received this book through Star Book Tours.

Today's 'Memory Monday' is going to be a little different than normal. Instead of talking about a specific memory reading a specific book, I'm going to talk about 3 authors that instantly come to mind when people talk about 'definitive reader moments'. (Okay, so I just made that name up, but I'm sure you all know what I'm actually talking about...) Some of these books will pop up later, probably in an actual review, or I might give them a more in depth 'Memory Monday', but today is less about the books, and more about the authors themselves.

When I was 12, I remember complaining to my mom that I had nothing to read and I was so bored! I think it was mostly an excuse to whine, but I was in a definite slump and nothing really caught my attention. My house has always been full of books, and so my mom took me to the bookshelves to find me something to read. Katherine Kurtz (link to GR profile) has written a series of high fantasy books set in a world she calls Deryni.

There are (I think) somewhere between 18 and 21 books now in the series, mostly grouped into trilogies. My mom cautioned me about them, letting me I might not like them, but there were a lot of them, and I just know my mom just hoped I'd like them because that many books, of which we owned them all would keep me occupied for a long time. But, alas... I did not like them. At all. Looking back, I realize, more than anything, this is probably because the books are high fantasy written for adults, and I was a 12 year old who had most recently grown bored reading R.L. Stine... It wasn't the right for me to read them, but my 12 year old brain took this to mean that all fantasy was BAD. I decided that all fantasy was boring, lame, and definitely beneath me.

So, back to mom I went. My mom, probably desperate to get me to leave her alone, because I am nothing if not persistent when I want something I think you can give me, handed me her copy of Pretend You Don't See Her by Mary Higgins Clark (GR profile). I never gave it back. That book changed my reading life. I LOVED it. I immediately went to my mom, begging for more books to read, but she didn't own any. For the next few years, that was what I read. I read every mystery she produced (I still read them, but I'm 2 behind...) and in my narrow world, mysteries were the only way to go. I read all the Kinsey Milhone ABC mysteries by Sue Grafton, tried my hand at a few Agatha Christies and devoured Joan Lowry Nixon.

Then, in 8th grade, I met a girl who made it her goal to make me understand that other genres had value too. I scoffed, but she insisted and finally bribed me into reading a book of her choice. She picked The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley (GR profile), and I was horrified. She expected ME to read fantasy?! The nerve. But, she insisted, and seeing as I had already accepted the 'bribe' I caved. Surprisingly, I loved the book. I was completely enthralled, blown away and amazed. Who knew that so much greatness could reside in one book?! I brought the book back a few days later and gave it back to her. She was mad, because she thought I had given up, until I started positively gushing about how wonderful that book was. She did the expected, I told you so, and then demanded that I read The Blue Sword, the companion novel to Hero, but I resisted. She finally convinced me to read it. I took it home, and was bored. The beginning dragged on and on, and it took me about a month to get through the first 3 chapters, which I took to mean that fantasy was definitely not for me, and Hero must have been a weird fluke. This girl finally got mad at me about it, because another of my friends was waiting for the book so she could read it. So I begrudgingly agreed to go home and try to get through another chapter. What a chore. But, I went home and picked up the book like I'd promised, expecting to work through another chapter, maybe two if I was feeling particularly masochistic. I brought the book back the next day, done. And I couldn't shut up about how great it was, and how I totally wished I could have been as cool as Harry or Aerin.

I gobbled up Robin McKinley in much the same way I inhaled Mary Higgins Clark, and I ran to this girl for book suggestions over and over. She is the one who introduced me to historical fiction and Ann Rinaldi by convincing me to read Time Enough for Drums (click title for my review). Because of my experiences with this girl, I stopped judging a genre based on a single book, and I opened my mind to new possibilities in reading.

I still haven't gone back to try reading Kurtz's Deryni books again. I'm a little afraid, and I still shy away from those epic fantasy series with books in the double digits, but I'm working up to it. I would like to revisit those books, now that I'm an adult, because I know my perception will be a lot different. My mom and dad both love them, my sister has read them all, and she really enjoyed them, and one of my really good friends began reading them after we had this conversation, and she loves them too. I do plan to read at least some of this series sometime in the future, but I still need to work up to it a little. Have any of you read them? What do you think?

Who are your favorite authors? And what are your 'definitive reading moments'?

I'm ducking my head in shame as I say this but... I liked the movie more than the book. And the movie wasn't even all the great (although I did enjoy it). And they changed a lot. But, I know why I preferred the movie, and I'll include that in my review.

