Category: Review

Friday Fifteen

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Welcome back to the Friday Fifteen, in which I review five books in fifteen words or less. Onward to the reviews!

The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Pinkwater
Paint splotch on one roof inspires neighborhood creativity. I’d read, then draw my own wild homes.

The Believer Book of Writers Talking to Writers by Vendela Vida
Bought because I liked several authors included. Don’t remember much; should flip through again.

Anastasia Krupnik by Lois Lowry
An MG favorite. Anastasia is hilarious and it’s easy to relate to her faults.

I Promised I Would Tell by Sonia Weitz
Poetry fills this Holocaust memoir. Read in middle school, probably missed a lot; should reread.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Intriguing concept, but pace didn’t quite work. Left with more questions than I’d like

Friday Fifteen

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Okay guys, executive decision time. I love the Friday Fifteens, but I think it’s time to take it down a notch. So far I’ve had sixteen Friday Fifteens featuring fifteen reviews, which means I’ve reviewed 240 books; I’m exhausted! Starting this week, the Friday Fifteen will review five books in fifteen words or less. All that fifteen-word goodness in a snappier format.

1. Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot: Being the Correspondence of Two Young Ladies of Quality Regarding Various Magical Scandals in London and the Country by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer
Jane Austen meets Harry Potter in this epistolary novel. Such a treat!

2. Russell Grant’s Illustrated Dream Dictionary: Your Dreams and What They Mean by Russell Grant
If you dream about teeth, it means you’re stressed. Or something. Can’t remember much.

3. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Me in seventh grade: “Why are they all named Jacques?” Had a crush on Sidney.

4. Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
Gorgeous collection of short stories; can see why this won the Pulitzer.

5. The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
Dug it, got the sequel, stopped reading when no characters from Sword of Shannara appeared.

Friday Fifteen

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Friday is back, and with it comes another Friday Fifteen, in which I review fifteen books in fifteen words or less.

1. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Hated Holden initially for losing the foils; ended up enjoying the book as a whole.

2. In the Hand of the Goddess (Song of the Lioness #2) by Tamora Pierce
Alanna (still a knight-in-training) gets to do a little more fighting this time.

3. The Boy Detective Fails by Joe Meno
Sad, sweet take on what happens when a boy detective grows up.

4. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Rich kids are running wild. Fanny Price holds it together. She deserves better than Edmund.

5. Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Combines my love of ducklings and my love of the Boston Public Gardens.

6. The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta
Religion and sex ed clash in suburbia. Don’t remember too much about it.

7. The Worst Years of Your Life: Stories for the Geeked-Out, Angst-Ridden, Lust-Addled, and Deeply Misunderstood Adolescent in All of Us by Mark Jude Poirier
Probably expected too much based on the title, but I was disappointed in this collection.

8. My Family Vacation by Dayal Kaur Khalsa
A favorite growing up. Still think about it when I stay in a hotel.

9. The Natural by Bernard Malamud
Roy Hobbs got what he deserved.

10. Salem Possessed: The Social Origins of Witchcraft by Paul S. Boyer, Stephen Nissenbaum
Read for class on Salem Witch Trials, looks at social hierarchy in Salem.

11. The Judge: An Untrue Tale by Harve Zemach and Margot Zemach
Another picture book I loved, mostly because the unjust are eaten by a monster.

12. Witch Water by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Second in the series. Made me distrust crows.

13. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Killing yourself over your teenage relationship that’s lasted four days? Not a good idea!

14. Karen’s Wish (Baby-Sitters Little Sister Super Special #1) by Ann M. Martin
Will Nanny be back from the hospital in time for Christmas? Spoiler: Yes.

15. Making a Good Writer Great: A Creativity Workbook for Screenwriters by Linda Seger and Silman-James Press
Bought this in 9th grade without noticing it was for screenwriters. Solid advice for beginners.

Friday Fifteen

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It can’t be Friday without a Friday Fifteen, in which I review fifteen books in fifteen words or less. Onto the books!

1. Alaska ABC Book by Charlene Kreeger
Gifted when I was 7. Loved the art. Still makes me want to visit Alaska.

2. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks
Read for high school psychology. Lots of interesting stories about brain functions and damage.

3. The Awakening by Kate Chopin
Like Anna Karenina: glad I read it, wanted to care lots more than I did.

4. Mary Anne’s Bad Luck Mystery (Baby-Sitters Club #17) by Ann M. Martin
My shoutout to Friday the 13th. But come on, Mary Anne–seriously?

5. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Hester is pretty cool, but I really wanted her to call out Dimmesdale.

6. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Exciting sci-fi/dystopian novel. Still can’t get over Manchee.

7. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
A classic for a reason. I loved how Mary is petulant, not the perfect child.

8. The Partly-Cloudy Patriot by Sarah Vowell
More great essays on history, politics, and media with a dash of memoir by Vowell.

9. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
Another gorgeous work by Woolf. Love the passages about time.

10. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Being a preteen military genius is hard, especially with siblings taking over the world.

