Mini-review: Friends With Boys by Faith Erin Hicks

Posted in Book Reviews by

Book Review: Friends With Boys by Faith Erin Hicks

Friends with BoysIn the young adult graphic novel Friends With Boys, Maggie has been home-schooled her entire life, but all that is about to change. Daughter of the police chief, little sister to three older brothers, it’s time for Maggie to face the real world… by attending public high school. It’s loud, it’s crowded, it’s overwhelming, but soon Maggie finds friends in dare-to-be-different Lucy and her protective big brother Alastair. To complicate matters, Maggie misses her mother, who abandoned the family for reasons left unexplained. And — oh, yeah, there’s a ghost. Maggie is haunted by the ghost of a woman who died of a broken heart years centuries earlier, and even though she doesn’t do much except hover around, Maggie would kind of like to be left alone.

I loved the artwork in Friends With Boys. The characters are well-defined, each with an individual style, and their faces are quite expressive. Maggie is cute, a bit of a non-conformist without being obviously “in your face” about it, definitely a girl who’d like to hang with her brothers rather than hit the mall or paint her toenails. I liked the book very much. Without having to shout about it, Friends With Boys shows the incredible strength that can come from having a supportive family, the importance of staying loyal, and how difficult it can be to be different. In a variety of ways, each character has had to decide whether to choose popular acceptance over individual quirks, and the book does a great job of reinforcing the idea that true friendships can only happen when the people involved value each other as they are, not as they “should” be.

This is listed as a young adult graphic novel. I’d recommend it for adults as well as teens. The story is engaging, the characters are dynamic, the artwork is light-hearted but detailed, and the plot never drags. Check it out!

Book Review: Tempest Reborn by Nicole Peeler

Posted in Book Reviews by

Book Review: Tempest Reborn by Nicole Peeler

Tempest Reborn (Jane True, #6)Question: How do you write a review for the sixth and final book in a series without giving away spoilers for the earlier books?

Answer: Very, very carefully.

Tempest Reborn is the eagerly anticipated final entry in Nicole Peeler’s hip, funny urban fantasy series about small-town girl Jane True, who is definitely a lot more than she appears to be. When we first meet Jane in book one, Tempest Rising, she’s an introverted 20-something living in Rockabill, Maine, where she’s both ostracized and demonized for causing her high school sweetheart’s death — at least, that’s how the most vocal townies see it. Jane worries about her not-so-healthy father and works in the charmingly named Read It and Weep bookstore, has terribly low self-esteem, and escapes to the ocean for a swim whenever she needs a pick-me-up. Jane’s world is completely rocked, and forever altered, when she stumbles upon a murder and gets caught up in the investigation. The biggest revelation? Jane’s mother was a selkie, and Jane herself is considered a halfling — half human, half supernatural, with magical powers and gifts that she could never have imagined.

Over the course of the six books in the series, Jane learns more about the hidden supernatural world, develops her powers, finds deep and meaningful friendships and connections , and at the same time, becomes embroiled in supernatural scheming and politics, has her life endangered countless times — and  finds the love of her life.

Meanwhile, throughout, we get to know Jane, and boy, is she a delight. Jane is a down-to-earth kind of girl, happiest in leggings and a t-shirt, fond of sweets and snacks, and not too shy about her libido. You could say that Jane’s appetite for delicious food is matched (or exceeded) only by her appetite for hot, no-holds-barred sex. (Not that she’s at all slutty, mind you; but when the right guy comes along, wowza, does she have fun.)

Nicole Peeler’s writing is uproariously funny. Like, I laugh out loud when I read these books, and I am not easily prone to fits of LOLing when I read. Jane is hilarious, silly, loyal, blunt, and really rather adorable.  Some delicious little Jane-isms from earlier books:

I wasn’t running now so much as stumbling quickly, panting like a geriatric lion. (Tracking the Tempest)

That hair-pulling thing he did really peeled my bananas. (Eye of the Tempest)

They were paragons of conservative propriety in public, but in private they swung like pinatas. (Tempest’s Legacy)

Some heroes are born. Some are made. And some are bribed with promises of food and sex. (Tempest’s Fury)

In Tempest Reborn, all of Jane’s struggles and triumphs reach a climax, with danger and disaster lurking around every corner. Book #5, Tempest’s Fury, ended in one of the cruelest cliffhangers I’ve ever read — particularly in a series that generally leavens the deadly peril with big doses of hilarity. That ending! I think Jane True fans everywhere let out a collective shriek on the last page… and then we waited… and waited… for Tempest Reborn.