What story am I talking about you ask? The Invisible by Mats Wahl. I'll talk about the book first...

The story itself had a lot of potential. The book starts with Hilmer going to class. It doesn't take him long to realize that no one seems able to see him. Then, a police officer comes into the classroom to announce that Hilmer has disappeared, and anyone with information should come forward. Hilmer is confused and concerned. He decides to follow the officer to determine anything he can about what is going on. He panics as he realizes that he can't remember anything from the day he disappeared. After that, other than a few disjointed, awkward paragraphs, we are no longer listening to Hilmer, and are instead following the police officer, Detective Fors, and it's his thoughts we hear.

Once we switch narrators, the book loses whatever momentum and appeal it had. There is absolutely no sense of urgency to the story. Everything meanders calmly from one place to another. This tempo is fine in certain stories, and at times, it can actually enhance the reading experience. But no one wants to read a meandering story about a boy who has disappeared and it is assumed that someone made him disappear. Every interview was the same — You are looking for the boy? — Yes, do you know anything? — No, can't say that I do. — Let me know if you think of anything. — Ok. — (SHORT TIME LATER, same person) You knew about this--seriously important piece of information--before?! — Umm, Yes... — Why didn't you tell me?! — I didn't know if it was important, and I didn't want to bring it up... It could cause unnecessary trouble, ya know? Don't make a big deal about it... It could be nothing. Wouldn't want to cause concern now and make the tourists think we were a bad sort, ya know?

None of the townspeople seem to care about this missing boy. Other than Fors, none of the police officers seemed overly concerned about it either, which is shocking because they suspect that someone killed him. It took forever for them to get the dog out to track the scent, and they made a big deal about sending anyone else out there to help. It just seemed ridiculous and bla. No one wants to read how unconcerned a town is when a local boy shows up missing, especially when all the information they have makes it pretty clear that it is very unlikely he would have chosen to leave on his own.

The book was dull, unimaginative and mostly a waste of time. It was originally written in Swedish, and some of the pacing problems I noticed could have come from the translation, but I'll never know and it just wasn't a great read. It wasn't horrible, there just isn't much to recommend the book. It's a great idea, with great potential but the book did nothing with either. This is probably the only time I will say this, but do yourself a favor and just watch the movie instead... (Lightning is now going to strike me down in my hypocracy, but seriously... It's worth it this time...)

I know that this is going to make me sounds ethnocentric, but I liked the movie better because they made it more American, and more something that I could relate to. The movie also focuses more on the missing boy, and we follow him as he desperately tries to figure out what happened to him, where his body is, why no one can see him, and what he could possibly do to save himself. They changed the actual motivation behind the attack as well as the reaction of his assailant, and they fixed the pacing problems. We actually care about Nick as a person (they changed his name.) and not just as Detective Fors' current assignment. Nick still can't remember what happens and is really confused. At first, he thinks he is dead and it takes him a little while to realize that he is still alive, somewhere. The scene with the bird when Nick realizes his body is still alive is one of my most favorites.

The movie really is quite a bit different from the book, but I can't help but think that each change is an improvement. I know I just committed like, the cardinal sin of being a reader/book lover, but I had a really hard time relating and being drawn into the book, but the movie was quite good, rather suspenseful and definitely kept my attention the whole time.

Have any of you read the book or seen the movie? Or both? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this! (And please, don't hate me! I always prefer the book to the movie. I'm allowed this one time, right?!)

We all know that there are myriads of great (and not so great) books that have been turned into movies, plays, animated cartoons, TV shows and etc. etc. etc. I always roll my eyes at people who respond to the question — How did you like that book? With some variation of, "Oh ya, I loved it! The movie was so great!" Gag. Really?! You just said that?! You just smeared the name of literature by telling me a book was great because you liked the movie?! (Ahem...) Well, the other day I shamefacedly realized that I was guilty of this myself. (Insert horrified gasp here) One of my fondest memories of Christmas, most beloved childhood memories and in my top 3 favorite Christmas stories was missing something...

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is one of the most recognized, well known, and cherished Christmas stories in existence. There are numerous versions and adaptations for both children and adults, in animation, live action or produced live on stage. You can find it serious or slightly comical or even as a musical. Some follow the original script closely while others use only a loose interpretation of the story. Whatever versions you've seen, most people are very familiar with the plight of the Cratchit family and Tiny Tim, the cold, miserly heart of Ebenezer Scrooge, and the eerie spirits who visit him during the night of Christmas Eve.

