Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Read in 2013

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Top Ten Books I Read In 2013.

I feel like I always end up with the same books on my top 10 lists. How often can I tell you that I loved The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway or Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell? (See, I did it again!) So for this week’s top 10 list, I thought I’d focus on books I loved… that just haven’t gotten a ton of time in the spotlight from me this year. I went back through all my 5-star books on Goodreads, and picked out the ones that I don’t seem to have raved about quite enough. If you want to read my reviews for any of the books listed, just click on the links.

1) The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker: I’ve included this book a lot on “want to read” lists… but now that I’ve finally read it, I can say without hesitation that it’s one of the best books I read in 2013! I’ll be hosting a blog tour stop for this book on January 7th — stop by!

2) The Book of Secrets by Elizabeth Joy Arnold: Hidden tragedies and family traumas form the backbone of this compelling book, which also highlights the impact of reading and how a good book can open up entire worlds, especially for children.

3) Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel: You know those books that win all the prizes and everyone talks about, so much so that you feel like the books are overhyped and you don’t want to read them? That was how I felt about Hilary Mantel’s books until this year, when I forced myself to bring Wolf Hall on vacation… and found that I absolutely loved it. These two books provide an amazing look back into a fascinating chapter of history and are true literary masterpieces.

4) The Cranes Dance by Meg Howry: I read this book all the way back in January, which feels like a really long time ago. The Cranes Dance is an intricate and intimate look at the backstage life of ballet dancers and the complex relationship between sisters. Psychologically intense and really quite lovely too.

5) The Round House by Louise Erdrich: I didn’t think I’d be all that interested in The Round House, until I heard the author read a chapter and realized that I absolutely had to know what happened next! I’ve always heard good things about Louise Erdrich’s writing, but hadn’t read any of her books before The Round House — a situation I plan to correct in 2014!

6) A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. Powerful, dark, and sad, A Monster Calls is beautiful and awful all at the same time.

7) Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg: This story of a gay teen who decides to reinvent himself in order to try to be “one of the guys” in his new school is surprisingly moving and offers plenty of food for thought. Sensitive, sweet, and often very funny as well, Openly Straight is one of 2013’s gems.

8) The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay: This book is often hard to take, full of pain and tragedy, yet really beautiful as well.

9) Hoot by Carl Hiaasen: I’m choosing Hoot not only because it’s a really fun middle grade book, but because Carl Hiaasen’s books for kids as a whole are hilarious, real, full of adventure, and send great messages about family, friendship, and nature.

10) Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain: This is another award-winner that I didn’t think would be for me — until I finally read it and was blown away. It’s not pretty or easy, but I’d say don’t miss this powerful book.

And I can’t finish off a list of the top books I read in 2013 without giving a shout-out to The Shining by Stephen King, which I re-read in September in preparation for the release of Doctor Sleep. I’m so glad I took the time to re-read this horror classic! I found that my memories of the book had been completely overshadowed by images from the movie, when in reality the book is quite different, much scarier in a creepy, intense way, and just overall much, much better!

Sure, I could go on and on with all of my favorites that I usually put on my top 10 lists, like NOS4A2, The Firebird, Redshirts, The Rosie Project… oops, there I go again!

What books were your favorites in 2013? Any hidden gems or stand-outs? Please share!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider following Bookshelf Fantasies! And don’t forget to check out our regular weekly features, Thursday Quotables and Flashback Friday. Happy reading!

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30Dec2013

The Monday Agenda 12/30/2013

Posted in The Monday Check-In by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Not a lofty, ambitious to-be-read list consisting of 100+ book titles. Just a simple plan for the upcoming week — what I’m reading now, what I plan to read next, and what I’m hoping to squeeze in among the nooks and crannies.

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

The Promise of Amazing

The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine: Done! My review is here.

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker: It took me most of the week to finish this book, and I probably should have taken even more time to savor the gorgeous writing and storytelling. Wow. All I can say is wow. A beautiful, hopeful, passionate, wonderful book. I’m hosting a blog tour stop for this book on January 7th — so be sure to stop by! And — totally making my day — I just found out that the paperback release launch event will be held at one of my favorite bookstores next week, and I’m definitely planning to attend!

Fables, Vol. 19: Snow White (Fables, #19) Runaways, Vol. 1: Pride and Joy (Runaways, #1) Runaways, Vol. 2: Teenage Wasteland

In graphic novels, I had a terrific day tearing my way through three amazing books:
Fables: Snow White (Fables, volume 19)
Runaways: Pride and Joy
Runaways: Teenage Wasteland
You can see my raves about these books here.