Tempest Reborn picks up immediately after that shocker of an ending, and proceeds to slam readers up and down and off the walls a few times in the first few chapters alone. This is a decidedly much less funny book, simply because Jane is dealing with calamitous events, and there’s precious little to smile about, much less indulge in out-and-out laughs. The stakes are higher than they’ve ever been, Jane is at the center of the ultimate power struggle, and her life and the lives of everyone she loves hang in the balance. And… I really can’t say more about the plot. Read the books, dammit!

Nicole Peeler has a remarkable gift for language, creating a texture and idiom in her narration and dialogue that’s easily identifiable as belonging to Jane’s world. And what a rich world it is! The author’s talents extend to an incredibly creative knack for world-building. The rules and intricacies of this supernatural society are superbly defined, so that we the readers absolutely know by the sixth book what it all means and where our beloved characters fit in.

Plus, it’s all just great fun. Memorable characters include Iris the succubus, Daoud the djinn (who seems to be able to pull any object he needs out of his magical pants), Caleb the satyr (who is pants-challenged), Nell the gnome, Anyan the incredibly hot barghest, and on and on. There’s royalty, there are rebels, and — check out the cover — there are even dragons.

As a fan of the series, I was completely satisfied by the dramatic conclusion to the story — and very appreciative of the epilogue (which, again, I won’t say anything about, because — spoilers!). I’m sad to see it all come to an end, but I’ve enjoyed every moment of reading this uproariously funny, sweetly romantic, and scorchingly sexy series. I can only hope that Nicole Peeler will choose to set more stories in this universe that she’s created — but whatever she writes next, I’m in.

janes2

My Jane True collection. Read ’em all!

Armchair BEA: Children’s Literature

Posted in Blogging by

Today’s Armchair BEA topic is Children’s Literature:

From picture books to middle grade to young adult novels, this is a category that encompasses books that young and old alike flock to on a daily basis.

As a reader and as a mom, I love children’s books. When my kids were little, we had piles and piles of board books in every nook and cranny of the house. As they got older, we’d hit the library each weekend and come home with armloads of picture books. Older still, we moved on to chapter books and kids’ non-fiction books on topics as varied as jellyfish, how to build a castle, and what life is like on the International Space Station.

Now that my little guy is not so little any more (just graduated from elementary school!), his tastes have matured as well. We still read out loud together at night, although I’m guessing that he’ll tell me he’s too old for it in the not-so-distant future. Meanwhile, I’m enjoying it while I can. I love revisiting old favorites and discovering new and amazing authors and titles, and I love even more seeing my son get excited by a new book or be filled with wonder as we explore magical lands.

I think of all the books we’ve read, the best reading experiences for both of us have involved books about magical worlds. This is just my opinion, of course, but I do believe that children who are exposed to the wonders of fantasy through fiction grow up to appreciate a much broader scope of literary genres and imaginative flights of fancy. My personal favorites include:

  • The Harry Potter series. I’ve read it countless times on my own, and most recently read the entire series out loud (!) to my son over the course of a 10-month period. Amazing experience.
  • Narnia. I missed out on these books as a child, but I’m now reading these with my son and finding so much to love.
  • The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials series) by Philip Pullman.
  • Half Magic and Knight’s Castle by Edward Eager. Or really, anything by Edward Eager.
  • A Wrinkle in Time.
  • The Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce. For slightly older girls, especially, a fantastic series with an unbeatable girl power message.

I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of reading good quality children’s literature, even when my son is too old and too cool to have his mom read to him any longer. There’s something so lovely about these books — the ability to dream, to take chances, to imagine, to believe.

So yes, I read children’s books, I review children’s books, and I love children’s books!

 

Armchair BEA: Non-Fiction

Posted in Blogging by

And for today’s second Armchair BEA topic: Non-Fiction — do you read it? do you review it? what types of non-fiction do you prefer?

My reading preference is strongly, strongly, strongly (yes, strongly!) weighted toward fiction — but I do sneak in some non-fiction, here and there, as the mood strikes me.

In order for me to read non-fiction, I have to feel some sort of attraction to the topic, and the writing has to be sharp and flowing. I shy away from how-to books, business-themed books (except those that relate to my real-world career), or anything that strikes me as dry and dusty. Very subjective, I know, but there it is.

I’ve had the best non-fiction reading experiences with memoirs, adventure stories, and books that focus on a particular person or challenge. Another category I enjoy is science — the weirder, the better. Basically, if it reads like fiction — fast-paced, interesting or quirky characters, some suspense or drama — I’ll give it a try.