However familiar we are with the story, how many of us have actually read the book? I imagine not very many. It's included on BBC's The Big Read and I wonder how many people include it because of the story rather than the book itself. So, to avoid this horrible reader faux pas, I decided to pick up this favored story and read it for myself. It's a short book, more of a novella than a novel, and I already knew that I loved the story.

I did really enjoy reading this book and I'm glad I can now say that I've actually read it. However, I must admit that I am more in love with the idea of this book than its reality. It's a wonderful story, with a wonderful message and wonderful characters, but I didn't have the same emotional connection to the written story that I do to the various productions I've seen. I know that this is more due to past experiences and the relationship it has to my childhood than anything negative about the book. I loved the book and will definitely reread it in the future, but it's just not the same as watching Scrooge, the Musical or The Muppets.

The book places more emphasis on the characters and the realizations they make than just the story of Scrooge. Most movie or live productions emphasize Scrooge's discovery of the Christmas Spirit, and becoming a more generous person. I love that, and it is a very important part of the story. However, I love that reading the book offers more insight into why Scrooge became the way he did and the relationships he had with those around him.

It is a great story to invite the Christmas spirit and remember the true meaning of Christmas, but it is also a cautionary tale. Be careful the emphasis you place on money and things. It is usually more important to focus on the people in your lives than the things in your life and this story, no matter how you experience it is a great reminder of that.

Photos courtesy of Gary Benson, a scenic designer. For more images and more information, you can find him on Webshots here and he also blogs at Bascombe Mania. If you are interested in his photography, please contact him through one of the links provided.

First, let me thank both Lori at The Next Best Book Blog and author M. Clifford. Lori hosted a contest to win a copy of M. Clifford's new book, The Book. I won.

Prior to reading The Book, every dystopian society I've come across in literature has been the result of a major apocalypse, huge earth changing war or a major catastrophe. It is then relatively easy for this "utopian" government to step in and take over because anarchy reigns and the people are in desperate need of some order. Even a highly controlling government sounds great when faced with the absolute lack of one. This gives most dystopian literature a feeling of separation from reality. We can see the similarities to our culture and society and hopefully avoid that future, but we breathe easier because we know it can't reach that level of atrocity without that apocalyptic moment. And, if we are faced with the apocalypse, we probably have other things on our minds. The major disaster that destroys most of the world keeps us at a disconnect that allows me to sleep comfortably at night knowing my government is solid, even though it isn't perfect. M. Clifford refuses to allow me that small comfort. The government who orchestrated the introduction and infiltration of this insidious electronic reading device is my own United States Government, still bound by the amazingly brilliant United States Constitution. This adds a new element of fear to his book. With all other works of dystopian literature, I am able to take comfort in the knowledge that my government would never be reduced to those extremes, and that I can take comfort in the protections, securities and liberties written into and guaranteed by the Constitution. Clifford takes that away from me, and instead shows me a world where my government is responsible for the systematic destruction of the printed word and ultimately our freedom of speech, the press and expression. I shudder. I cringe. But, it forces me to think.

Aside from uniquely blaming our current government on the horrific situation our hero finds himself in, the best part about this book was the love of literature that simply flowed from the pages. This book is one that truly speaks to lovers of the written (and printed) word. The way Clifford drafts his character's discussion, description and handling of books is reverent, almost sacred. The imagery he uses to describe these character's first experiences with an actual printed book gave me goosebumps. There were numerous allusions, both blatant and indirect to a wide variety of literature. He quoted multiple sources ranging from popular fiction to fairy tales to classics. He used them as inspiration for parts of his story, but managed to do it in a way that doesn't feel as if he is 'borrowing' their ideas in substitute for his own. His written voice is unique enough, even when directly quoting sources, that the words almost felt like entirely new ideas. If you take away nothing else from this book, remember that books are important and have the ability to transform your world and your life. Love them, treasure them, but most importantly, read them.

In this novel, M. Clifford has gifted the reader with both the horrors of a nightmare and the majestic beauty of a dream. His book begins with the words "Don't read the book". But it's more than that. If you read between the lines and apply it to right now, we can instead say, Don't let others think for you. Don't follow blindly. Question everything.