What else happened in my bookish life this past week? Well, I wrote two end-of-year wrap-up posts, one focusing on the books I read, and one taking a look at my 2013 resolutions and seeing whether I lived up to them. (Quick spoiler: Yes and no!)

And in the realm of reading with my kiddo:

Dinosaur Summer by Greg Bear: My current read-aloud with my son. We’re soldiering on with this sci-fi read, but it’s slow going… especially during winter break, when there are so many other things to do besides go to bed on time!

Fresh Catch:

So many new books this week!

I picked up a used copy of a book I’ve been wanting, received an ARC in the mail, and won two bookish holiday giveaways!

The Far Side of the Sky After I'm Gone: A Novel

From Bookish, a book and matching tote bag. Cute!

From Little Brown, a box of books — some to keep for myself, some already claimed by friends and family. So cool!

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

Perfect How to Save a Life What Nora Knew Runaways, Vol. 3: The Good Die Young (Runaways, #3)

Perfect by Rachel Joyce: A new book from the author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry! I’m looking forward to reading this ARC. The book’s release date is 1/7/2014.

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr: I took this out of the library last week; better read it before it’s due!

If there’s time, then the next ARC on my list is What Nora Knew by Linda Yellin. And if there’s really time (or even if there’s not…), I think I’ll be continuing with my newest obsession, Runaways!

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

29Dec2013

Getting graphic: My Sunday reading

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Fables: Snow White (volume 19) by Bill Willingham

Fables, Vol. 19: Snow White (Fables, #19) I thought I’d dedicate my sunny Sunday to sitting outdoors, enjoying the blue skies, and devouring my newly arrived copy of Fables, volume 19. Devour it I did, and boy, was it delicious!

I think I’ve made it perfectly clear by now that I’m a huge fan of Fables. So what did I think of volume 19?

First and foremost, it’s Fables! Which is practically synonymous with awesomesauce. Is there any way I’d give a Fables volume less than a 5-star rating at this point? I adore everything about this series, and this volume definitely delivers.

We get a great wrap-up of the Bufkin story to kick things off on a light note, but the rest of the volume takes us to some pretty dark places… and leaves off with a cliffhanger of sorts that makes me want to jump out of my skin (or call up the author and say, “Do something! Take it back! Make it all better!). The action in volume 19 overlaps time-wise with the events of volume 18, which mostly took place in a different world. In volume 19, we see what everyone else was doing while the cubs went missing — and it’s intense and quite unexpected. We split our time mainly between the new Fabletown and the kingdom of Haven, and as always, it’s wonderful to spend time with beloved characters — who by now feel like old friends.

My chief complaint about this series is that I binge-read it when I first started, reading the first 15 or so volumes straight through. Now that I’m caught up, it’s a long six-month wait in between volumes, and I feel like my head might explode by the time the next one is published in 2014!

I guess the bright side here is that I’m behind on the Fairest spin-off series, so at least I don’t have to leave the world of Fables entirely just yet.

Runaways by Brian K. Vaughan
Volume 1: Pride and Joy

Runaways, Vol. 1: Pride and Joy (Runaways, #1)

As if I needed any further convincing… reading Runaways just cements the fact the Brian K. Vaughan can do no wrong! I’d been hearing for years that Runaways is essential reading. Okay, okay, people — you were right!

I sat down and read the first volume of this series, Pride and Joy, and I can see what all the fuss is about. Granted, volume 1 really just lays the groundwork, but the premise is a doozy! As the book blurb makes it clear, all teens think their parents are evil. But in Runaways, this group of six teens is actually right about their parents. After stumbling accidentally onto their parents’ secret membership in something called The Pride, the kids realize there’s a lot more to their parents’ get-togethers than they’d been led to believe. And these kids aren’t powerless either. One way or another, whether through their own inherent super-powers or just access to some really cool toys, these six have to use their strengths to outwit their parents, hide away from all sorts of nefarious bad guys, and maybe try to figure out what the heck’s going on… and stop it.

I don’t know where all this is going yet, but I absolutely intend to find out! Volume 1? Total win.

And hey! There’s a psychic dinosaur involved! If that doesn’t spell awesome, then I don’t know what does.

Runaways by Brian K. Vaughan
Volume 2: Teenage Wasteland

Runaways, Vol. 2: Teenage Wasteland

After a break of oh, at least an hour or two, I couldn’t resist and continued on with volume 2, Teenage Wasteland. And all I can say is… this is going to be good. I love the story so far, I love the exploration of each teen’s developing powers, and I love the context of a big bad conspiracy of evil parents trying to control the world — if only they can get their own kids under control first.