Favorites from my recent reading history* include:

  • Ice Bound by Dr. Jerri Nielson (featured as my Flashback Friday pick today): The memoirs of the South Pole doctor who treated herself for breast cancer while “wintering over” in Antarctica.
  • The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure: The experiences of a woman and her obsession with Laura Ingalls Wilder. (Seriously!)
  • Into Thin Air and Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. Two very different topics, one amazing writer.
  • Life by Keith Richards. Just because.
  • The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum.
  • The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis. Yes, I read a football book. And I liked it.
  • Packing for Mars and Stiff by Mary Roach. If you think science can’t be hilariously funny, then you’ve never read Mary Roach.
  • Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

That’s just a smidgen, but you get the idea. I’ll always be a fiction girl at heart, but give me a good, well-written book that surprises me, intrigues me, or keeps me guessing, and I’m in!

*I realize that most of these are books that I read before I was a blogger. I’ve provided links to the two that I’ve actually reviewed here. In theory, I have no problem with reviewing non-fiction books on Bookshelf Fantasies — I just don’t read that much non-fiction; therefore, I don’t review much of it either.

What are your non-fiction tastes? Any favorites to recommend?

Armchair BEA: Ethical Blogging

Posted in Blogging by

This is my first of two items for today, playing along with today’s Armchair BEA topics.

First up: Ethics in Blogging

We’re getting back into discussion mode in a big way today with the topic of “Ethics in Blogging.” What guidelines must we follow as bloggers–attribution, disclosure, honesty? Have you had an experience with plagiarism (victim or perpetrator?), and how did you deal with it? Do you have recommendations to new bloggers about how to ensure that credit is given to whom/where it’s due?

Perhaps because I’m still relatively new to the blogging world, I haven’t personally run into any problems, although I’ve seen a lot of discussion and comments on the topic. I actually have a fairly vivid fear — not so much about real plagiarism — but more about being accidentally influenced in some way before I’ve really formulated my own thoughts. For that reason, I try to avoid reading reviews of anything I’m thinking of reviewing until after I write my own.

The only hard and fast rule that seems to apply on a regular basis, at least for what I tend to do on my blog, is to give credit to meme hosts and link back to their sites. I’ve had a couple of nice bloggers ask to reblog something I’d written, and I was happy to say yes — and happy to be asked. It hasn’t come up for me yet, but of course I’d expect to do the same.

I did make a boo-boo early on, when I copied a book cover image from a blog instead of from Goodreads, and used the “copy from URL” tool instead of just copying the image itself. Months later, I guess someone must have clicked on the image and linked to the other site. That blog owner sent me a fairly nasty comment on how rude I was to link to his site without permission. Fortunately, I have moderation turned on for new commenters, and so that comment did not go public. Unfortunately, he did not provide me with any contact information, so I was unable to respond, explain that I’d made an error, and apologize. I did take down the image and the link, but it left a rather bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.

The issue of giving credit can be a thorny one. In this age of Facebook, Pinterest, and Tumblr, where cute pictures get shared and forwarded constantly, I think the mindset often becomes that any picture that’s out there on social networks is fair game. And that simply isn’t the case. I try to be mindful of what I copy and give appropriate credit, and mostly stick to using book cover images (which, from everything I’ve read, is okay to do) and photos I’ve taken and uploaded myself. I do want to explore further the various resources out there for public domain image archives. Suggestions, anyone?

On the issue of reviews and the necessary disclosures, I suppose I should count my blessings, for once, in that I really don’t get that many ARCs! Most of the books I read and review on my blog are books that I’ve bought or borrowed. When I do write a review based on an ARC, I make sure to indicate the source of the review copy. The whole point, for me, of starting a blog was to have an outlet for saying what I think — so that’s what I do. I will say that if I don’t care for a book, I’m more likely not to post a review at all rather than writing a bad review. Again, I started a blog to share my love and excitement about what I’m reading, and I’d rather not dwell on the negative. As my mother always taught me, “If you have nothing good to say, don’t say anything at all”!

I had no idea, when I started blogging, that there were so many issues to think about. For the most part, I think the basic rules of being a good person work as guidelines for being an ethical blogger as well:

  • Don’t take what’s not yours.
  • Be polite.
  • Don’t put other people down.
  • Treat others in the way you want to be treated.
  • Be lavish with praise; be careful with criticism.
  • Always ask permission before touching someone else’s stuff.
  • Share when asked, and people will be happy to share with you.
  • Making fun of others doesn’t make you look good; it makes you look mean.

I know there are several sites that have published some great “Blogging 101” guides, and I’ve found those incredibly helpful. (Of course, I’m drawing a blank on what those sites are right now!). There’s a lot to know and a lot to consider, and I do truly believe that most of the mistakes that bloggers — especially new bloggers — make are honest goofs that come from not knowing or not being aware, rather than coming from intent to deceive or to take someone else’s work.

