Who's Seen the Scissors?

Who's Seen Scissors by Fernando Krahn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A humorous wordless book about a pair of flying scissors. Recommended for older preschoolers to first grade. :)



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The Awakening

The Awakening by Kate Chopin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I dislike books with whiny protagonists for the most part. I can sympathize for Edna, though. To have nothing that you can call your own is very difficult. The Awakening in some ways reminds me of Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own in the need to carve out a piece of one's life just for one's self without all the demands & expectations of friends, family, etc... Having a toddler at home, I understand the innately selfish demands of children and that they're not allayed just by having someone else around to help with the kids. Having a nanny (or a great daycare provider) & knowing the kids are in good hands doesn't remove the feelings of guilt for not being there yourself, for losing your temper over something small, etc... It is extremely difficult to feel like one is "enough" for this task alone.

And yet.

And yet, I think many women dream about who they might be if they stood on their own. "Who is this woman who is mother, wife, daughter? Who would I be if I really wasn't afraid of what they'd think or say." Though I think Edna overreacted to her situation, I can understand the despair that compels her actions (and having a husband who's considering the nuthatch doesn't help either). This book makes me grateful I live at a time where it's common for women to have a career and a family because it does give us time during the day and a place to be someone other than "Mama."

I'd recommend this book to most mothers of young children - though probably not to one who's depressed or really short on sleep. I think that A Room of One's Own would be a terrific follow-up to this book if reading for school (or pleasure).



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The Bloody Chamber

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Wonderful use of language and imagery. All the praise from my online book group members is richly deserved! I'd recommend this to (grown-up) fantasy readers looking for something a little different. These stories are definitely not written for children, but are not more violent or explicit than many of the YA books that are being published right now. No foul language, but there are violent scenarios and sexual imagery. For readers wanting to revel in the richness of the English language, these stories will be a delicacy.



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Handa's Surprise

Handa's Surprise by Eileen Browne

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This would be a good storytime book. :) Recommended for preschoolers since it appeals to their sense of humor and teaches colors, fruits, and (subtly) subtraction.



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Rosario+ Vampire

Rosario+Vampire, Vol. 2 by Akihisa Ikeda

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This series is growing on me. It's cute. Some of the innuendo might bother some parents, but it's pretty innocent for the most overall. The same parents might be bothered by the monster slaying also - or that there are monsters to begin with. Its general themes are fitting in, sticking up for friends, fairness, and getting through high school.



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Hirugashi When They Cry

Higurashi When They Cry, Vol. 2 by Ryukishi07

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Psychological horror in manga form. Very well done. :) Are there curses, demons, ghosts? Or is it all in the victims' minds? I'd recommend this series to fans of Japanese horror films (or even the American remakes) as well as Japanese horror fiction or other psychological thrillers.



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The Wood Beyond the World

The Wood Beyond the World by William Morris

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The plot of The Wood Beyond the World by William Morris is not particularly complex and is trite by today's standards. However, this is one of the books that started the "dude from mostly humble beginnings ends up in magical land and becomes king somehow" fantasy trend. Lots of ye-olde style language, but nothing unmanageable. Overall, definitely should be read by fans of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, as those readers will delight in discovering the ways this book influenced the work of those authors in particular. For other readers, if you like fairy tales, you'll probably like this book.



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All My Friends Are Dead

All My Friends Are Dead by Avery Monsen

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Somewhat amusing. 3 minute read-time. I had hoped for at least some funny cartoons, but they were only somewhat entertaining at best. If you're curious, get it from the library or read at the bookstore. I'd only purchase it if I were giving it as a gag gift.



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Pretty Face

Pretty Face by Mary Hogan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Pretty Face by Mary Hogan is a coming of age/romance novel for teens. Very well-done, I thought. And I also liked how the author didn't tie up things *too* neatly. I'd probably recommend it to fans of Meg Cabot. It's not as funny, but it's similar in that the main characters are female & learning to be themselves while finding their place in the world - with the romantic edge. I have to say that it was the descriptions of Italy (& the Italian boyfriend haha) that really made the book for me.



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The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun

The Lady in the Car with the Glasses and a Gun by Sébastien Japrisot

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The book took awhile to read because until the end, neither the characters nor you, the reader are sure what's happening. Thus, it takes some extra effort. It's a great story though and is tied up well in the end. Not a book for everyone and not as straightforward as an American noir novel, but a wonderful addition to the genre. Highly recommended to all noir fiction fans!



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Pox Party

The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Very interesting concept. Makes one question the motivation behind the American Revolution - not a bad thing for young people to be encouraged toward critical thinking. Anderson is a great & very versatile writer too - the difference between Octavian Nothing and Feed is tremendous. Definitely worthwhile for anyone who enjoys the Revolutionary War time period or is interested in African American history in the US.