I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to finally read Runaways… but I think it’s safe to say that I’m hooked now, and will probably gobble up the entire series much more quickly than is probably good for me. Then again, who needs to sleep?

28Dec2013

Resolutions, kept and broken: A look back at 2013

Posted in The Reading Life by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Before I launch into a whole new set of bookish resolutions for the New Year, I thought I should do a quick look back to see if I actually kept all — or any — or even a few of my resolutions for 2013. And here’s where I stand:

Resolution: Maintain a healthy ratio of old to new. For every new book, whether purchased or borrowed from the library, I resolved to read at least two that were already in my collection.

Result: Fail! I’m hopeless, I think. The number of unread books on my shelves is simply staggering at this point… and yet the new ones keep coming!

Resolution: No new series. I resolved not to start any new series in 2013, with the exception of new series by authors I already love to read or new-to-me series that have already been published in their entirety.

Result: Success! I can’t think of any series I started this year — with the exception of one or two trickstery books that didn’t warn me up front that there was a big fat “to be continued” lurking at the end. Which is totally not playing fair, as far as I’m concerned. I did read some books in ongoing series that I’m already involved in, and I did read the whole Y: The Last Man series, but those are allowed under my arbitrary rules. This one counts as a win!

Resolution: Patronize local bookstores.

Result: Mixed. I still rely on Amazon for a big bulk of my book purchases, especially now that I’m hooked on my Kindle, but I do make sure to visit the local indie sellers pretty regularly to pick up gifts and random impulse purchases… and if I attend an author appearance or other event at a book store, then I’ll always make it a point to buy something while I’m there.

Resolution: Housekeeping. I resolved to do some serious sorting and put together a bag or two (or three) of books to donate for the next library sale.

Result: Mostly a win. I did take quite a few bags of books out of my house. I co-chaired a book swap at my workplace, which was a huge success — and to which I donated about 25 – 30 books from my own shelves. Everyone who participated walked away with some great finds, plus in the end we donated the remaining books to the library for its next sale — a total of 14 cartons of donated books! My shelves are still overflowing, but I did manage to offload some of the books that I just knew I didn’t need anymore, and got my son to do the same. Honestly, this one is a never-ending challenge, and always will be.

Resolution: Try something new! I resolved to read at least 3 – 5 non-fiction books in 2013, preferable from a few different subject areas.

Result: Hmm. Not really. I read two memoirs, and that’s it. I really should have made more of an effort, but what can I say? I’m a fiction fanatic, from my head to my toes.

Resolution: Face facts. I resolved to admit that I just don’t like short stories and stop trying to force myself to read them.

Result: Success. I read a collection of fairy tales that I was excited about, and picked up an anthology that included stories by authors I love. And that’s it. I just said no to any other offers of short story collections, no matter how highly praised or eagerly pushed at me. Iron willed, that’s me!

Overall? I think that’s what you’d call a decidedly mixed success rate! But that’s okay. I never did lose those extra pounds either…

Some of these will make it onto my 2014 resolution list, in one form or another… along with a few new items that I either will or won’t stick with.

How did you do with your 2013 bookish resolutions? Any big successes that you’re particularly proud of? And any “what was I thinking” items? Let’s round out 2013 by sharing our successes and our “not so much” results!

27Dec2013

2013: My year in books

Posted in The Reading Life by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

2013 was a great year for reading. Bestsellers, hidden gems, older books, books-into-movies — I had a blast, and based on all of my bookish friends’ comments on Goodreads, Twitter, book blogs, and actual in-person conversations (*gasp* – yes, those still happen occasionally!), it sounds like everyone spent some quality time with noses in books.

It’s hard for me to pick a definitive set of “best” books, but here’s a selection of books that made an impression — for good, for bad, really for a whole slew of reasons. As with last year’s year-in-review post, my salute to the books of 2013 is a snapshot of what I loved, what I could have lived without, what made me laugh, what made me cry… and just about everything in between.

[Note: Included here are books that I read in 2013. Many were released in 2013, but some are older. Hey, it’s my list. Make of it what you will.]

[And another note: Click on the links to see my reviews if you’re interested!]

