Guess What I'm Doing Today: Rejection Haiku

Are there any words
less welcome than these sad five?
"Not right for our list."

Toys Go Out: Review Haiku

Stingray, buffalo,
plastic ball: restoring the
good name of whimsy.

Toys Go Out: Being the Adventures of a Knowledgeable Stingray, a Toughy Little Buffalo, and Someone Called Plastic by Emily Jenkins. Schwartz & Wade, 2006, 116 pages.

Plum Lovin': Review Haiku

Almost made me wish
I still lived in New Jersey.
On second thought: Naah.

Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich. St. Martin's, 2007, 176 pages.

Life As We Knew It: Review Haiku

The man in the moon
makes a house call. Who'll survive
the apocalypse?

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer. Harcourt, 2006, 337 pages.

Award Haiku

Caldecott: well, sure.
Newbery: a big fat "huh?".
No love for me, though.

ALA Awards announced today.

Into the Wild: Review Haiku

It's extreme camping!
Alone, some skills, great hubris.
Apologist tome.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. Anchor, 1997, 224 pages.

Why I Haven't Posted: Excuse Haiku

Breastmilk is really
full of brain cells. I'm losing
more with each feeding.

Girl, Going on 17, Pants on Fire: Review Haiku

Third person? Odd choice
for Bridget Jones-y series.
Still, good mindless fun.

Girl, Going on 17, Pants on Fire by Sue Limb. Delacorte, 2006, 233 pages.

With a dreamy, far-off look, and her nose stuck in a book...

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Literate Good Citizen
Book Snob
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

(Thanks to MotherReader for the link and to my daughter for the lyrical post title.)

Drawing a Blank: Review Haiku

Scots, feuds, and comics:
Just ridiculous enough
to be wacked-out fun.

Drawing a Blank: Or, How I Tried to Solve a Mystery, End a Feud, and Land the Girl of My Dreams by Daniel Ehrenhaft. Harper, 2006, 327 pages.

Clementine: Review Haiku

Fuse loved it; me too!
My inner Ramona thrills.
Laugh-out-loud, spot-on.

Clementine by Sara Pennypacker. Hyperion, 2006, 131 pages.

Things Hoped For: Review Haiku

Music, family,
invisibility? One
of these doesn't fit.

Things Hoped For by Andrew Clements. Philomel, 2006, 167 pages.

The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl: Review Haiku

Near-perfectly pitched
romance, cautionary tale.
Love and art, they hurt.

The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga. HMCo, 2006, 311 pages.

Murder in the White House: Review Haiku

A blast from the past --
still, it's new to me. The rough
politics of crime.

Murder in the White House by Margaret Truman. Fawcett, 1980, 272 pages.

Unto Us a Son Is Given

Born on his due date!
The enormous babe debuts.
How to handle two?...

John William, born December 29, 11:02am. 8 lbs, 13 oz. 21 inches long.

Saint Iggy: Review Haiku

Heartwrenching snapshot
of good kid with crappy life.
Shocking denouement.

Saint Iggy by K. L. Going. Harcourt, 2006, 260 pages.

The Wizard, the Witch, and Two Girls from Jersey: Review Haiku

As fantasy, meh;
As frothy chick-lit, so so;
Better in concept.

The Wizard, the Witch, and Two Girls from Jersey by Lisa Papademetriou. Razorbill, 2006, 273 pages.

The Handmaid and the Carpenter: Review Haiku

We know the story,
but Berg tries to bring new life:
a modest success.

The Handmaid and the Carpenter by Elizabeth Berg. Random, 2006, 153 pages.

The Right Attitude to Rain: Review Haiku

Hot thinker action:
Look, philosophers in love!
Cozy, a bit bland.

The Right Attitude to Rain (An Isabel Dalhousie Novel) by Alexander McCall Smith. Pantheon, 2006, 276 pages.

Cancer Vixen: Review Haiku

Real fear, unvarnished;
some perspective at Christmas.
The graphic form shines.

Cancer Vixen by Marisa Acocella Marchetto. Knopf, 2006, 212 pages.

Grandfather's Dance: Review Haiku

Sarah, plain and tall,
closes another chapter:
bittersweet, content.

Grandfather's Dance by Patricia MacLachlan. Joanna Cotler/Harper Collins, 2006, 84 pages.

Yellow Star: Review Haiku

Yep, it's another
Holocaust book. Spare, poignant,
but sometimes obscure.

Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy. Marshall Cavendish, 2006, 227 pages.