Lipstick in Afghanistan by Roberta Gatley is the story of a Elsa, an ER nurse in her early 20s who wants to make a difference in the world. She is accepted as a relief nurse with an international organization and sent to Afghanistan in 2002 to help run the local hospital. Drama ensues.

I had a few problems with this book. And the bulk of my review will dwell on what I didn't think worked very well. But I do want to say that this book isn't bad. There is a market for this book, and I know people who would love reading this book. I, unfortunately, just wasn't one of them. But the book does have merit, and there were times when it was plain to see that the author had lived among these people and has an emotional attachment to their culture.

So, there are positive things to this book, and you won't be wasting your life if you decide to read it. However, I struggled with this book. It's an easy read, but I found my self speed reading, hoping to reach the end faster. I find it very hard to enjoy reading the book when I strongly dislike the main character. Elsa was whiny, annoying and naive. There's a part of the story, after she's been in Afghanistan for a while when she tries to convince her friend, Parween (and the other narrator of the story) that growing up poor in the poor part of Boston means she understands all the suffering any of the Afghanis have experienced.

She doesn't stop to think, and parts of other people's personalities rub off on her, (like Parween's impulsive thoughtlessness). She's incredibly self-centered, focusing only on things as they touch her. She can't imagine that life is bad in Afghanistan, or that other places are dangerous, or that her town is dangerous because she hasn't personally been exposed to it. If she doesn't see it, it doesn't really exist. It's like kids who see something bad on the news but think, 'that would never happen to me.' It got really old really fast.

I won't go into detail about the other characters, although I definitely could. There were a lot of people in the story, and all of them were rather black and white. They are good or bad. They are victims or fighters. They are happy or miserable. They are helpful or hurtful. And none of them felt real. I've heard a lot of people complain about authors telling rather than showing. This is one of the few times when I desperately agree. I can normally overlook that if I'm really enjoying the story, but in this case it made me want to pull my hair out. Everything I knew about any of these characters was because I was told that's how it supposed to be, not because the author just let them be that way. I didn't believe in anyone. I didn't believe their actions were reasonable or logical, and I didn't believe the situations they were in were realistic.

I also felt that the author was missing that happy median on details. We were either given very few, very sparse details about events, or overloaded with them. Some detailed accounts, such as the wedding ceremony was interesting, but most were not. It was just too much. The writing felt forced and murky and kind of like she was trying just a little bit too hard.

And the lipstick... I know this is a personal thing but I missed the lipstick point. I know that the author shares Elsa's fondness and need for lipstick, but I don't get it. And, there were times when I felt that the lipstick was more important than the story, and that the author relied on the lipstick to carry the story forward. It just didn't feel right to me.

Like I said before, I can see that this will be a book many people could enjoy. It just wasn't for me. Maybe someone else will have better luck.

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher.

The publisher has also been kind enough to offer two copies of this book for two lucky (US ONLY) readers. (Sorry, the books are coming from the publisher, not me!)

If you are interested in receiving a copy, just Fill out the form by Nov. 29. I'll randomly select two winners on the 30th, and give you 48 hours to respond.

Good luck!

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner is a book that's been sitting on my shelf for about 3 years now. It was a text book for one of my Political Science classes in college. This book was used entirely for in class discussion. All of my classes that semester had a large reading load, and this one didn't seem as important to get read as the actual texts and published articles.

I read the first 3 chapters along with the class, before I prioritized (well, probably more like got lazy) and set it on the back burner. But, I enjoyed the book and the information it presented, and I've always planned to go back and read it. So, I added it to my Fill-in-the-Gaps list, and on my list for Adam's TBR Challenge, over at Roof Beam Reader.

I liked this book. A lot. The writing is mostly smooth, and the questions asked and the information presented is readable, entertaining, and interesting. Levitt is a somewhat unorthodox economist, claiming he isn't very good with numbers, and the traditional economic subjects don't interest him too much. He'd much rather decipher why drug dealers still live with their mothers if they are all supposed to be rich, or whether or not your name can really make a difference in your future careers. Dubner is a journalist who interviewed Levitt. They liked working together, and decided to collaborate on a book, detailing some of the studies and analysis they did to answer some of these questions.

I liked that the questions asked were a little unusual, but also relevant and pertinent to life. Economics can be broken down into the study of incentives, and it's interesting to note what they believe to be highly motivating. Incentives aren't always monetary. They can also be social, and moral. These incentives are often connected. Breaking apart or changing these incentives give us an added insight into human behavior, and why people do what they do. I don't know that I agree with everything they theorize about in this book, but I can say that they have done a very thorough job with their research, and it was never dull.

