a teacher librarian's reading

Have you seen Ally Queen? by Deb Fitzpatrick

2012-01-25T18:34:00.000-08:00

This took a little while to get into, then I really enjoyed it. Set in a small settlement in Western Australia, south of Perth, where Ally's family has moved. Nice portrayal of her difficulty in settling in to the new community, and dealing with her mother's illness that necessitated the move. Recommended.

The thousand autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell

2012-01-25T18:18:00.000-08:00

So totally different from his other book I read recently, & even more amazing! An absolute must-read. Set at the end of the 18th century, it shows from several different characters' perspectives the interactions between Japan and the west, primarily from Jacob, a young Dutch clerk. Absolutely powerful writing, un-putdownable. Highly recommended.

Cleavage: breakaway fiction for real girls edited by Deb Loughead & Jocelyn Shipley

2012-01-25T18:12:00.000-08:00

Great title, cover & concept. Not all the stories are successful; too many are by first-time authors & it shows. But these stories will speak to teen girls sensitive about their body size & shape (& what teens aren't?).

Next to love: a novel by Ellen Feldman

2012-01-23T20:41:00.000-08:00

The story of three friends in Massachusetts & their loved ones during WW2 and in subsequent years.

The coward's tale by Vanessa Gebbie

2012-01-23T20:39:00.000-08:00

Random pick from the public library. Great storytelling -- seemed to be set in the 50s but unclear; village in a Welsh mining community where there has been a mine disaster in the past. Characters are stereotypes -- the homeless man who tells the stories of the other inhabitants. A strange surreal feel. Beautifully written with poetic imagery.

Escape from Shadow Island by Paul Adam

2012-01-23T18:03:00.000-08:00

Subtitled a Max Cassidy adventure, this is obviously the first in a series. The main character is a London schoolboy who works after school as an escapologist in the entertainment industry. He is able to swallow a key then regurgitate it at will. This skill will, we realise, be required later in the book. As he doesn't actually get to Shadow Island until about three-quarters way through the plot, the title is slightly misleading. An entertaining boys-own style adventure, with the added twist of the escapologist skills. Recommended for Intermediate- junior secondary.

Jumpstart the world by Catherine Ryan Hyde

2012-01-23T17:27:00.000-08:00

Elle is an extremely engaging main character who has been brought by her mother to live alone in an apartment in NY, as her stepfather doesn't want her around. From the first page, which sees her choosing a stray cat at the pound mainly because she knows it will annoy her mother, to the final emotional resolution, a fab YA title that I highly recommend. She is a loner who because of her upbringing sees no reason to trust people. We see how this changes as she interacts with a group of outsiders at school, and in her developing a crush on a neighbour who turns out to be f2m. Highly recommended.

number9dream by David Mitchell

2012-01-23T17:20:00.000-08:00

This is an amazing book -- I loved it once I got into the strange headspace of the narrator. At times it's hard to ascertain which is reality & which is fantasy; always funny but also endearing. Recommend.

At the sign of the sugared plum by Mary Hooper

2011-12-27T16:29:00.000-08:00

This is an excellent recreation of the life of a young woman who moves from her village to work in her sister's sweetmeat shop in London during the time of the bubonic plague. For young people interested in historical novels, or studying this time period, it's an easy read. I found the author described clothing too much for my liking; except for the outfit worn by a pharmacist when visiting a patient it doesn't really add to the story, and sometimes replaces character development.
My first entire book read on the Sony Reader.

The body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci

2011-12-27T16:23:00.000-08:00

Didn't like this, tho I have enjoyed others of her books. Was critically acclaimed. I didn't like any of the characters & found the resolution stretched my ability to suspend disbelief...

Bound by Antonia Nelson

2011-12-27T15:25:00.001-08:00

Scars by Cheryl Rainfield

2011-12-27T15:24:00.003-08:00

A YA novel on the difficult subject of self-harm (cutting) I thought this was very good, if somewhat didactic at times, although I felt it was resolved rather melodramatically and unrealistically. The author has experienced this herself, and it has an excellent listing of helping agency websites in the back. The main character is also a lesbian, and it's made clear that the abuse she suffers is not the 'cause' of her feelings for girls.