Goodreads stats as of 12/27/2013:

Total number of books read: 145
Total number of pages read: 44,569
Star rating used most often: 4 stars (57 total)
Star rating used least often: 1 star (only 2 this year — not bad!)
Number of five-star ratings: 51

Longest book read: NOS4A2 by Joe Hill, 692 pages
Shortest book read (excluding graphic novels): The Ocean At The End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman, 181 pages

Top Genres/Shelves:

I’m not sure this actually means anything, since I have all sorts of additional weird shelves in Goodreads (twins! will make you cry! werewolves! etc.) that probably skew the numbers… and frankly, I got tired of sorting and resorting. Moving on…

Bests, Worsts, & Other Stuff of Note

Best of the Bunch! If I had to pick just one “best” for each of the the various categories in my handy-dandy chart, my choices would be:

Best children’s (middle grade): The Expeditioners and the Treasure of Drowned Man’s Canyon by S. S. Taylor
Best young adult: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Best contemporary: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
Best graphic novel: Y: The Last Man (series) by Brian K. Vaughan
Best sci-fi/fantasy: The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord
Best love story: Letters From Skye by Jessica Brockmole
Best historical fiction: The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley
Best urban fantasy: Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs

Overall favorite: Gah! That’s like asking me to pick my favorite child. The book that really stands out for me as something truly special, a time-travel book with a compelling love story and excellent historical content, is The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway. Simply outstanding.

Moving on to slightly quirkier book highlights:

Books that make you want to grab a pedometer: Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce.

Best use of Venn diagrams: The Theory of Everything by J. J. Johnson.

Triumphant return of a favorite character: Mercy Thompson in Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs; Harry Dresden in Cold Days by Jim Butcher.

Going out on top: All hail Jane True! Tempest Reborn by Nicole Peeler wraps up the series in style.

Should have quit while she was ahead: Poor Sookie Stackhouse. Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris ends the series several years and several books past its expiration date.

Should have left well enough alone: Let’s just pretend certain sequels don’t exist. I nominate The Shade of the Moon (book #4 in the Last Survivors series) by Susan Beth Pfeffer and The Last Battle (Narnia #7) by C. S. Lewis.

Favorite graphic novel series (already complete) read in 2013: Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan is simply incredible. Absolutely loved it.

Favorite graphic novel series (ongoing) with new volumes in 2013: Where to begin? At the risk of sounding like a broken record, Fables by Bill Willingham is the best thing since sliced bread; for creepy fantasticness, can’t beat Locke & Key by Joe Hill; and in terms of a great beginning to what I hope will be a long-running series, I really enjoyed the first two volumes of Saga by Brian K. Vaughan.

Grrrl power: Let’s hear it for the awesome young women of fiction who inspired, rocked, and ruled, with special praise and recognition to Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein.

Stuff of nightmares: Creeps and shivers galore! Best of the best: NOS4A2 by Joe Hill; Doctor Sleep by Stephen King; Parasite by Mira Grant.

Best book for Big Bang Theory fans: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion has the most Sheldon-like protagonist I’ve ever met… and just made me really, really happy.

Longest awaited sequel: Thank you, Stephen King, for giving us the amazing Doctor Sleep, 16 years after the publication of The Shining. Well worth the wait!

Most disappointing: I preordered Shadows by Robin McKinley months in advance… and couldn’t get past the first 100 or so pages.

Best twist on a familiar story: I loved Longbourn by Jo Baker, a retelling of Pride and Prejudice from the servants’ point of view.

Best author who’s suddenly everywhere: 2013 has to be the year of Rainbow Rowell! I’m one of the many who gobbled up her two decidedly different (and decidedly excellent) young adult novels as well as her book for grown-ups this year.

Best author event: Rainbow Rowell and David Levithan gave a two-person reading that was hilarious and warm and engaging. Hearing them read passages from Fangirl together was priceless! Joe Hill’s appearance and reading of NOS4A2 was also a delight — he was friendly, funny, and just a little bit out there — just as you’d expect.

Rainbow Rowell and David Levithan

Loveliest writing: Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan. Beautiful.

Mind-bendiest timey-wimey weirdness: The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells by Andrew Sean Greer.

Not what it sounds like: The Lover’s Dictionary by David Levithan (not really a dictionary); The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic by Emily Croy Barker (not really a guide to magic).

Best use of f-bombs: Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn — see chapter 11. Brilliant.

Favorite quirky titles: Mrs. Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn; Revenge of the Girl With the Great Personality by Elizabeth Eulberg.

Best armchair travels via fiction: Scotland via A Small Death in the Great Glen by A. D. Scott; Africa via A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn; Egypt via Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell.

Most haunting apocalypse: Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts.

Best alien encounter: The Humans by Matt Haig.
Worst (for humanity) alien encounter (in a terrific book): The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey.

Best history lessons via fiction: Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell; The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley; Gathering Storm by Maggie Craig, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel; Garden of Stones by Sophie Littlefield.