A Spot of Bother: Review Haiku

What did Tolstoy say
about unhappy fam'lies?
Tragic, yet hopeful.

A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon. Doubleday, 2006, 354 pages.

Gravida: Complaint Haiku

Sick of pregnancy.
This kid must be Ollie. Say
it: "I WON'T COME OUT!"

Special Topics in Calamity Physics: Review Haiku

How do you sell a
five-hundred-page first novel?
Hype author's hotness.

Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl. Viking, 2006, 514 pages.

Vive La Paris: Review Haiku

No more Cybils books!
Instead, this middle-grade gem:
subtle, wise, and warm.

Vive La Paris by Esme Raj Codell. Hyperion, 2006, 210 pages.

Cybils Deliberations: Reviewer Haiku

Thirty-seven books,
five women, lots of talking.
Who'll make the top five?

The Cybils shortlists will be announced January 1.

Jane Addams: Review Haiku

Once hailed as saint; now
the pacifist activist
seems but a footnote.

Jane Addams: Champion of Democracy by Judith Bloom Fradin and Dennis Brindell Fradin. Clarion, 2006, 216 pages.

A Cybils nominee.

Writing Magic: Review Haiku

Needed: wand (pencil),
canvas (paper), and courage.
Good guide and teacher.

Writing Magic: Creating Stories that Fly by Gail Carson Levine. HarperCollins, 2006, 168 pages.

A Cybils nominee.

Team Moon: Review Haiku

We went to the moon!
Thimmesh explores the fear, joy
with clear-eyed wonder.

Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon by Catherine Thimmesh. HMCo, 2006, 80 pages.

A Cybils nominee.

Escape!: Review Haiku

Abracadabra!
Fleischman dissects the showman:
immortal mortal.

Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini by Sid Fleischman. Greenwillow, 2006, 210 pages.

A Cybils nominee.

101 Things to Do Before You're Old and Boring: Review Haiku

These one-oh-one things

seem pretty lame to me. Guess

I'm old and boring.

101 Things to Do Before You're Old and Boring by Richard Horne and Helen Szirtes. Walker, 2006, 224 pages.

A Cybils nominee.

The American Story: Review Haiku

Coffee-table book
highlights key U.S. events.
Good pick for browsers.

The American Story: 100 True Tales from American History by Jennifer Armstrong. Knopf, 2006, 358 pages.

A Cybils nominee.

The Shepherd, The Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog: Review Haiku

Hey! Stocking stuffer!
Barry's shameless Christmas tome
is still good Yule fun.

The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog by Dave Barry. Putnam, 2006, 117 pages.

Chew on This: Review Haiku

Where's the beef? you ask.
Trust me: after reading this,
you don't want to know.

Chew on This: Everything You Don't Want to Know About Fast Food by Eric Schlosser. HMCo, 2006, 304 pages.

A Cybils nominee.

With a Little Luck: Review Haiku

Fradin uncovers the
perspiration that led
to strokes of genius.

With A Little Luck: Surprising Stories of Amazing Discoveries by Dennis Fradin. Dutton, 2006, 183 pages.

A Cybils nominee.

Immersed in Verse: Review Haiku

A poet's toolbox
Kids as fellow writers, yet
a smidge pedantic.

Immersed in Verse: An Informative, Slightly Irreverent, and Totally Tremendous Guide to Living the Poet's Life by Allan Wolf. Lark Books, 2006, 112 pages.

A Cybils nominee.

Tsunami: Review Haiku

Topical drama!
But time shifts, bland prose dull it.
A good read, not great.

Tsunami: The True Story of an April Fools' Day Disaster by Gail Lange Karwoski. Darby Creek, 2006, 64 pages.

A Cybils nominee.

I'm Still Scared: Review Haiku

Small scale, big feelings.
Memories are powerful --
but truly nonfic?

I'm Still Scared: A 26 Fairmount Avenue Book by Tomie DePaola. Putnam, 2006, 83 pages.

A Cybils nominee.

Part of Me: Review Haiku

Sweet but uneven,
this love letter to books: great
librarian gift.

Part of Me: Stories of a Louisiana Family by Kimberly Willis Holt. Holt, 2006, 208 pages.

Something Out of Nothing: Review Haiku

Groundbreaking Curie
discovered, suffered, and fought.
Too bad book is dull.

Something Out of Nothing: Marie Curie and Radium by Carla Killough McClafferty. FSG, 2006, 134 pages.