We are all welcome here by Elizabeth Berg

2011-12-27T15:24:00.001-08:00

A very interesting book, written as a result of a reader asking Berg to write a novel using the story of her mother. Initially opposed to the idea, Berg changed her mind when she found out that her reader had been born to a mother in an iron lung. She insisted that the story would be fiction, using only some of the events of the woman's life. And it turned into a vivid account of a girl growing up in a household where her mother is paralised from the neck down as a result of polio. Also has themes of racism & growing up. I enjoyed it.

The sharing knife: Horizon by Lois McMaster Bujold

2011-12-27T15:23:00.001-08:00

This series is great summer escapist reading. Tho I usually prefer sci fi to fantasy, & this is fantasy, it's engaging & has Bujold's usual romantic twists & fights against evil etc (in this case it's with malices -- beings which kill living things & desecrate land.)

The sharing knife: Passage by Lois McMaster Bujold

2011-12-27T15:22:00.003-08:00

The sharing knife: Legacy by Lois McMaster Bujold

2011-12-27T15:22:00.001-08:00

The sharing knife: Beguilement by Lois McMaster Bujold

2011-12-27T15:21:00.001-08:00

World and town by Gish Jen

2011-12-27T15:20:00.000-08:00

First off, I have to say I enjoyed this book It's about living in an isolated small town that is changing as immigrants move in and subdivisions are opened up; it's a love story and a story of location & dislocation.
However, this author has to have written the most excruciating similes I have ever seen in a published work. I kid you not. They could go in those lists of the worst howlers written by students. What was her editor thinking to let her get away with these? "They're squares of spring green today, like handkerchiefs dropped from some place they use green handkerchiefs."

Sex & Stravinsky by Barbara Trapido

2011-12-27T15:09:00.000-08:00

This is a vastly entertaining book that I stayed up till the early hours to finish. While the resolution is wildly unrealistic, as are the coincidences, the plot reflects the coincidences & mad wrong relationships of the ballet music after which the book is named. Told from many points of view, with lots of charm and wit, the intricate plotting has you wondering how all these characters are going to get together -- and they do...It is great holiday reading.

Seriously...I'm kidding by Ellen Degeneres

2011-12-27T15:01:00.000-08:00

Seriously...Don't bother. And I'm NOT kidding. That's one hour of my life I'll never get back -- and a couple of hers it took her to write these ramblings that hardly raised even a smile.

The Mariposa club by Rigoberto Gonzalez

2011-12-20T15:04:00.000-08:00

The title, referring to the gay-straight alliance the "girls" try to set up, doesn't really reflect the books' content as the club part is shunted off in favour of other plot development. I agree with this reviewer that at times it is overly didactic, and I didn't particularly like any of the characters. That said, could be suitable in a co-ed or boy's school library, tho some may object to some (realistic) dialogue.
http://bookgazing.blogspot.com/2010/02/mariposa-club-rigoberto-gonzalez.html

Escape from Shadow Island by Paul Adam

2011-12-15T15:49:00.000-08:00

A gripping thriller/adventure story, this is probably more suited for upper primary & Intermediate level students, tho as the protagonist is 14, reluctant readers at secondary level may enjoy it. I liked it for its adherence to the thriller/adventure genre, and the intrepid Max Cassidy character who actually doesn't get to the island till near the end of the book; you have to buy the next in the series to find out what happens...

Want to go private? by Sarah Darer Littman

2011-12-15T15:27:00.000-08:00

Warning: Plot spoiler!

A very realistic cautionary tale about a teen who is befriended & groomed by an internet predator. The way Abby falls for him, and his behaviour in grooming her, is very believeable. Some will find some scenes too sexually explicit; I believe the author has included them for authenticity. Further info, interviews etc at book's website:
http://wanttogoprivate.com/

The New World: A story of Chaos Walking. by Patrick Ness

2011-11-29T16:55:00.001-08:00

This marvellous free online story is a prequel.

http://bit.ly/ujgmK4

Dreamweaver's dilemma : short stories and essays by LM Bujold by

2011-11-29T16:35:00.001-08:00

I enjoyed this compilation of memoir, novellas & stories, with an introduction by Bujold's best friend on how they got into science fiction. I especially enjoyed their parents' reaction to the delight with which they watched early sf TV shows -- "you girls will be so embarrassed when you grow up" etc -- little did they know how fandom would develop over the decades!