Worst to read with a meal: Parasite by Mira Grant. Ew.

Best for a geek-tastic laugh: Redshirts by John Scalzi.

Most eye-catching covers:

Biggest sources of guilt: Buying three books that I couldn’t wait to read — preordered the hardcovers, no less! — and never making time to read them: Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki, and The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer.

Bookish delight on TV: Game of Thrones never fails to deliver. Brutal, beautiful, heart-breaking. “Red Wedding” says it all.

Bookish delights at the movies: I was once again quite pleased with the latest Hunger Games adaptation: Catching Fire was just as it should be. Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing was pure bliss. And The Hobbit? Well, I liked the dragon. And Thorin Oakenshield is one awesome dwarf king.

Bookish delight, all year long:

All the many, many books which, for whatever reason, I can’t quite categorize but still really enjoyed (plus a few that are probably better off forgotten). It’s been a great year of reading! I can’t wait to see what treasures I’ll uncover in 2014!

What were your favorite books of 2013? What surprised or excited you the most? Please share your top reads and recommendations in the comments!

26Dec2013

Book Review: The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Book Review: The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine
(to be released December 31, 2013)

The Promise of Amazing In this young adult tale of opposites attracting, Wren is the good girl, burdened by her average status. She’s mainly known for being quiet, and ranks right smack-dab in the middle of her class at her all-girls Catholic high school. Bad boy Grayson, expelled by his all-boys private school after being exposed for running a business as — in his words — a “term-paper pimp”, is suffering through his uninteresting days in public school, isolated from his friends and removed from his glory days as a lacrosse star.

Wren and Grayson meet cute — or meet gross, depending on your perspective — when he chokes on a cocktail weenie at her family’s catering hall and she saves his life by performing the Heimlich. Followed promptly by him vomiting on her shoes. Despite the life endangerment and the puke, the two have a moment of connection… and thus starts the romance of Wren and Grayson.

Yes, it’s pretty much an insta-love connection. Neither can stop thinking about the other, and they have a few awkward encounters before realizing that whatever is between them might hold the “promise of amazing”. Told in alternating chapters, we hear each character’s thoughts about the other, as each tries to forge a new path in hopes of being worthy of the other.

Of the two, Grayson has the most to overcome. His term-paper pimpdom is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of shady dealings. He’s hiding a big secret involving a truly revolting scheme involving him and the other privileged boys from his former school. When Wren ponders that Grayson doesn’t feel that he’s good enough for her, I wanted to yell, “It’s true!” Yes, everyone deserves a second chance, an opportunity to reform — but Gray’s past is pretty awful, and I’m not sure that he deserves such a quick and easy redemption, one in which he never actually pays for the terrible things he’s done, other than a week of Wren feeling angry at him.

It’s gratifying to see Wren learn to stand up for herself more and grow a spine, finally speaking up for herself with the popular mean girl and with the guidance counselor who doesn’t seem to see Wren’s true potential. I enjoyed Wren’s down-to-earth connection with her two best friends, as well as her healthy relationships with her parents and her older siblings.

Both Wren and Grayson come from fairly well-off families, and the sense of entitlement permeates the entire story. Even though Wren’s family business is going down the tubes, there’s never a sense that their financial well-being is at stake. Grayson, too, comes from money, and while his home life is divided between divorced and remarried parents, the overall sense is that he has a stable, worry-free life on his hands, which makes his past actions seems even less comprehensible and more the actions of a bored, spoiled rich kid.

I didn’t hate The Promise of Amazing, and in fact, it’s a fast-paced story that is easy to get caught up in, so much so that I couldn’t tear my eyes away because I needed to know what happened next. But in terms of message and storytelling? Well, no. Grayson is not an admirable character, and despite his desire to change and be worthy of Wren, I just couldn’t get past his serious wrong-doing and his lack of atonement. Having to ‘fess up to Wren and possibly lose her was painful, sure — but even then, it all got patched up pretty quickly, no lasting damage. Without going into detail about what he’s done, suffice it to say that Gray didn’t really seem to earn the redemption that he’s granted in this novel.

Things I liked:

Wren is a quiet girl, but that doesn’t mean she’s not smart or savvy, and she’s certainly not weak. Let’s hear it for the quiet ones! As Wren puts it, “Being quiet was not a conscious protest. It was my nature.” And by the end of the book, when she asserts herself in a payback plot, she points out that “he had toyed with the wrong quiet chick.” On behalf of introverts everywhere, thank you!