What kind of guidelines do you keep in mind as you work on your blog? Where do you see the biggest pitfalls and challenges for bloggers? I’d love to hear your thoughts on these issues.

Flashback Friday: Ice Bound

Posted in Flashback Friday by

Flashback Friday is my own little weekly tradition, in which I pick a book from my reading past to highlight — and you’re invited to join in!

Here are the Flashback Friday book selection guidelines:

  1. Has to be something you’ve read yourself
  2. Has to still be available, preferably still in print
  3. Must have been originally published 5 or more years ago

Other than that, the sky’s the limit! Join me, please, and let us all know: what are the books you’ve read that you always rave about? What books from your past do you wish EVERYONE would read? Pick something from five years ago, or go all the way back to the Canterbury Tales if you want. It’s Flashback Friday time!

My pick for this week’s Flashback Friday:

Ice Bound: A Doctor's Incredible Battle for Survival at the South Pole

Ice Bound by Dr. Jerri Nielsen

(published 2000)

From Goodreads:

During the winter of 1999, Dr. Jerri Nielsen, the only physician on a staff of forty-one people, discovered a lump in her breast. Consulting via satellite e-mail with doctors in the United States, she was forced to perform a biopsy and treat herself with chemotherapy in order to ensure that she could survive until conditions permitted her rescue. She was eventually rescued by the Air National Guard. Dr. Jerri Nielsen’s story of her transforming experiences is a thrilling adventure and moving drama. Since the publication of Ice Bound in hardcover in January 2000, Dr. Nielsen has inspired people throughout the country, met hundreds of fans, received numerous awards including Irish American of the Year, which was presented to her by Hillary Clinton, as well as tremendous praise from the media.

I don’t generally read a lot of non-fiction, but I’m always thrilled to encounter a memoir that transports me into another place or another life. Ice Bound is just such a book. I’m sure many people are familiar with Dr. Jerri Nielsen’s incredible story, which received a great deal of media attention as it was actually happening. In Ice Bound, the author writes about her personal struggles and challenges with honesty and humor. But it’s not just her battle with cancer that makes this book such a remarkable read. In Ice Bound, Dr. Nielsen also invites us into the little-known world of “wintering over” at the South Pole, describing with great detail and heaping doses of humanity just what it means to spend months in isolation in Antarctica, what kind of people sign up for this unique experience, and what it takes to get through it all.

Sadly, Dr. Nielsen passed away in 2009. If you enjoy reading about strong women who make a difference, I encourage you to give Ice Bound a try.

Note from your friendly Bookshelf Fantasies host: To join the Flashback Friday fun, write a blog post about a book you love (please mention Bookshelf Fantasies as the Flashback Friday host!) and share your link below. Don’t have a blog post to share? Then share your favorite oldie-but-goodie in the comments section. Jump in!

Armchair BEA: Literary Fiction

Posted in Blogging by

And for today’s Armchair BEA topic: Literary Fiction — how do you define it? What are some great examples?

While I’m tempted to give the same answer as I did for definining classics — “I know it when I see it” — I’ll try to actually say a bit more. For me, when I think of literary fiction, I think of books in which the language itself is a key piece of the reading experience. Interesting or unusual word choices, lyrical phrasing, thoughtful use of symbolism, a unique approach to sentence structure — these are all elements that elevate a book for me into the realm of literature. On top of the language itself is the subject matter and how it’s presented. Literary fiction can have any topic, any setting, any type of character — but should have more going on in it than heavy action or a pulse-pounding plot. Literary fiction makes me think about what I’m reading — not just in terms of “what will happen next?” — but really think about the deeper meaning of events and choices, the way the characters express themselves, the signs and symbols that might add another layer to the plot itself. Finally, I tend to equate literary fiction with beauty, especially in terms of beautiful writing and beautiful descriptions.

Some of the best books I’ve read in the past couple of years that I would consider literary fiction are:

  • The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
  • Tell The Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
  • Doc by Mary Doria Russell
  • The Round House by Louise Erdrich
  • The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan
  • The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

Another part of today’s prompt from the Armchair BEA organizers is:

Name a novel that hasn’t received a lot of buzz that definitely deserves it.

I think I’ll switch that up a bit and mention an author who deserves much more attention than I think she gets, and that’s Mary Doria Russell, author of five amazing novels (so far!), on topics ranging from space exploration to WWII to the old West to Lawrence of Arabia. What makes each and every one of her novels a literary masterpiece, in my mind, is her incredible talent for choosing just the right words to express a feeling, a mood, a setting, an emotion. Her writing is beautiful and never fails to just slay me; in fact, I wrote a post about the emotional impact her book The Sparrow had on me when I reread it last year.