A Cybils nominee.

Freedom Walkers: Review Haiku

Freedman scores again:
Strong, elegant intro to
civil rights movement.

Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Russell Freedman. Holiday House, 2006, 114 pages.

A Cybils nominee. Correction: Cybils 2006 MG/YA Nonfiction Winner.

One Kingdom: Review Haiku

Of mice and men and
dolphins, too: thought-provoking,
but focus muddy.

One Kingdom: Our Lives with Animals by Deborah Noyes. HMCo, 2006, 144 pages.

A Cybils nominee.

The Wand in the Word: Review Haiku

Fantasy writers
sound off on craft, childhoods.
Great read, but for kids?

The Wand in the Word: Conversations with Writers of Fantasy by Leonard Marcus. Candlewick, 2006, 202 pages.

A Cybils nominee.

Isaac Newton: Review Haiku

Genius or weirdo?
Krull shows us apple target's
a little of both.

Isaac Newton (Giants of Science) by Katheen Krull. Viking, 2006, 126 pages.

A Cybils nominee.

You Can Get Arrested for That: Review Haiku

If they were older,
would this have been funnier?
Not bloody likely.

You Can Get Arrested for That: 2 Guys, 25 Dumb Laws, 1 Absurd American Crime Spree by Rich Smith. Three Rivers, 2006, 243 pages.

83

All right, I'm game.

The rules: Mark the selections you have read in bold. If you liked it, add a star (*) in front of the title, if you didn't, give it a minus (-). Then, put the total number of books you've read in the subject line.

*Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
-The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
*Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
-The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss (Even as a child I hated the pointless anarchy.)
*Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
-Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch
-The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (ooh, Christian allegory for toddlers!)
*The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
*Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls (sob)
The Mitten by Jan Brett
*Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (only as a parent, not as a kid)
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
Where the Sidewalk Ends: the Poems and Drawing of Shel Silverstein by Shel Silverstein
*Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
-Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
-Oh, The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss (sadly, I confess I also have the "in utero" version. It was a gift, I swear!)
Strega Nona by Tomie De Paola
*Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? by Bill Martin, Jr. (teacher always creeps me out)
*Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
*A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
*How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by John Archambault
*Little House on the Prarie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
*Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
The BFG by Roald Dahl
*The Giver by Lois Lowry
-If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
*James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
*Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
*The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
-The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister (gaaaaaak)
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
*Corduroy by Don Freeman
-Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
Math Curse by Jon Scieszka
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
*Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
*Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary (I. Am. Ramona.)
The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White
Are You My Mother? by Philip D. Eastman
The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss
*The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (luuuuuurve)
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
The Napping House by Audrey Wood
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
*The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
*Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
*The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss
Basil of Baker Street, by Eve Titus
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
The Cay by Theodore Taylor
*Curious George by Hans Augusto Rey
Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
Arthur series by Marc Tolon Brown
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
*Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes (though I love JULIUS more)
*Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
*Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater
My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
Stuart Little by E. B. White
*Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
The Art Lesson by Tomie De Paola
-Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
*Clifford, the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell (the Munchkin was Emily Elizabeth for Halloween this year)
Heidi by Johanna Spyri
Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
*The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
-Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney (No, don't guess. Please.)
The Paper Bag Princess by Robert N. Munsch

American Born Chinese: Review Haiku

No NBA, but
powerful, uncomfortable
identity quest.

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang. First Second, 2006, 233 pages. Cybils 2006 Graphc Novel: YA Winner.

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: Review Haiku

Commies and TVs
and beer, oh my! Reliving
idyllic fifties.

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson. Broadway, 2006, 270 pages.

All Mortal Flesh: Review Haiku

Father Tim, she ain't.
Unorthodox -- but killer?
Sucker punch at end.

All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming. St. Martin's, 2006, 322 pages.

Storky: Review Haiku

Dork-tude, lost love, and
boners (physical, mental).
Perfect teen boy angst.

(And I'm not just saying that because the author once commented on this blog.)

Storky: How I Lost My Nickname and Won the Girl by D. L. Garfinkle. Putnam, 2005, 192 pages.

I Like You: Review Haiku

Like a good party:
Exhaustively detailed, yet
easy to enjoy.

I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence by Amy Sedaris. Warner, 2006, 304 pages.

Life's Little Annoyances: Review Haiku

Ever wanted to
Exact revenge on the world?
These folks show you how.

Life Little Annoyances: True Tales of People Who Just Can't Take It Anymore by Ian Urbina. Times Books, 2006, 191 pages.