Things I didn’t like:

Once Gray’s secret comes to light and Wren unburdens herself to her best friends, one takes the position that Gray’s past actions are “kind of… hot.””

I didn’t say I approved. What he did was awful, but he sort of got karmic payback getting kicked out school. Don’t you think? And, well, he hasn’t done any of this in a while, right? Like months. A guy with a past is hot.

Um, really? His horrible actions are all okay, because they were “like months” ago — and now it’s kind of hot? That’s taking the bad boy thing to a whole new level of wrongness, in my opinion.

This bizarre take on teen morality continues a bit further on:

What I’m getting at is — so what if he’s been with other girls? It only means he’s experienced. You’ve been with other guys — is he all jacked up over that? We’re sixteen… this is how it’s supposed to be.

As I write this, I realize that this twisted take on right and wrong bothers me a lot more than I realized while I reading the book. I just can’t buy the basic premise of the bad boy being reformed by the good girl. Maybe in some stories, it works, but here it feels too easy. The worst consequence that anyone truly faces in The Promise of Amazing is an expulsion from private school — although the term-paper pimpage seems to have been quieted up sufficiently that Gray won’t face damaged college prospects — and a few teary misunderstandings on the path to true love.

Teen love can be grand and full of drama. But to be convincing, it has to have stakes and feel earned. In The Promise of Amazing, the main thing that’s amazing is how quickly Wren and Gray fall in love, and how easily all of their differences — and his shady past — can be overcome.

_________________________________________

The details:

Title: The Promise of Amazing
Author: Robin Constantine
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication date: 2013
Genre: Young adult/contemporary
Source: Review copy courtesy of Balzer + Bray via Edelweiss

25Dec2013

Thursday Quotables: The Golem and the Jinni

Posted in Thursday Quotables by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Welcome back to Thursday Quotables! This weekly feature is the place to highlight a great quote, line, or passage discovered during your reading each week. Whether it’s something funny, startling, gut-wrenching, or just really beautifully written, Thursday Quotables is where my favorite lines of the week will be, and you’re invited to join in!

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
HarperCollins, 2013

He was beginning to shiver, but he ignored it. Instead he turned and gazed up at the city that rose from the water’s edge, the enormous square buildings that reached far into the heavens, their windows set with perfect panes of glass. As fantastical as cities like ash-Sham and al-Quds had seemed from the caravan men’s tales, the Jinni doubted that they’d been half so wondrous or terrifying as this New York. If he must be marooned in an unknown land, surrounded by a deadly ocean, and constrained to one weak and imperfect form, at least he’d ended up somewhere worth exploring.

Does anyone not love New York???

What lines made you laugh, cry, or gasp this week? Do tell!

If you’d like to participate in Thursday Quotables, it’s really simple:

Write a Thursday Quotables post on your blog. Try to pick something from whatever you’re reading now. And please be sure to include a link back to Bookshelf Fantasies in your post (http://www.bookshelffantasies.com), if you’d be so kind!
Click below (next to the cute froggy face) to link up your post! And be sure to visit other linked blogs to view their Thursday Quotables too.
Have a quote to share but not a blog post? Leave your quote in the comments.
Have fun!

23Dec2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I’d Love To Get As Gifts

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Top Ten Books I Wouldn’t Mind Santa Bringing Me.

Sadly, my house is not on Santa’s route (and I promise, it’s not because I’ve been naughty this year!) Still, if some magical bearer of gifts happened to drop by, these are the books I’d be hoping for! As I did last year when this topic came up, I’m filling up my list with books that I’d love to receive, but for whatever reason — high price, feeling like too big an indulgence, a “nice to have” but not really a necessary book — I just most likely wouldn’t buy these for myself. (Ahem, secret gift givers — are you paying attention??)

1) Firefly: A Celebration by Joss Whedon

Description: Titan’s three bestselling Firefly titles collected together at last, just in time for the 10th anniversary of Joss Whedon’s beloved series. This huge, 544 page full colour volume is simply one of the most lavish books ever produced for a TV show, and is presented in a foil-stamped leather-effect binding. Plus, as an exclusive bonus for this edition, a pocket at the back of the book contains 9 frameable photo prints of the cast, featuring rare and previously unseen images, and a facsimile of one of the prop banknotes used in the show.

2)Bone: Full Color One Volume Edition by Jeff Smith

Bone is one of my very favorite things ever. I love the artwork, the story, and the ridiculous stupid rat creatures. We have the 9 individual books, but I’m sure lusting after this all-in-one version. However… at about $100, this isn’t an edition I’m likely to buy unless I’m suddenly discovered by some long-lost wealthy relative… I can dream, can’t I?