11. The Bridesmaids by Cherie Bennett
Very fluffy MG novel. Features characters named Juliet, Paris, and Fawn.

12. Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare
It’s Shakespeare via the Saw series. Glad I read it, but nothing compared to later works.

13. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
I didn’t like eggs or ham as a child, so this was a tough read.

14. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1 by Alan Moore
Literary and steampunk-y. It’s like a graphic novel gift meant especially for me.

15. Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand
I was obsessed with this play in middle school. Witty and tragic with cavalier costumes.

Links Galore

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A few more links for the afternoon:

  • I don’t know how I’m supposed to vote for just one blog in the Independent Book Blogger Awards. At least it’s a great place to find new blogs to follow!
  • This letter from Keith Richards to his aunt is both adorable and filled with hip 60s Englishness.
  • Should academia be the “day job” path for writers? (My opinion: teaching is an entirely different skill than writing. Don’t teach unless you actually enjoy it.)
  • A close look at the literary merits of Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass.

Friday Fifteen

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Finally Friday! Time for the Friday Fifteen, in which I review fifteen books in fifteen words or less.

1. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
Captivating historical fiction with character struggles set against the backdrop of a real murder case.

2. The Best Creative Nonfiction, Vol. 1 by Lee Gutkind
One of my favorite collections. Excellent essays from the people behind the journal Creative Nonfiction.

3. Let’s Go Amsterdam 3rd Edition by Let’s Go Inc.
Helped guide me through Amsterdam; lent it to another study abroader who didn’t return it.

4. A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
My first Shakespeare (7th grade). Have read it a couple times since, still really fun.

5. Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag
My dream as a kid. Minus the end.

6. Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner
Gorgeously written, like any Faulkner novel. Plus it has an exclamation point.

7. The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean
Eerie YA novel about a girl in Antarctica with her unhinged uncle.

8. I Like You by Sandol Stoddard Warburg
Surprisingly cute. Good as a gift for someone you like/love.

9. The Essential Haiku: Versions of Basho, Buson, & Issa ed. Robert Hass
Solid introduction to haiku, with good translations of major haiku poets.

10. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Victorian social hilarity and Wilde’s witty wordplay. Try not to laugh.

11. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
More a series of linked short stories. Tan handles the mothers’ voices and stories best.

12. Choosing Sides (Sweet Valley High Twins #4) by Francine Pascal
What happens when your awkward friend wants to be a cheerleader? Elizabeth finds out.

13. Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson
Anderson deftly handles Tyler’s voice and high school social complexities. Nice depiction of desperation.

14. Wedding Etiquette Hell: The Bride’s Bible to Avoiding Everlasting Damnation by Jeanne Hamilton
Sensible advice for crazy wedding situations. Made me feel a lot more sane.

15. The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
Adorable story about a gentle bull. Lovely art, too.

Friday Fifteen

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What would a Friday be without the Friday Fifteen, in which I review fifteen books in fifteen words or less? Onto the books!

1. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Stevens might be one of my favorite literary characters. Manor house intrigue, excellent writing.

2. Lucky Girls by Nell Freudenberger
People seem to love or hate Freudenberger. I thought her stories were fine, if forgettable.

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
Possibly my favorite in the series, definitely my favorite twist at the end.

4. 2012 Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market ed. Chuck Sambuchino
Always a solid choice. Nice interviews with authors like M.T. Anderson and Maggie Stiefvater, too.

5. King Rollo and the New Shoes by David McKee
New shoes are awesome, but what happens when they have laces?

6. Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
Sweet YA novel about accepting and finding strength in your past.

7. The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction: Fifty North American American Stories Since 1970 ed. Michael Martone and Lex Williford
The standard anthology for intro to creative writing classes. Apparently there’s a new edition.

8. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Fencing. Fighting. True Love. Try not to love it. (The movie is awesome, too!)

9. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
The first fifty pages punch you in the stomach. Moving and ultimately uplifting.

10. Hello, Cupcake by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson
Got it off the free table. Haven’t attempted anything, but the designs are all fun.

11. Kate’s Surprise (Sleepover Friends, #3) by Susan Saunders
The friends plan a birthday, get kittens. At eight I was the target audience.

12. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Dreamy and compelling, but ultimately less satisfying than I hoped.

13. Ariel by Sylvia Plath
Chilling and extremely well-crafted poems. Talent transcends associated life drama.

14. Bunny Days by Tao Nyeu
Cool art and funny story about mischievous bunnies. Weird in a good way.

15. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
We all want to be the courageous thirteen-year-old captain of a ship.

Friday Fifteen

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We made it to Friday! Time for a Friday Fifteen, in which I review fifteen books in fifteen words or less.

1. How to Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer
A favorite collection of short stories. Sharp and evocative, potential for YA crossover.

2. Fodor’s In Focus Barbados & St. Lucia, 2nd Edition by Fodor’s
Picked this up before going to St. Lucia. Moderately helpful.

3. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
Nice balance of sweet and serious, with charmingly beach-y setting.

4. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
A dynamic novel and a cool look at the history of comics, but the Pulitzer?

5. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
A must for writers of any level, with lots of humor and tenderness.

6. Miss Manners’ Guide to a Surprisingly Dignified Wedding by Judith Martin
Didn’t agree with everything, but made me feel more sane about my own wedding.

7. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
Still want to read this every time I have a day that cannot go right.

8. Walking to Martha’s Vineyard by Franz Wright
A gorgeous collection of poetry. “The Only Animal” is a favorite.

9. The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy (The Penderwicks #1) by Jeanne Birdsall
Sweet and cozy family story set in Massachusetts. I would have been obsessed with this at nine.

10. Antigone (The Theban Plays #3) by Sophocles
My English teacher had to explain Oedipus to us. First use of fuck in class.

11. Hip Hop Til You Drop (Full House Stephanie) by Devra Newberger Speregen
When you can’t take dance, you read about it in a bad television spin-off book.

12. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Lively fairy tale-esque adventure with a fallen star. Not as deep as other Gaiman books.

13. The Gardner Museum Cafe Cookbook by Lois McKitchen Conroy
Haven’t tried anything yet, but it’s a fun look at culinary history.

14. Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger
One of my very favorites. Thoughtful and touching, with New York fifties chill.

15. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
Beautifully written saga of love, plus old people hooking up.

Friday Fifteen

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What’s a Friday without the Friday Fifteen? Here’s the latest and greatest in fifteen-word reviews:

1.The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Feels like a modern, funnier version of The Outsiders. Used drawings without feeling gimmicky.

2. Blue Angel by Francine Prose
Expected to like this a lot more than I did. Never felt invested.

3. Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan
Read for class in fourth grade. Fun, but not as memorable as Number the Stars.

4. True Grit by Charles Portis
Compelling western, quietly moving. A great YA crossover book.

5. Babe in Paradise by Marisa Silver Excellent collection of stories. Silver knows how to raise the stakes for her characters.

6. Juniper, Gentian, and Rosemary by Pamela Dean
Meandering story about clever sisters and a mysterious neighbor. Confusing and plotless, but I enjoyed.

7. Color War! (Camp Sunnyside Friends #3) by Marilyn Kaye
Only one of the series I read. I preferred the BSC Special camp book.

8. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff and Felicia Bond
Lesson: generosity makes you weak. Don’t trust anyone! (At least anyone that’s a mouse.)

9. Opened Ground: Selected Poems, 1966-1996 by Seamus Heaney
Fantastic selection of Heaney’s work. Perfect for readers new to Heaney or poetry in general.

10. Succulent Wild Woman by SARKI was 18 and liked journaling with colorful pens.

11. Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness #1) by Tamora Pierce
Essential reading for girls in middle school. First of the Tortall books.

12. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
Snark and social commentary–I’m an automatic fan. Loved the explanation of Easter.

13.The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Great MG combination of family saga and ghost story.

14. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells
Probably inspired a lot of book clubs to try to create their own group names.

15. I Spy: A Book of Picture Riddles by Jean Marzollo, Walter Wick and Carol Devine Carson
Like when I’m searching on my desk for the one thing I need.

Friday Fifteen

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Such a Friday! Good thing we have the Friday Fifteen, in which I review fifteen books in fifteen words or less.

1. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
The perfect balance of magic, common sense, and poetry. Sophie is a favorite.

2. A Severed Head by Irish Murdoch
Everyone’s sleeping with each other and discussing it. Required reading for class; don’t remember much.

3. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Feel like this one could be a good YA crossover. Loved the bee information.

4. The Lost Continent by Bill Bryson
Read while working reception in the film dept one summer. A fun, snarky road trip.

5. The Velveteen Rabbit: Or How Toys Become Real The Velveteen Rabbit: Or How Toys Become Real by Margery Williams
Aka–The Original Toy Story. I always thought scarlet fever sounded dramatic and intriguing.

6. Beowulf: A New Verse Translation by Seamus Heaney
Enjoyed it way more than I expected to. Gotta love a good monster story.

7. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Excellent writing, complex characters, and compelling plot. A fantastic start to the series.

8. Hairstyles of the Damned by Joe Meno
Manages to balance the anger, tenderness, obnoxiousness, and sadness of being a teenager.

9. Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg
Solid advice and exercises, especially for beginnings. Remember Goldberg advocating for cheap notebooks.

10. The Spell Book of Listen Taylor by Jaclyn Moriarty
Fun and quirky, but didn’t quote hold together. Vaguely reminded me of the film Happy-Go-Lucky.

11. The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells
Used it in middle school science project to describe light. Not a great project.

12. Great Depression Cooking with Clara by Clara Cannucciari and Christopher Cannucciari
The only book I’ve bought based entirely on Internet sensation. Clara is great.

13. Katie Loves the Kittens by John Himmelman
Adorable and hilarious; great for young pet owners.

14. Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
My favorite of the comedies. Lots of great wordplay and a dynamic plot.

15. Fly on the Wall: How One Girl Saw Everything by E. Lockhart
Fun, Kafka-esque take on high school, but not as much depth as I expected.

Happy reading!