Kiki Strike: Review Haiku

Under Manhattan,
pre-teen girls' A-Team fights crime.
Slooooooow start, fast finish.

Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City by Kirsten Miller. Bloomsbury, 2006, 250 pages.

Enna Burning: Review Haiku

Reluctant fire-girl
Fights battles, fear, smooth talkers
To find redemption.

Enna Burning by Shannon Hale. Bloomsbury, 2004, 317 pages.

Tag! I'm it.

Oh, my. The lovely MotherReader, a fellow Mo-phile and non-MLSed library employee, has tagged me for the Five Interesting Things About You meme. I feel like I've been invited to sit at the popular table.

Let's see.

1. My lips don't meet. Really. I can close my mouth, of course, but there's a little teeny weeny hole right in the middle where my top and bottom lips don't match up. A fun trick at parties (though it tends to leave one open to rather filthy suggestions).

2. Once I killed a mouse by whacking it really hard with a shovel. It squished.

3. I am a terrible eater. I didn't eat pizza until I was 20, and still I am a cheese-only girl. I didn't eat oranges until I was 21. Harmless foods that normal people like -- fish; tomatoes; oatmeal, for Pete's sake -- I cannot stand, and I can't even blame it on allergies or political reasons or anything other than my own childish weird-itude. Imagine how much fun it was to have that first Easter dinner with my in-laws. (Lamb. I had to eat lamb.)

4. I judge cars and houses based on their faces. A house with no face is a blight on the neighborhood. A car with happy handles is good (see 1980s-era Ford Escort and Chevy Caprice); a car without happy handles is bad (see 1990s Ford Taurus, anything by Renault).

5. I am vaguely superstitious about numbers, especially dates. I love that my birthday adds up to 100 (or 2000, if you use all of the year digits). I picked my wedding date and my daughter's birthday (scheduled section) based partly on the pleasing symmetry of the dates.

Of course, now these don't seem interesting to me at all. I will slink back to my proper place at the band nerd/smart kid exile table . . .

P.S. Nominate your favorites for the Cybils!
P.P.S. I'm not supposed to tag someone now, am I? I don't know anyone . . . Gaak, I'm such a novice.

Motor Mouth: Review Haiku

Too easy to say,
"Stephanie Plum does NASCAR."
But that's what it is.

Motor Mouth by Janet Evanovich. Harper, 2006, 320 pages.

An Abundance of Katherines: Review Haiku

Love by the numbers
Plus anagrams, tampon strings
A witty YA.

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green. Dutton, 2006, 256 pages.

The Cybils: Request Haiku

We all love awards.
Look! Shiny new ones. Hooray!
Go nominate now.

In Cold Blood: Review Haiku

How can a Lee fan
read this book without anger?
The answer: She can't.

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. Vintage, 1994 edition, 343 pages.

The Boy Book: Review Haiku

Ruby's mistakes and
callous high school politics
ring so very true.

The Boy Book (A Study of Habits and Behaviors, Plus Techniques for Taming Them) by E. Lockhart. Delacorte, 2006, 193 pages.

The End: Review Haiku

Mysteries revealed!
Oh, wait - not so much, in fact.
"The end," my foot. Sigh.

The End (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book Thirteen) by Lemony Snicket. Harper, 2006, 386 pages.

Academy X: Review Haiku

Corrupt faculty
And overprivileged rich snots.
Weep for humankind.

Academy X by Andrew Trees. Bloomsbury, 2006, 246 pages.

In the Company of Crazies: Review Haiku

Looks like middle grade
But reads way more like YA.
Uneasy mismatch.

In the Company of Crazies by Nora Raleigh Baskin. Harper, 2006, 170 pages.

That Girl Lucy Moon: Review Haiku

I heart Lucy Moon
But funk-breaking plot twist is
Deed ex machina.

That Girl Lucy Moon by Amy Timberlake. Hyperion, 2006, 294 pages.

The Guy Not Taken: Review Haiku

Short stories, not quite
autobiographical:
Good in small doses.

The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner. Atria/S&S, 2006, 292 pages.

Another Day in the Frontal Lobe: Review Haiku

Mind-blowing topic.
Author too hot for own good.
I've accomplished squat.

Another Day in the Frontal Lobe: A Brain Surgeon Exposes Life on the Inside by Katrina Firlik. Random, 2006, 271 pages.

Can't get enough?