So, literary fiction. How do you define it? Are you a fan? And what are your favorites?

Thanks for stopping by! Don’t miss my giveaway today, ending soon!

 

Armchair BEA: It’s a Giveaway Day!

Posted in Blogging by

Updated May 31, 2013: The giveaway is now closed. It was quick and fun — thanks for joining in! I’ll be reaching out the winner later today.

Day 3 of Armchair BEA is a fun one… it’s a giveaway day!

Enter to win a $20 Amazon gift card! What better way to start your reading summer than by getting to pick WHATEVER YOU WANT??

Thanks for stopping by Bookshelf Fantasies.

Click the link below to get started. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday Quotables: The 5th Wave

Posted in Thursday Quotables by

cooltext1045178755Welcome 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!

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

  • Follow Bookshelf Fantasies, if you please!
  • Write a Thursday Quotables post on your blog. Try to pick something from whatever you’re reading now.
  • Link up via the linky below (look for the cute froggy face).
  • Make sure to include a link back to Bookshelf Fantasies in your post (http://www.bookshelffantasies.com).
  • Have fun!

This week’s Thursday Quotable:

Aliens are stupid.

I’m not talking about real aliens. The Others aren’t stupid. The Others are so far ahead of us, it’s like comparing the dumbest human to the smartest dog. No contest.

No, I’m talking about the aliens inside our own heads.

The ones we made up, the ones we’ve been making up since we realized those glittering lights in the sky were suns like ours and probably had planets like ours spinning around them. You know, the aliens we imagine, the kind of aliens we’d like to attack us, human aliens. You’ve seen them a million times. They swoop down from the sky in their flying saucers to level New York and Tokyo and London, or they march across the countryside in huge machines that look like mechanical spiders, ray guns blasting away, and always, always, humanity sets aside its differences and bands together to defeat the alien horde. David slays Goliath, and everybody (except Goliath) goes home happy.

What crap.

Source:  The 5th Wave
Author: Rick Yancey
Putnam Juvenile, 2013

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

Link up, or share your quote of the week in the comments.

Armchair BEA: Genre Fiction

Posted in Blogging by

The second Armchair BEA topic today is Genre Fiction:

Sci-fi, fantasy, horror, mystery, romance, and more–is genre fiction your thing? Post about the genre(s) you love–or the ones you don’t-

I’ve never been one for strict definitions. If I like a book, I like a book! That said, I do aim toward some sections of the book store more than others.

While I do read straight-up contemporary fiction, I tend to veer off toward the weird, the unusual, the spooky, and the odd more often than not. My reading wanders all over the map, but what I end up enjoying most is:

  • Science fiction/fantasy: I love excellent world-building, new frontiers, unusual circumstances or rules. Throw in time travel, threats to human civilizations, maybe a bit of a humorous approach, some deep interpersonal connections, and I’m there.
  • Paranormal/urban fantasy: I can OD on these pretty quickly, but give me a few well-chosen series to commit to, and I’m happy.
  • Horror: Of a sort. Nothing too gross for me, but I do love a more psychological chill-inducing thrill ride.
  • Historical fiction: When it suits me. I won’t read historical fiction indiscriminately, but if I find a good book or series on a time period that interests me, I’m easily hooked!

What I mostly avoid:

  • Mysteries: I’ll read a good mystery once in a while, but overall, this is a section of the fiction world that I avoid. Much like I don’t watch police procedurals on TV — I’m just not interested in a “case of the week”.
  • Romance: Again, I’ll give any good book a try, but typically if a book has a shirtless man on the cover or a woman who looks like she’s about to pop out of her low-cut dress, it’s not for me.

Outside of the “genre” classification, I find in general that I’m also drawn to:

  • Graphic novels and comic book compilations: I’m relatively new to this world, but over the past few years I’ve absolutely fallen in love with certain books and series, including the children’s Bone series, Fables, and Y: The Last Man, to name but a few.
  • Children’s books: As a mom, I’m always on the look-out for good, engaging middle grade books — but I also enjoy these for myself as a reader. I like smart characters, interesting scenarios, and good writing, and finding a gem for this age is such a delight!
  • Young adult: I’m not a big fan of labels, but I do find so much to enjoy from the young adult shelves. I keep trying to convince my “grown-up” friends to give certain young adult titles a try. Good fiction is good fiction!

Overall, though, I’m not a big believer in “wills” and “won’ts”. Convince me that a book is worth my time and I’ll read it, regardless of what shelf it sits on!