Rosie and Skate by Beth Ann Bauman

2011-11-27T13:19:00.001-08:00

Another very good book, this time with a theme of alcoholic parents. The young people attend a support group for teens affected by alcohol and are given advice that is current practice (eg the boy whose father collapses on the beach every night in a drunken stupor is told not to rescue him in the wheelbarrow as he has been doing. He decides to follow these instructions -- but shows his ambivalence by covering his father with a blanket.)

Told in alternate chapters by sisters, the characters in the title, we see two different points of view on the situation: Rosie who feels responsible for her father and wants to help when he's imprisoned for theft, & Skate who feels he's a hopeless case. A sub-plot shows Skate's relationship with her boyfriend who's gone off to college.

Every little thing in the world by Nina de Gramont

2011-11-27T13:10:00.001-08:00

I think this is a very good book, & I enjoyed it. Told in first person, the main character, Sydney, is pregnant, & her feelings of denial and confusion are realistically portrayed. Her best friend finds out that her mother is actually her sister, & her parents really her grandparents. This revelation leads her to encourage Syd to continue with the pregnancy rather than support her in her decision, which adds tension. Further tension is added when both girls go on an outdoor adventure in the wilds of Canada, with an added sub-plot of the attraction of "bad" boys. Teen friendship & its betrayals are well drawn, as are relationships with adults. Further depth is added to the novel with the young women's enjoyment of the outdoors, and their competence in physical activity.

Wildthorn by Jane Eagland

2011-11-22T16:17:00.001-08:00

This is a delightful historical novel set in Victorian (I guess) England. The narrator, Louise, setting off supposedly to a position as a lady's companion, finds herself instead taken to an asylum and incarcerated; her name has been changed so when she protests she is not Lucy Childs, it is seen as further evidence of her madness. Very convincing depiction of the conditions of the inmates. I liked the way the author showed her confusion & distress, and also that she was a feisty character determined to be a doctor despite all the odds against women working. Includes love story but I don't want to be a spoiler...

Compromised by Heidi Ayarbe

2011-11-22T15:30:00.000-08:00

Very good US young adult novel about a girl who is abandoned by her conman father when he goes to jail & she runs away from the foster-parents proposed for her (rather OTT characters I have to say) & goes in search of an aunt she didn't know existed. I liked the dialogue & realistic dangerous situations she gets herself into. Like many YA characters, she is a science geek and uses her logical thought processes before deciding what to do, finally coming to realise that this is not possible in every situation, especially where others are involved. Recommended.

Held by Edeet Ravel

2011-11-22T15:24:00.000-08:00

I loved this; pity about the terribly unappealing cover. Starts off as a kidnapping, & the narrator after several weeks of captivity begins to fall in love with her captor. Gradually we begin to realise she may not be a reliable narrator. Told convincingly with interspersed Facebook pages, newspaper articles about the kidnapping.

Look into my eyes by Lauren Child

2011-11-22T15:19:00.000-08:00

Ruby Redfort now has her own book. A loooong book at 348 pages. Students who have grown up with Lauren Child might find this engaging, me, not so much... I enjoyed the character herself & the mystery & the puzzles. Intended for upper primary level I think.

Ashes, ashes by Jo Treggiari

2011-11-22T15:16:00.000-08:00

At first I loved this dystopian novel about a girl surviving by herself in a devastated Central Park in NY. It had shades of one of my favorite books as a child -- Jean Craighead George's The other side of the mountain, with Lucy using her wits to find food and shelter. But as the novel progressed, I found the 'mad scientist' angle hard to believe, and felt the plot lost coherence. I was unwilling to suspend disbelief. Which is a shame, because it started out so promisingly...