It's not a book for everyone, but then — I don't think much non-fiction is. But, this is a book that will make you think a little differently about the world and ask a new set of questions, even if it only happens while actually reading the book. I'm glad I finally finished this one. It was definitely worth it.

Have any of you read this book, or their blog? What do you think?

Saving Francesca is the second book by Melina Marchetta that I have read, and I must say — I'm reasonably certain that this woman is completely brilliant. The only reason that this book isn't 'Basically Amazing' is because I read Jellicoe Road first. And that book, well... That book simply blew my mind.

Francesca is having a really bad year. She has attended the same all girls school for years, but it is only for girls up to year 10. All of her friends are going to one school, while Francesca has to go to St. Sebastians, which used to be an all-boys school and they think that just because they gave the few girls who now attend their school their own bathroom, that makes them co-ed. If that wasn't bad enough, her mom, who has always been full of life, energy, ambition, and action no longer even gets out of bed. Her dad doesn't know how to handle it and her younger brother is scared, and Francesca is scared too, and depressed. It definitely doesn't help that she doesn't have any friends at this school, and that the few girls she recognizes from her old school are all... weird.

Tara is the loud mouthed feminist demanding equality in everything on campus. Sibhoan was Francesca's best friend in year 7 (I think), but they haven't been friends for a while, and everyone is pretty sure Sibhoan is a bit of a tramp. Justine is nice, but strange. She's a musician, and she plays the accordion. Then, there's Will. She's not quite sure how she feels about him, but he's definitely attractive, even if he can be a bit of a jerk. But, there's definitely a something there. Then, a couple boys in her year, Jimmy and Thomas (Tom) start popping up, and she can't seem to get away from anyone.

This book is awesome. Marchetta really knows how to write a book and give you amazing characters that you are rooting for. What I had previously heard about this book made it sound almost light-hearted. I knew that Francesca was in need of saving, but thought that had more to do with being one of a very few girls in what used to be an all boys school. The blurb on the book wasn't very informative, and really, I picked this one up because I so loved Jellicoe Road and wanted to see if this author was a really great writer, or if Jellicoe Road was just a one time deal. And people, it wasn't. Marchetta is awesome!

The depression was handled very well. Francesca's mom just can't do it anymore. She can't get out of bed, doesn't want to eat and is so completely unlike herself that no one knows what to do. And it really weighs on Francesca and for most of the novel, she is really depressed as well, although she is still functioning, and she puts a brave face on.

Although the story is done wonderfully, what really makes this book shine is the characters. Every single character in this book was well developed. I cannot think of a single stock character. Everyone had their own parts to their story, their personality and their role in Francesca's life, and I loved them all. Although, I am going to admit that even by the end, I wasn't completely won over by Will. He's a good guy, but I'm not yet totally convinced that he's great. Love them or hate them, each of the characters had an their own unique and important part to the story. Some of the characters add to her depression, many of them are doing what they can to lift it, and others don't even notice.

Francesca has been insecure about a lot of things for a while, in large part due to the stifling effects of her former 'best friends'. It was one of the constant points of contention between her and her mother, while her mother was still a powerhouse of whirlwind energy. The new group of friends that Francesca joins up with help pull her out of that insecure place, and I loved watching her grow into her skin, accept herself, and totally rock it. I also loved learning about their previous family dynamic, how close everyone was with each other, even when they fought, and how much Francesca loved and cared for her younger brother. It was hard watching them suffer with their current situation, and struggle to get back to where the used to be. That is something that it took the family a long time to learn. Even if mom does start getting out of bed again, things are never going to be the same as they were before. There is always going to be a difference.
There was one scene, at the end of the novel where everything becomes too much for Francesca, and she 'overloads'. I won't give you details, because this is a critical part of her story, but my heart was racing in my chest and caught in my throat as I waited to see what she would do, and how she would handle herself. Those girls and guys that she spent the beginning of the story at a casual distance to become an extended part of her family. If everyone could have friends like these to support and care for them, and a family that, overall, really is there for them the way that Francesca's family is there for both her and her mom, I think the world would have a lot less problems, and people would be a lot less dysfunctional.
There are really powerful messages of friendship, family, trust and love contained in these pages. I almost don't like the cover of this novel, because it, like the back excerpt, imply a light-hearted read when in reality, this book is so very much more.