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Blind Man With a Pistol

Blind Man with a Pistol by Chester Himes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Lots of action. Definitely in a hard-boiled style. Racial tension, several murders, various other crimes make for a tense read. The story moves back and forth in time a bit, but in general progresses chronologically. I especially like it because the disjointedness between the chapters imitates the chaos of events and the confusion of the police (both the African American detectives - the main characters - and the personality-less white cops & detectives & officials they work with). Very sophisticated as far as hard-boiled crime novels go. :) Recommended for anyone who likes hard-boiled crime novels or is interested in the mid-20th century race riots.



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Christmas Mouse Too!

Visit from Saint Nicholas: And Santa Mouse, Too! by Clement Mouse

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Read several times this year for the holidays. :)



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I Can Has Cheezburger?

I enjoy the website, so I thought I'd take a look at the book. It's a little disappointing. You're better off having the website's RSS feed. Not a complete waste of time, but it was only 15 minutes. The little cartoons are amusing, but I'd have really felt ripped off if I'd purchased it.

Sybil

This book by Flora Rheta Schreiber chronicles the treatment of a woman with multiple personality disorder & is the classic book that the movie was based on. Recommended for readers interested in mental illness and for people who read books that feature a main character (real or fictional) with massive problems who may or may not come out on top in the end (e.g. A Child Called It, etc., Go Ask Alice, etc...). It's long, but worth it for those readers.

It Ain't All About the Cookin'

This book gives readers the inside story about Paula Deen's life before she became a Food Network celebrity. It recounts her struggles with single parenthood and agoraphobia. I really enjoyed "getting to know" Paula since she goes out of her way to make her television viewers feel as though they'd be welcome in her home. Definitely recommended for Paula's fans and for people interested in reading a memoir of a person overcoming the odds to live the American dream.

Incredible Journey

Another children's book it's hard to believe that I missed as a youngster. Boy, to read these posts, you'd think I hadn't opened a book until 2005! Sheila Burnford's story of a young Labrador retriever, a older bull terrier, and an aloof Siamese cat speaks to a broad audience. Enjoyable by children and adults too! This book is especially great to read if a child's just read Where the Red Fern Grows or Old Yeller. Definitely an uplifting animal story. Not as complicated to read as Call of the Wild or White Fang, The Incredible Journey gives readers the feel of the wilderness and the search for home & those who love us that's both exciting and comforting.

Highly recommended for grades 3-6. Also highly recommended for anyone else who loves animals & enjoys animal stories.

Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously

I selected this book for my library's January book club selection (yes, you can see what a slow-poke I am about my postings if you hadn't already noticed!). Being in my early 30's, I can sympathize with Julie's housekeeping (even though my own apartment has never been quite as bad as hers), her relationship with her husband, and friends. I also am able to sympathize with her desire for "something else" - a challenge, something new, something to blast one out of his/her rut.... something.

I found the book engaging, candid, and at points, laugh-out-loud funny. If you're easily offended by the f-word, you might want to select a different book. While it's not on every page, it's sprinkled throughout the text with some regularity.

Highly recommended for most adults - especially those searching for a way out of their own rut. Perhaps the answers are simpler than we think.

Red Chrysanthemum

In this installment of Laura Joh Rowland's series starring Sano Ichiro (he has various titles depending on how far along in the series you are), we find disturbing parallels to the news in the contemporary United States - the horrors of child molestation and child murder. Rowland explores the political intrigue and dangers surrounding exposing & proving these charges in the setting of feudal Japan. More a thriller than a mystery, Sano and his wife, Lady Reiko, find themselves trapped by the roles they are expected to play in their society. While trying to stop the heinous practices of another member of the aristocracy, Lady Reiko finds herself (and therefore her husband and son) in greater danger than ever before.

Rowland masterfully portrays the feudal Japanese setting, explaining potentially unfamiliar concepts without breaking the action. The tension of the social structure as it existed in Japan at that time adds to the suspense of this thriller/mystery. I've read all the books in this series and look forward to her next! The characters are as well-rounded and complex as the setting. Readers interested in this setting will not be disappointed! The dialogue is rich and not stilted.

Interested readers should start with Rowland's first novel, Shinju and will be grateful there are many more in the series to read after that! Her latest book in the series is The Snow Empress, which I can't wait to get my hands on!

Good-bye Mr. Chips

While many reviewers praise this book by James Hilton on its sentimental interpretation of the story of an English schoolteacher, Mr. Chipping (aka the titular Mr. Chips), I found the story to be sad, though not depressing. I thought of it less as a portrait of an institution or a boarding school Everyman, than as a story of someone passed by & not really thought about by his peers or students. Having the people in his life regard him flippantly (though without malice) as "Mr. Chips" made me sad that no one really knew him. Probably, though he cared for his students, the young men they became probably didn't think twice about him after they left school. The picture I saw was a very lonely one. I suppose in a way, he is an Everyman in the sense that we can never really can know those around us, but still - I'd like to think some of us are more sensitive to the needs of others than most of the people around poor Mr. Chipping. Maybe that's the entire point of the sentimental story.

Recommended for middle and high school students. Also recommended for general audience.