Foster by Claire Keegan

2011-11-02T13:25:00.000-07:00

The most perfect short story imaginable, this won the the short story competition that has the world's largest prize for a story. It was first published in the New Yorker, & this expanded story has now been published as a book. Highly recommended.

The Absolutist by John Boyne

2011-10-31T02:32:00.002-07:00

How shallow to be put off by a font, but there you go! I disliked the speech marks being little sloping dashes... Interesting in that I didn't know what an absolutist was till I read this, & had heard of the treatment of conscientious objectors but didn't know they'd been murdered etc (which presumably was historically accurate.) Also historically accurate depiction of a man falling in love with another rman in WW1. Some editing needed eg rows of dahlias & chrysanthemums which had been planted in rows (and now I think of it they are unlikely flowers to be planted in rows anyway).

They never came back by Caroline Cooney

2011-10-31T02:32:00.000-07:00

Very good as Cooney's tend to be -- girl abandoned by parents who fled the country to escape being arrested for embezzling millions.

She said/ she saw by Norah McClintock

2011-10-31T02:31:00.001-07:00

Very good quick read murder story in which the teenage girl witness is accused of refusing to cooperate with police, when in fact she did not see the killer -- or did she?
A couple of points though -- one of the characters says she is a visual person, so documents the action, her thoughts etc as if it is a play script. Reluctant readers may find this difficult. Also the chapters with Teagan (the witness) headings are not always from her POV, which might confuse some students. That said, a suspenseful story.

South of Superior by Ellen Airgood

2011-10-31T02:27:00.001-07:00

This has a feel of someone who lives a similar lifestyle, as it's about people in an isolated community on Lake Superior trying to make a living, & the author runs a diner in the same area. Interesting setting & characters. I didn't quite believe in the main character, & the love story element was somewhat predictable. But overall an enjoyable read set in an area of the USA I am unfamiliar with.

Everyone but you by Sandra Novack

2011-10-31T02:26:00.001-07:00

Cordelia's honor by Lois Bujold

2011-10-31T02:25:00.001-07:00

All that I am by Anna Funder

2011-10-31T02:24:00.001-07:00

This was criticised for not being as ground-breaking structurally as her first (non-fiction) book. Having not read that yet, I very much enjoyed this.

Miles, mutants and microbes by Lois Bujold

2011-10-31T02:23:00.001-07:00

Radio Shangri-La by Lisa Napoli

2011-10-31T02:22:00.001-07:00

"What I learned in Bhutan, the happiest kingdom on earth". People who know me will know I seldom read non-fiction, but this appealed to me, & I'm glad I read it. The author has a great writing style & keen appreciation of her encounters with those of another culture. She was employed as a volunteer to assist with the setting up of a radio station, & she documents the fun & trials of the experience, with lots of humour as well as respect for the people she befriends, & an awareness of the changes happening in this country. Well worth reading.

The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore

2011-10-31T02:20:00.001-07:00

City of bones by Cassandra Clare

2011-10-26T12:07:00.000-07:00

I think because of all the hype & that fact that I had seen the author present at Writers & Readers Festival, where she was an extremely engaging & interesting speaker, I was somehow slightly disappointed by this... Still, students are reading it & the series that follows avidly. I'm not sure if I'll bother with the next one.

Jamrach's menagerie by Carol Birch

2011-10-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

An amazingly well portrayed evocation of life in London & on a whaling vessel in 1857. The (realistic, authentic) story of shipwreck & cannibalism that follows was pretty hard to stomach...

The snowman by Jo Nesbo

2011-10-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

At last, holiday time to read some adult fiction. But I didn't like this much -- too gory, unbelievable. Multiple murders, severed heads etc... On the cover it says "the next Steig Larson" but he isn't -- he doesn't have the political analysis that Larson included in his books (that they, sadly, omitted from the movies). That said, I did persist.

Of all the stupid things by Alexandra Dias

2011-09-15T20:05:00.001-07:00

This novel told from the perspective of 3 stereotypical US high school students: Tara, an athlete, Whitney Blaire, a beauty, and Pinkie, a mother hen, seems soap-opera-like, but in the resolution of the story-lines goes deeper and ultimately works. Tara falls in love with another female athlete & when she tells her mother that she has trouble thinking of herself as gay, she is told maybe she loves Riley irrespective of gender.