3) The new Harry Potter collection:

Do I need another set of Harry Potter in my house? Well, no. But I’m so enchanted by the new cover artwork by Kazu Kibuishi… and this boxed set would look so pretty on my shelf…

4) The Hobbit: Illustrated Edition by J. R. R. Tolkien; Illustrated by Jemima Catlin

Have you seen the images from this new illustrated edition of The Hobbit? Just gorgeous. This may be one book that I’ll end up treating myself to. Want, want, want.

5) I would be tickled pink to receive pretty much any book from the Barnes and Noble Collectible Editions library. Here are few that I especially covet… but really, I’d take ’em all if I could:

Dracula and Other Horror Classics (Barnes & Noble Collectible Editions) The Bronte Sisters: Three Novels (Barnes & Noble Collectible Editions) Anne of Green Gables (Barnes & Noble Collectible Editions)

6) Fosse by Sam Wasson:

Buying this 750 page book for myself would feel too over-the-top indulgent, especially given that I have a lousy track record when it comes to finishing non-fiction books. If I owned it, it might just sit on my shelf for umpteen years… but I’d like to at least page through it for a while! (I think this is why they invented libraries.)

7 – 10) There are a whole bunch of books that I’ve read over the years, borrowed from friends or from the library, that I’d really like to read again — or at least have on my shelf for a rainy day. I can’t quite justify paying full price for these, but if a holiday elf wanted to drop one off, I’d be grateful!

Life Redshirts The Snow Child Wonderstruck

And a bonus pick:

This isn’t a book, but it’s certainly bookish. Last year, I used a holiday gift card to treat myself to My Ideal Bookshelf by Thessaly La Force and Jane Mount. It’s an absolutely beautiful book, and I’ve had so much fun leafing through it and picking out all of my favorites. So this year, what I really covet is one of the prints available through the Ideal Bookshelf website. My only difficulty is in picking just one: Do I want:

Ideal Bookshelf 660: Girl Stars

or perhaps:

Ideal Bookshelf 629: Fantasy

If I had unlimited dollars and unlimited wall space, I think I’d want them all! Or maybe totally splurge, and get a custom painting! (Check out the options here.)

So that’s my little holiday cheer list for whatever extra-special pixies are circling my house bearing gifts!

What are you hoping to find under your tree, in your stocking, or in the UPS driver’s hands this year? Whatever you’re wishing for, I wish you good health, good friends, lots of laughter, and amazing reading!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider following Bookshelf Fantasies! And don’t forget to check out our regular weekly features, Thursday Quotables and Flashback Friday. Happy reading!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

23Dec2013

The Monday Agenda 12/23/2013

Posted in The Monday Check-In by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

Gathering Storm The Firebird (Slains, #2) Dear Mr. Knightley

Gathering Storm by Maggie Craig: I read this wonderful historical novel the previous week, but posted a review and Q&A with the author just this past week.

The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley: Done! Loved it. My review is here.

Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay: Done! My review is here.

What else happened this week in my reading life? Well, I freaked out a teensy bit about book genres. You can read all about it here.

And in the realm of reading with my kiddo:

Dinosaur Summer by Greg Bear: This sci-fi book isn’t the easiest for reading aloud, but my son and I are committed to seeing it through. It’s interesting, but not necessarily what we expected.

Fresh Catch:

Two new books came my way this week — both of which I tracked down based on recommendations from other book bloggers. Plus, I picked up a Sara Zarr novel at the library, since I enjoyed Roomies so much.

The Fate of Mercy Alban Howl's Moving Castle (Howl's Moving Castle, #1) How to Save a Life

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

The Promise of Amazing

The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine: I’m looking forward to reading this ARC. The book’s release date is 12/31/2013.

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker: I’ve been wanting to read this book since the day it came out last spring! And now, with its paper release coming up at the end of this month, I’m finally committing to reading it. Plus, I’m scheduled to participate in the blog tour in January, so all systems are go!

One of my winter TBR top 10 picks is the Runaways graphic novel series. I’ve been hearing about it for years! Time to give it a try — and if I love volume 1, I’ll probably end up just plowing on through.

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

22Dec2013

Book Review: Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Book Review: Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay

Dear Mr. Knightley This debut novel combines the wit of Austen with the gritty pluck of Bronte, but with a modern-day setting that adds several unexpected twists and a deeper level of truth and examination than I’d expected.