Seriously people, do yourselves a favor, and read this book.

A few weeks ago, I reviewed Daughter of Xanadu by Dori Jones Yang. (click the title for my review!) And today, she is here to talk to us! I really enjoyed the book, so I'm especially excited for this chance to interview her.

Also, before I get to the interview, I have to mention that Daughter of Xanadu hits the shelves today!!! Yay for book release days! (and how cool that I get to post my interview on the day the book comes out!?!) If your interested at all in Mongol culture, historical romance, or fierce heroines, I suggests you check it out! You can also view the book trailer here!

Dori has been writing for a while now. She's got a great website, and she included a quote from my review of Daughter on her website! How great is that?!:) Her website is www.dorijonesyang.com and I strongly recommend you head over there after you read the interview here!
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Ashley: Hello Dori and welcome! Thank you so much for being here with us today.
I was reading the bio on your website, and you have had a very interesting and varied life. You've lived all over the world and done a lot with journalism. You must have fascinating dinner conversations! You've been a journalist for a lot of years, but when, and how, did you decide you wanted to write books? And how did you decide to make the switch from non-fiction writing to fiction?
Dori: I have wanted to write books since I was a little kid, an avid reader like you! When I was 17, my dad popped my balloon by telling me that no one hires authors; he suggested I aim for a career in journalism. I did, and I loved it. As a journalist, I got to meet fascinating people, interview the experts and learn a lot with every article. My goal was to become a foreign correspondent in China, and I achieved that at age 28. But I never forgot that early dream. As a business reporter, I decided to write my first book about business. After that, though, I was eager to write fiction. What I did not expect was just how hard it would be to make the transition from just-the-facts journalism to how-did-she-feel? fiction.
Daughter of Xanadu had very beautiful and vivid descriptions, and contained a lot of information about the Mongol Culture and way of life. What kind of research did you have to do to create such an authentic story?
The research was fun! I read every book I could get my hands on about the Mongols, the Mongol Empire, and modern Mongolia. Then, I visited Mongolia. Wow! It’s so remote, and many people live nomadic life in yurts (gers), just like in the old days. That gave me a strong visual sense of their world. I used a lot of my Mongolia photos in the book trailer video for Daughter of Xanadu.
As I mentioned in my review, I loved the book, but was a little disappointed with the ending. It didn't quite seem to fit with the rest of the story. Have you seen this reaction in others? What are your responses to that/How have you responded to that?
I hate to disappoint my readers. But here’s one thing I discovered about endings: Most stories can have a happy ending, if you cut them off at the happy part. What happens after that ending is another story.
Are there any plans for a sequel to Daughter?
I’d love to publish a sequel if my readers are eager for one!
You've written fiction for children, YA and adults. Is it hard adjusting your writing style for different age groups? Do you find that you prefer one genre/age group over the others?
It is hard. But I’m guilty of genre-jumping because I love new challenges. One thing I find great about YA is that the genre is booming, with many talented new writers, a huge variety of styles, open-minded editors, and avid readers. I love that. It’s interesting that the music industry discovered the demand for youth-oriented music decades before the book industry truly discovered the demand for youth-oriented fiction.
What do you have planned next? Do you plan to write more for young adults?
Oh yes, I am working on a young adult novel now, almost finished, and am planning more for the future.
Which books and authors have inspired you? Both in writing and in life.
There are many! But one of them I especially admire is C.S. Lewis. He wrote many different types of books, for different audiences. He is most remembered for his Narnia children’s books, but he was quite a genre jumper, a Renaissance man with many skills and deep insights.
If you had to pick one favorite book (or author), a book that's a favorite just because it is, what would that be?
That’s a hard question. As a girl, I loved J.R.R. Tolkien so much that I learned to write in his elvish script and taught it to my friends; we used it to write secret notes in class. But today, I read many authors and books and can’t pick a favorite.
Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?
In your review, you mentioned how Emmajin begins to view her culture from the eyes of an outsider. To me, this message is the heart of Daughter of Xanadu. Too many of us, in America and all over the world, don’t get to this point. Next time you meet someone who comes from a different country or culture, I hope you’ll spend some time trying to see how our culture looks from that person’s eyes. It is eye-opening.
Again, thank you so much for talking with us today! I really appreciate it!