With or without you by Brian Farrer

2011-09-11T16:05:00.000-07:00

A rather disturbing book -- which arguably some YA fiction should be! Evan & Davis are both 18, and get beaten up for being loners and for being gay. Evan has a secret boyfriend, who helps make his life bearable. The young men are recruited to an organisation called the Chasers, and Evan becomes more & more uneasy about the true nature of the leader & purpose of what he sees is a cult. And as we learn more, he is right to be very scared about what the Chasers are doing. For mature students only

A love story starring my best friend by Emily Horner

2011-09-11T15:42:00.000-07:00

This is a rather quiet, contemplative book despite one of the settings being the development of a play about violent ninjas. Told in alternate chapters by the same character, Cass; one chapter is set in the recent past when Cass was cycling alone thousands of miles to California with the ashes of her best friend who dies in a car crash, the next is set in the present as Cass is involved in set-building & special effects for the play her best friend wrote before she died. Unusual in that Cass is confronted by her inability to complete the task she has set herself. She comes to realise that she was in love with her friend, and in the chapters set in the present, falls in love with Heather, formerly someone who bullied her in middle school.

The boy in the dress by David Walliams

2011-09-11T15:36:00.000-07:00

Illustrated by Quentin Blake, this is a delightful romp, tho more suited for primary and intermediate students than secondary school. Walliams, a TV comedian, self-references cleverly.

The midnight zoo by Sonia Harnettt

2011-09-11T15:34:00.000-07:00

Although I normally like Harnett's writing, this didn't work for me, particularly once the animals started talking. I am unsure who will be the audience for this book. Has some incredibly moving moments, especially when the lion smells the baby.

Angry management by Chris Crutcher

2011-09-10T19:52:00.000-07:00

This is YA writing at its best. Tho it's called 3 novellas, it's actually 3 stories of 2 characters each, linked by the assessment of the school counsellor allocated to keep an eye on these students. Great characters all of whom have been in his previous books. Sad, funny, unforgettable. In one story, the kid has both sets of parents who are gay. In another, the only black student in a school is also gay. A very sad story that charts how far we've come & how far we have to go...

Mary Ann in autumn by Armistead Maupin

2011-09-10T19:48:00.000-07:00

Read this for old times' sake -- a light read with too many coincidences & characters; the earlier ones were better.

Wish you were here by Stewart O'Nan

2011-09-10T19:46:00.001-07:00

Enjoyed this family saga tho at times I had to look back to see whose POV the narration was from. Well-written examination of extended familty dynamics.

I''l get there. It better be worth the trip. by John Donovan

2011-08-21T16:06:00.001-07:00

Crossing lines by Paul Volponi

2011-08-21T14:05:00.000-07:00

Boyfriends with girlfriends by Alex Sanchez

2011-08-21T14:04:00.000-07:00

At last! A YA fiction title by a leading author, with bisexual characters. I very much enjoyed this book. It is realistic, in that the gay character goes through the process of trying to understand how someone can be bisexual, from the starting point of "he's closet, just afraid to come out as gay" etc. Highly recommend.

Say the word by Jeannine Garsee

2011-08-10T14:22:00.001-07:00

Two parties one tux by Steven Goldman

2011-08-10T14:13:00.001-07:00

Hate list by Jennifer Brown

2011-08-10T14:12:00.003-07:00

Eating animals by Jonathon Safran Foer

2011-08-10T14:12:00.001-07:00

Yes, I decided to no longer eat fish after reading this...

It's not summer without you by Jenny Han

2011-08-10T14:11:00.003-07:00

The conductor by Sarah Quigley

2011-08-10T14:11:00.001-07:00

Beautifully evoked story of the siege of Leningrad & the lives of musicians left behind after the elite have been evacuated.