In Dear Mr. Knightley, main character Samantha (who goes by Sam) is a college grad on the verge of aging out of the support systems available to former foster kids. With the prodding of her mentor, Father John, who runs the group home in which she lives, Sam applies for a grant from an anonymous foundation. This grant will enable her to enroll in graduate school, and will cover all expenses while she pursues her degree. The only catch is that Sam must write a series of letters to her benefactor, who uses the pseudonym George Knightley, knowing it will appeal to Sam’s inner Austen-phile and keep his true identity a secret.

Sam’s life has not been easy, and she is plagued by self-doubt. She’s spent all her life feeling unloved and unwanted, and has hidden herself away in the pages of her beloved books. When anxious or faced with a need to connect with people, she hides behind her characters, quoting Lizzy Bennet or Emma or even Edmond Dantes — which lets her keep her walls intact, and ensures that anyone who tries to reach out to her will run in the opposite direction.

But once Sam receives her grant and starts her graduate program in journalism, she realizes that her walls are crumbling — and that she needs to let them. She can’t succeed as a writer if she keeps her heart hidden away; she can’t connect as a friend if she refuses to let anyone know her. As Sam narrates her tale via letters to Mr. Knightley, we witness her fears, her doubts, her pain, and her glimmers of joy. We delight with her when she sees new possibilities, but we can’t help but want to cry every time poor wounded Sam seems to be making another counter-productive decision based on insecurity and lack of confidence.

I enjoyed the writing style here very much. The entire book is told via Sam’s letters to Mr. Knightley, so it’s all first-person and very immediate. She writes from her heart to her anonymous correspondent, allowing herself the freedom in her letters to reveal herself in all the ways she’d never do with a real person. While occasionally seeming more naive than seems reasonable for a 23-year-old, I could suspend my disbelief based on the facts of Sam’s life. If she seems to have odd ideas about friendship, connection, and relationships, it’s understandable, given that she bounced from foster family to foster family, experienced disastrous encounters with her real parents, and finally ended up at the group home for the remainder of her teen and early adult years.

If you happened to read my blog yesterday (here), then you may have seen my mini-freak-out about finding out that a book I was reading was listed on Amazon as “Christian fiction”. This is the book that triggered all of that. And it’s puzzling to me. Had I not come across that designation on Amazon, I don’t think it would have occurred to me to think of this book as anything other than contemporary fiction. Yes, there were passages, especially toward the end, where Sam is encouraged toward “surrender” and finding joy in faith. But it’s not heavy-handed, I didn’t feel like the book itself was proselytizing in any way, and the references to characters’ faith and beliefs felt organic and reasonable within the context of the story. What I had feared might be a problem for me really wasn’t. So, after much ado about nothing, all’s well that ends well! (Sorry… )

The book is a quick read, but it’s not fluffy. It does seem that things always work out for Sam in a big way. Too sugar-coated, perhaps? Yes, it can seem like a fairy tale at points, the way the grants, the internships, the supportive people always come through just when needed. But that is balanced, for the most part, by a refusal to gloss over the harder parts of Sam’s life, so truly, even if it seems unlikely that things could work out so well in real life, there’s no doubt that Sam has earned all that comes her way by the end.

I mentioned earlier that I liked the writing style — and I really did, except for a certain phrasing oddity that kept jumping out at me: Whenever characters use the work “couple”, it’s phrased as “a couple papers”, “a couple internships”, “a couple days ago”. What happened to the “of”??? Is this a regional quirk, perhaps? I have no idea, but it really bugged me. This is a minor quibble, though; for the most part, I enjoyed Sam’s voice very much. Some epistolary novels seem forced, using the letter format as a gimmick that doesn’t always allow for fully fleshed-out storytelling. This is not the case in Dear Mr. Knightley: Through Sam’s letters, we get insight into her heart and mind in a way that might not have worked otherwise, and because we know that Sam herself is a skilled writer, it makes sense that her letters are so articulate and thoughtful.

If you’ve read the 1912 novel Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster, then the secrets and resolution of Dear Mr. Knightley won’t be a surprise. But even knowing how it would work out, I still enjoyed the author’s skill in weaving the backbone of the older book into this fresh novel, finding a way to take a set of circumstances that might seem old-fashioned and apply them to a modern setting in a way that’s believable.

I’m glad that I didn’t let the genre issue keep me from exploring and enjoying this touching, delightful book. Skillfully weaving together threads of classic literature into a modern-day setting that rings true, Dear Mr. Knightley is a lovely look at the journey of a special young woman. I’m happy to have read it, and I’m happy to recommend it.

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The details:

Title: Dear Mr. Knightley
Author: Katherine Reay
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication date: 2013
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Review copy courtesy of Thomas Nelson via NetGalley