If you like short-assed (half-assed?) reviews, check out Fussy's revamped book review page. And she sells wicked cool t-shirts, too.

Of Mice and Men: Review Haiku

Steinbeck masterpiece
(Tell me about the rabbits)
Ruin'd by Bugs Bunny.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Penguin, 2002 (paper reprint), 103 pages.

Review Haiku Roundup

From the Baccha Mitchell Memorial Vacation:

Preteen reporters
Mix tennis and corruption;
Fast, fun mystery.
Vanishing Act by John Feinstein. Knopf, 2006, 279 pages.

Tale of two sisters:
One high-pow'red, one do-gooder.
See how they fumble.
Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen. Random, 2006, 269 pages.

"F***ed up" would be gauche.
Let's try something more genteel:
Say, "inscrutable."
Just In Case by Meg Rosoff. Wendy Lamb/Random, 2006, 246 pages.

Part Dionysus --
Apple, tulip, tater, pot --
Part Apollo, too.
The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan. Random, 2002, 304 pages.

Dr. Doolittle
Meets a tale from Brothers Grimm:
Ani finds her voice.
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale. Bloomsbury, 2003, 383 pages.

(Just noticed these are 80% Random House. Odd.)

requiem for a beagle

Baccha Wood Schuttler Mitchell
June 5, 1994 -- September 19, 2006.
We love you, you crazy bitch.

No posting for a while.

Helen of Troy: Review Haiku

Task? Lend sympathy
To the unsympathetic.
George almost succeeds.

Helen of Troy by Margaret George. Viking, 2006, 624 pages.

Which Brings Me to You: Review Haiku

Their letters reveal:
So many damaged people
and so little time.

Which Brings Me to You: A Novel in Confessions by Steve Almond and Julianna Baggott. Algonquin, 2006, 300 pages.

Love and Other Impossible Pursuits: Review Haiku

Do not read this book
while pregnant. In fact, do not
read this book at all.

Love and Other Impossible Pursuits by Ayelet Waldman. Doubleday, 2006, 340 pages.

A word about haiku

Yeah, I know. They're not real haiku. I'm only using the basic syllabic structure of 5-7-5 and not even attempting the more metaphorical aspects of the form.

To any Japanese literature scholars out there, mea culpa.

Mockingbird: Review Haiku

Charles Shields explains why
I want to be Harper Lee.
Goal? One perfect book.

Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee by Charles Shields. Holt, 2006, 337 pages.

Happiness Sold Separately: Review Haiku

Infertility
and cheating: devastating.
This? Oddly, hopeful.

Happiness Sold Separately by Lolly Winston. Warner, 2006, 296 pages.

Caddy Ever After: Review Haiku

Another winner --
But why name it for Caddy?
She barely shows up.

(And a non-haiku aside: I love, love, love, that McKay's characters speak in parentheses.)

Caddy Ever After by Hilary McKay. McElderry, 2006, 218 pages.

Helen of Troy: Review Haiku, in medias libros

Yep, it's a long one,
But why so many typos?
Shame on you, Viking.

Helen of Troy by Margaret George. Viking, 2006, 624 pages.

The Overachievers: Review Haiku

Let me never be
A helicopter parent.
Poor little smart kids.

The Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids by Alexandra Robbins. Hyperion, 2006, 439 pages.

The Year of the Dog: Review Haiku

Earth-shattering? No.
A little obvious? Yes.
Still, a good girl read.

The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin. Little Brown, 2006, 134 pages.

A Dirty Job: Review Haiku

Death merchants battle
Morrigans, hellhounds, and grief.
Moore's a sick monkey.

A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore. Morrow, 2006, 387 pages.

Fly By Night: Review Haiku

Books, locks, Birdcatchers:
A good yarn, but overstuffed.
Not up to hype.

Fly By Night by Frances Hardinge. Harper, 2006, 487 pages.

Stuck in the middle of...: Non-Review Haiku

Started Fly By Night
But stuck in the middle now
Is it not All That?

(more to come once it's done)

Bread and Roses, Too: Review Haiku

Katherine Paterson:
Master of storytelling.
Still, "good-for-you" book.

Bread and Roses, Too by Katherine Paterson. Clarion, 2006, 288 pages. (Note: cover art here is not actual cover art.)

Politics Lost: Review Haiku

I hate politics --
"Not another election!"
Joe Klein explains why.

Politics Lost: How American Democracy Was Trivialized by People Who Think You're Stupid by Joe Klein. Doubleday, 2006, 256 pages.