Love drugged by james Klise

2011-08-01T15:49:00.001-07:00

I loved this book! An engaging, funny narrative voice. The plot resoluition is a bit weak I feel (evil scientist), but overall, I enjoyed it. Jamie knows he's gay, but wants to be normal, so he steals drugs from his girlfriend's father's lab, and unwittingly takes part in a drug trial for a drug to cure his attraction to guys.

Out by Joanna Kenrick

2011-08-01T15:48:00.001-07:00

This is one of the most accessible level Barrington Stoke books for reluctant readers and ESOL students. The author wrote it in response to a young person saying to her "being gay doesn't have to make you unhappy."

Freaks and revelations by Davida Hurwin

2011-08-01T15:46:00.001-07:00

Raw and uncompromising, this novel shows a punk rock, mohawk wearing neo-Nazi, and a 13-year-old boy thrown out of home for coming out as gay. Told by each of these main characters, it builds up to their violent interaction, with violence, drug-taking and prostitution along the way. At the end we are told that it was developed from a true story, and that the men met 20 years later when presenting at the Museum of Tolerance, and now work with an organisation From hate 2 hope, telling their story to school students. http://wthrockmorton.com/2009/04/16/hate-2-hope-the-story-of-tim-zaal-and-matthew-boger/

I am J by Cris Beam

2011-08-01T15:45:00.001-07:00

This is a brilliant book; the main character, J, encounters adversity in his search for acceptance from his friends and family, and indeed himself. It's the first book I've read about a transgender teen that doesn't include violence. Set in NY, he initially runs away to a shelter for homeless teens. The author has written non-fiction about transgender teens in LA, and has a transgender foster daughter. Highly recommended.

Gemini bites by Patrick Ryan

2011-08-01T15:30:00.001-07:00

Wonderful, wonderful book; highly recommend. A light, engaging read in which the major angst is the relationship between the twins, Judy & Kyle, who tell the story thru alternate chapters. The fact that Kyle is gay is almost a non-issue.

About a girl by Joanne Horniman

2011-07-10T15:23:00.001-07:00

I loved this wonderful must-read from this award-winning Australian author. Anna has left school and moved away from home; she is challenged in her belief that she must be unloveable. She meets and falls for a Flynn with whom she learns and shares a lot, but Flynn has a secret that causes pain…

Little sister by Aimee Said

2011-07-10T15:21:00.001-07:00

This first person narrative is, to me, a very satisfying book. Al, the main character, is counting down the days till her older sister, Larrie, finishes school and Al can move out of the shadow of her perfection. But after unexpected revelations, Al has to deal with her own feelings. Great dialogue, and Al is flawed as well as likeable. An Australian author to watch. The Magpies review says: “This very realistic, appealing novel for young adults deserves to be in all school and public libraries.”

Almost perfect by Brian Katcher

2011-07-10T15:20:00.000-07:00

The main character, Logan, is in turmoil after finding his girlfriend cheated on him. He makes friends with an exciting new student at school, Sage. To his horror he later finds she is transgender. Full of the mixed emotions such a situation would create, he rejects then tries to befriend her again. Sage is hospitalised after being badly beaten up and Logan takes responsibility for his actions.

Isa and May by Margaret Forster

2011-07-10T15:19:00.000-07:00

What happened to goodbye by Sarah Dessen

2011-07-10T15:17:00.000-07:00

F2m by Hazel Edwards and Ryan Kennedy

2011-07-10T15:15:00.000-07:00

This is an important book that NZ secondary schools should buy, in that it has been written by a female to male transgender NZ author. It is not without its problems. I don't know why it has been published in a format that makes it look a lot more junior than it is eg the large font size. I found working out when it was set difficult and clues to this inconsistent eg punk rock, yet discussion of words like intersex that have only recently come into common use.

Shine by Lauren Myracle

2011-07-10T14:24:00.000-07:00

This is the first book I have read by this author, & I think I previously thought she was more lightweight than she is... Let me start by saying that this is a beautifully produced hardback book, aesthetically pleasing from cover to font to illustrations repeated at the start of each chapter. In tone, the book reminded me of the movie Winter's bone, a chilling yet brilliant movie set in an impoverished area where meth production is a major industry. This is also the case in this book, where people living in the hills are seen as "hill niggers" by townspeople. Cat, the main character has a secret, and her when her former friend is critically injured in a gay hate crime, she is determined to find the culprit. She has several false leads before the plot's resolution. For some this book will be the kind of YA literature that was the focus of recent controversy. I think it is an impressive, powerful achievement.