Bye Bye Black Sheep: Review Haiku

Good mystery spoiled
By loud, intrusive soapbox.
Oh, Ayelet Waldman.

Bye Bye Black Sheep (A Mommy-Track Mystery) by Ayelet Waldman. Berkley, 2006, 259 pages.

The Loud Silence of Francine Green

Don't get me wrong: I enjoyed it. But I couldn't help feeling that Karen Cushman's latest was written not with a pen, but with a hammer.

• It's Newbery material! WHACK!
• It's about intolerance! WHACK!
• It has timely relevance for our government today! WHACK!
• Jews and liberals have long been persecuted! WHACK!
• Hey, Nina Lindsay -- see what a great writer I am! WHACK!

Again, I liked it: Francine is frustratingly likable, and the contemporary references added some fun. But man -- leave a few things for the reader to figure out, eh?

The Loud Silence of Francine Green by Karen Cushman. Clarion, 2006, 225 pages.

Resurrected: One-Sentence Reviews

I'm back from the dead -- or vacation, anyway. Here's a brief encapsulation of what I read over break (and after break, since it's been so long).

Blind Faith by Ellen Wittlinger. Love her work; this one was just okay.

Can't Wait to Get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg. Beachy Hallmark-y goodness.

Sand in my Bra and Other Misadventures edited by Jennifer Leo. Some funny, some not as funny, all pretty much enjoyable.

Gatsby's Girl by Caroline Preston. Oooh, good stuff.

The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs by Jack Gantos. Seriously creepy, and I don't think I mean that as a compliment.

Why Moms Are Weird by Pamela Ribon. Still in the middle of this, actually, but it's a good read.

So these are all pretty useless, as far as reviews go, and the further away I got from this blog, the less interested I became in it. Is it because I realize I'll never be one of the cool bloggy kids? Is it because it's just another thing on my list of things to do? Who knows. Part of it is surely time: I know if I don't post within a day of finishing a book, I'll forget whatever I was going to say (hence, the useless scribbles above).

So posting may be sporadic, or nonexistent, for a while, until I figure out if this is worth continuing.

Abandoned

Tried to read Daniel Handler's Adverbs; realized I am not hip enough to find it compelling and/or amusing. Will stick with my Unfortunate Events, thanks.

I'm off for a week-plus-long vacation, so no posting for a while. Not that anyone reads this anyway.

Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith

I have a new hero and her name is Barbara Brown Taylor.

After waiting in vain for a new book by Nora Gallagher, my jones for Episcopal women's memoirs has been filled with this, Barbara Brown Taylor's latest. Taylor was part of the early wave of ordained women in the Episcopal Church, and this book chronicles her years as the rector at a small (then suddenly rapidly-growing) parish in northeast Georgia. She begins her job with great faith and enthusiasm; by the end of the book, her enthusiasm has been crushed under the weight of a million little duties, and she takes her faith and uses it in another vocation, teaching religion to undergraduates.

I love Taylor's style; I identify with her theology; and I sure as hell couldn't do what she does. Every once in a while I wonder if I should have pursued ministry: it's in my blood, and I do like standing in front of people and talking. But the everything-else that's a part of serving God full-time -- that's what Taylor lays out, and that's what keeps me on my side of the altar.

I'll be checking out Taylor's other writings.

Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith by Barbara Brown Taylor. Harper San Francisco, 2006, 224 pages.

Money, a Memoir

This book alternately shamed and appalled me. I was embarrassed to identify with the many educated, professional women who nonetheless are happy to relinquish any claim or interest in managing their own investments. At the same time, I was horrified by the many women (some of whom fall in the first category as well) who blithely go out and fritter money away on things they don't need at prices they can't afford. People, shoes shouldn't cost more than $20 ($25, maybe, but only if it's for your own wedding). Retail therapy can be useful in a pinch but is not an acceptable lifestyle choice. And for God's sake, don't be so proud of your kept-woman status.

I didn't feel that I'd learned much by the end of the book, save that my intermittent twinges of guilt over not making my own trades in my 401(k) should be addressed, not ignored. Perle lays out the situation as she sees it, then basically steps back and expects the reader to figure it out.

Money, a Memoir: Women, Emotions, and Cash by Liz Perle. Holt, 2006, 288 pages.

When It Happens

[Note to self: There's another YA novel I read between Weedflower and this one, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was. Clearly it was, uh, memorable.]