A monster calls by Patrick Ness

2011-07-10T14:13:00.001-07:00

Book of lost threads by Tess Evans

2011-07-10T14:12:00.001-07:00

A delightful story about four people who are "lost threads." Set in a small Australian country town. One of them is Moss, the daughter of lesbian mothers & a donor sperm father. Gradually the threads are picked up and the characters become a unit.

Where she went by Gayle Forman

2011-05-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

I didn't enjoy this as much as If I stay, and the whole premise is incurably romantic, but it works & students are sure to enjoy it. I liked the fact that the main characters have finished school; they are unrealistically rich & famous in their own fields (one is a classical musician, the other a famous rock star) yet are likeable & believable people.

Fosterling by Emma Neale

2011-04-25T22:40:00.000-07:00

Brilliant writing that kept me engaged right to the end -- which is sad but didn't effect me emotionally somehow, maybe because the main character was somewhat distanced, as the narrative is told by so many characters...

Victory conditions by Elizabeth Moon

2011-04-25T20:36:00.000-07:00

Another good escapist sci-fi for the holidays!

The Georges and the Jewels by Jane Smiley

2011-04-25T20:34:00.000-07:00

A delightful horse novel for young people from this prize-winning author. The title refers to the way the protagonist's father calls all the horses he buys to train then sell, either George or Jewel, so that the family, & in particular the daughter, Abby, does not become attached to them. The novel has lots of elements; school bullying, training an obdurate horse, born-again parents... I thought it was a very good book for upper primary/intermediate level, especially horse lovers.

My sister lives one the mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher

2011-04-23T21:00:00.000-07:00

Thoroughly enjoyed this well-written first novel about a 10-year-old boy whose older sister, a twin, was killed by a terrorist's bomb when he was 5. Lots of what happens is over his head, but the reader realises what is happening around him as his parent's marriage collapses & his father turns to alcohol, & his mother runs off with a man from the grief support group. Also he makes friends with the only Muslim in his school -- and they counter bullying together. The resolution is very satisfying & emotional -- I cried a lot!

Lily alone by Jacqueline Wilson

2011-04-23T20:53:00.000-07:00

Pretty formulaic Wilson; Lily's Mum (26) goes on holiday with her new boyfriend (19), leaving, Lily & her siblings alone. Ending is left open, not unrealstically resolved.

Being Billy by Phil Carle

2011-04-23T16:22:00.000-07:00

Another novel about a boy stuck in care... The point of difference here is that his younger siblings are also in care, &his fight to stay with them keeps him going. I liked the portrayal of the main character, but found the use of a coincidence as a plot device a bit hard to believe...

The Alton gift by Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J Roy

2011-04-23T16:07:00.000-07:00

Another enjoyable sci-fi ride. Undemanding; perfect escapism for the school holidays.

Helping me help myself by Beth Lipsick

2011-04-23T16:04:00.000-07:00

The idea was interesting -- a year of following the advice of famous self-help 'gurus', but the result wasn't as critical as I'd have liked. Plus she didn't do famous new age writers, sticking to common writers many of whose advice is commonsense. How much more interesting it would have been for her to follow, for example, Lyn Hay... I found her groupie following of Simmons bordering on the sycophantic. A cruise of fatties could have been a lot more entertaining; she seemed to admire him immensely.

When the cat's away by Jackie Rutherford

2011-04-10T15:30:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed this offering from a new NZ author. Would be good for reluctant readers to try as it's not a demanding read, yet the storyline might appeal -- gatecrashers at a party trash the house while the parents are away, & the young people have to earn the money to replace broken things before the parents return. Dialogue shows effective sibling conversations/rivalry.