When It Happens is a love story between two idealistic high school seniors, told in alternating chapters from the protagonists' points of view. Sara is a good student, not part of the popular crowd but pretty enough to attract the attention of uber-cool Dave. Tobey is an underachiever, a smart guy with a band who doesn't see the need to do his homework, apply to college, or do anything that would keep him from moving to New York after graduation to make it big with his band.

At the start of the story, Sara is still hopped up on Dave. She's spent the summer thinking and doodling in her sketchbook about her idea of the perfect man, and she's hopeful that Dave is it. When he finally asks her out, she's over the moon -- but gradually, as time goes on and Dave's real, ugly personality comes out, she begins to realize that she's more in love with the idea of Dave than with Dave himself.

Tobey, meanwhile, spends his senior year plotting ways to get Sara to notice him. His plots are pretty tame, though: the most radical is a decision to buckle down and work, so he has a chance to get into Manhattan School of Music despite his lousy grades. Eventually Sara and Tobey give into their attraction, and the rest of the book chronicles their relationship through its inevitable ups and downs.

Good stuff: It's nice to read a book about smart kids who aren't necessarily defined by their smartness; sensitive kids who aren't emotional basket cases; and kids with healthy sex drives who make good, reasoned decisions about physical relationships. I liked Sara and Tobey; I liked their friends; I liked their teachers; I wanted to see things come out right.

Bad stuff: Is there any reason this book needed to be 320 pages long? I don't think so. And the villainous popular people were perhaps too cartoony (e.g., Caitlin can't just be a rich bitch; she also has to pop pills in the bathroom).

A good choice for moony girls.

When It Happens by Susane Colasanti. Viking, 2006, 320 pages.

Weedflower

I admit, I'm not a big fan of Kira-Kira, a book that was okay in the reading but was clearly, to me, a good-for-you book: the kind of book your teachers wished you would read while you were busy scarfing down the latest Sweet Valley High. (Or maybe that was just me.)

So I didn't have high hopes for Weedflower, and in that I wasn't disappointed (if that convoluted logic makes sense). Weedflower comes with a huge good-for-you subject, namely the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. What kid wouldn't snatch that off the shelf? . . . (Oh, right. EVERY kid.)

And yet, Kadohata surprised me several times with the quality of the novel. Sumiko is a likable heroine, the story moves along at a pretty good clip, and the author addresses several issues that I either hadn't known about -- the relationship among Japanese Americans and Native Americans at Poston, for example -- or hadn't considered, such as the relative comfort of life in the camps for internees, at least after a while. Kadohata's father was held at Poston during the war, so presumably she knows of what she speaks.

I still think this is a book that needs a good booktalk or handsell to get a kid to read it; they're unlikely to pick it up on their own. Do I think it's award-caliber? Not really, but then again, I didn't think that of Kira-Kira, either.

Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata. S&S, 2006, 260 pages.

What Teen Angst Novel Are You?

What Teen Angst Novel are You? - funny, lots of results, with pix, from the author of The Boyfriend List

LOOKING FOR ALASKA, by John Green. Sad, Funny, boozy, thought-provoking. Go read it. It's you.
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Lost and Found

I refuse to participate in the whole "curse of the second novel" debate, mostly because they're cruel (and if I ever entertain ideas of writing myself, it's crap like this that sends my insecure little heart scurrying into hiding). But in this case, it's a moot point anyway. Lost and Found is miles away from Parkhurst's acclaimed debut, The Dogs of Babel, in both mood and subject matter. But it shares with that earlier novel a fine sense of craft and heart.

Lost and Found is the story of a group of reality show contestants, traveling the world for a chance at a million bucks. Their stories are typical for the genre: a mother and daughter united by a shameful secret; a pair of brothers still living out their childhood roles; an ex-gay couple brought together by a "Christian recovery" group; two rich guys whose motives are unclear; a couple of high school sweethearts reunited for a second chance at love; and a pair of former child stars trying to reclaim past glory.

The great thing about Parkhurst is her ability to transcend these tropes and show us the humanity behind the caricatures. Within the unreality of the reality show, personalities clash and secrets are kept or revealed, mostly to the misery of the secret-keeper. As with any multiple-narrator novel, some characters (and therefore some chapters) are stronger than others, but by the end, the story feels whole. Laura, the guilty mother, is the obvious protagonist, but I found myself drawn more to Abby, the "ex-lesbian" stuck in a pretty loveless marriage with a zealous, hypocritical fellow recovering homosexual, Justin. Justin's surprising outburst near the end of the novel gives needed momentum to the story (since we aren't really invested in the outcome of the show itself).

A great read.

Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst. Little Brown, 2006, 304 pages.

Penny from Heaven

I love Jenni Holm -- have met her a couple times, enjoy all of her books, love the new Babymouse series. And though I admit to a certain trepidation about this new one (mostly because it's gotten so many accolades, and see where that's gotten me in the past), it didn't disappoint.

Eleven-year-old Penny hardly remembers her father, who died when she was a baby under circumstances never quite explained to her. Her mother doesn't associate with her father's giant, loud, wonderful Italian American family anymore, but she lets Penny keep in touch, and it's here -- among her numerous uncles, her terrifying Nonna, and her bad-seed cousin Frankie -- that Penny learns what it means to be brave and to be loved.

Holm wrote the book to call attention to a shameful part of American history, namely the interrogation and, at times, imprisonment of Italian Americans, German Americans, and other "enemies" of the state during World War II. There are loads of books now about the Japanese American experience in WWII, but precious little about these other victims of patriotism run amuck. It's a careful story, set in 1953, with little politicism, surprisingly; affecting and touching, it's got Award Contender scrawled all over it.

Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm. Random House, 2006, 200-something pages.

Queen of Babble

Oh, Meg Cabot. How I love your girlish charm, your refreshingly blunt take on writing and so-called literature, your gap-toothed grin, and your stubborn refusal to accept the fact that you gotta be pushing 40. (And I do mean this in the nicest way: Meg seems like the kind of gal with whom I'd want to share pitcher upon pitcher of margaritas.)

But every time I read another of Meg's adult books, I'm struck by two things:
1) Wow, the narrator's voice sounds just like the one from [insert previous Cabot title here].
2) And hey, if it weren't for a couple adult situations (sex and travel, usually), this could be just like one of her YA titles.

Good beach read, fun and forgettable. (See? I barely even remember enough of the plot to summarize it here.)

Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot. Morrow, 2006, 288 pages.

Bass Ackwards and Belly Up

I don't quite know where to start with this novel. Did I enjoy it while I was reading it? Yes. Was it basically well-written? Sure. Did I care about what happened to the characters? Usually, yeah.

So why did it leave a kind of bad taste in my mouth?

Maybe it's my own fuddy-duddy nature. A novel that glorifies the pretty stupid idea of giving up one's college plans to follow a heretofore-unnamed (and unknown) dream is not, to my ever-practical heart, the best reading material for me. But mostly I just found the premise unbelievable. Harper's rejection from NYU, and subsequent failure to admit it to anyone? Sad, but kinda pathetic, too. (Who doesn't apply to at least one safety school? Who thinks her parents wouldn't figure it out -- which, thank God, her mother does?) Sophie's starlet dreams are just sad, and her lack of real struggles (oh, no! what ever will I do in this fabulous Beverly Hills house with the hot young movie star *and* the sexy pool boy fighting over me?) made her the least sympathetic character for me. Becca I liked; Kate I liked (though perhaps I identified too closely with her regimented, hyper-planned life). But I just couldn't shake a sense of "um . . . riiiiiiight" throughout the whole thing.

Moments of fun, and a quick read for such a high page count. But overall, just meh.

Bass Ackwards and Belly Up by Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain. Little Brown, 2006, 386 pages.

Sex Kittens and Horn Dawgs Fall in Love

I picked this up on the recommendation of other bloggers, who heard about it because of some boneheaded challenges to the book by ill-advised parents who hadn't even read the darn thing but who were horribly scandalized by the title. (Stepping off soapbox . . . now.)

The buzz on the book is that it's a lighthearted, positive look at romance and dating among the early-high-school/late-tween set, and it is that. There's no sex here, just the boy-crazed musings of a freshman girl at a decidedly unusual Manhattan high school. Lovestruck by the science-obsessed Matthew, Felicia embarks on a possibly-brave, possible-foolhardy project: convince Matthew to work together on a science fair project unlocking the secrets of X, the mysterious "It" that makes people fall in love.

It's a cute book, with amusing characters who sometimes strain the limits of credulity (the school itself, with its lackadaisical rules and follow-your-bliss faculty, being first among those characters). Is it more than that? Not really. Will it rot your brain? Not a chance. Give it to a 12-year-old who'll delight in hiding the title from her parents.

Sex Kittens and Horn Dawgs Fall in Love by Maryrose Wood. Delacorte, 2006, 256 pages.