2011-04-09T17:37:00.000-07:00

This is more of a pulp-ish thriller than science fiction; light entertaining reading. Plot developed many years ago by Card was expended by Johnston: plot to create improved humans by genetic modification by virus. Includes a character with that same condition as in the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo books... (inability to feel pain) which makes it a bit less original

First meetings in the Enderverse by Orson Scott Card

2011-04-09T17:05:00.000-07:00

A delightful selection of short stories both before & after the Ender books. Very much enjoyed them.

August by Bernard Beckett

2011-03-31T12:06:00.000-07:00

Liked the cover, liked the concept, didn't enjoy the book. Supposedly a thriller; sorry, didn't thrill me at all... Maybe I'm too shallow to understand (or care about a single jot) the philosophy espoused. Or maybe one has to be a Catholic?)

After by Amy Efaw

2011-03-31T00:55:00.003-07:00

Very interesting book about a young girl who abandons her newborn baby in a rubbish bin. Totally believable depiction of a teenager in denial about her pregnancy.

Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold

2011-03-31T00:55:00.001-07:00

A kind man by Susan Hill

2011-03-31T00:54:00.003-07:00

Birth of love by Joanna Kavenna

2011-03-31T00:54:00.001-07:00

Never let me go

2011-03-31T00:53:00.001-07:00

You against me by Jenny Downham

2011-03-06T12:10:00.000-08:00

By the author of Before I die, this is sure to be just as popular. I pretty literally couldn't put it down once I started it, the story was so compelling and the characters' plights so difficult. Because of the content, this is more suitable for mature Y10 students and up. It is told from the POV of the two main characters, Mickey & Ellie. He comes from an estate; his mother is an alcoholic, while she is a rich, privileged young woman. Her brother is accused of assaulting his sister. What starts as an attempt at revenge, changes as the characters get to know each other, and Ellie finally realises what she has to do.

An equal music by Vikram Seth

2011-03-06T11:09:00.000-08:00

A couple of people recently recommended this book, & I agree, it is beautifully written and an amazing book. I found it a bit close to the bone when it was revealed that one of the main characters, a pianist, was deaf. A powerful love story, full of pain & grief and loss, yet music shines through in the main character's life. As he says in the final words of the book: "Music, such music, is a sufficient gift." Apparently there is a CD that comprises the music from the book. It'd be great to read it again with the music as accompaniment.

No such thing as the real world: Stories about growing up and getting a life

2011-02-27T16:07:00.000-08:00

Great authors of this short story collection (including Na, Anderson, Lynch. Woodson), but somehow they just didn't appeal to me... Not one story in the whole collection...

My name is Mina by David Almond

2011-02-27T15:03:00.000-08:00

This is a delightful book from an award-winning author. I loved how it is written in a font that looks like hand-writing, and their are lots of other font pleasures as well -- some pages with one word or three huge words or some with white print on black pages. The section on black pages also uses a change of narrative style -- it changes from first person to third person as Mina relates the story of how she ended up being home-schooled; another section in 3rd person tells of her visit to a special school. She also has some boxes with suggested "extraordinary activities" which she does eg "write sentence that fills a whole page" or "write a single word in the centre of a page." An element of sadness imbues the novel, and it ends on a possible positive note for Mina's future.

BIRD CLOUD by Annie Proulx

2011-02-26T16:17:00.000-08:00

Thankfully I have never had an ambition to get a new house built. This book is vindication of that; if you have this common Kiwi ambition, read the book as a remedy... Proulx has written a very sad book; I wonder if it was hastily put together to pay for the huge cost overruns any house building seems to result in. Whatever could go wrong did go wrong, and much more besides.

And I say hastily put together -- to my mind it is not a well-written book, with a jumble of facts & ideas in many chapters eg a paragraph starting: "My mother came from a large rural family" does not really follow that thought anywhere. I feel it is also inexcusable to write a memoir such as this with NO photos of the house, either as it was being built or in its final incarnation. The only photo of the property is the one on the cover of the book.

Something I found incredibly sad was Proulx's realisation that the road to the property was not ploughed in winter despite the realtor's assurance, so it was not possible to live there all year round. She ends with the heartbreaking words "I had to face the fact that how ever much I loved the place, it was not, and never could be, the final home of which I had dreamed."