The Cookbook Collector: Review Haiku

Tech-bubble tycoon
and eco-scholar sister
navigate love, loss.

The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman. Dial, 2011, 432 pages.

Thirteen Reasons Why: Review Haiku

Searing, yet oddly
hopeful look at how we fail
those who need us most.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Razorbill, 2007, 304 pages.

Wonderstruck: Review Haiku

A fitting HUGO
follow-up: creativity
and family.

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick. Scholastic, 2011, 608 pages.

Smokin' Seventeen: Review Haiku

Oh, Stephanie. You
claim a cursed sex drive, but you're
quickly turning skank.

Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich. Bantam, 2011, 320 pages.

Around the World: Review Haiku

Three adventurers
circumnavigate under
Phelan's trusty pen.

Around the World by Matt Phelan. Candlewick, 2011, 240 pages.

Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Review Haiku

Why millennial
feminists go Gaga for
Disney prosti-tots.

Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture by Peggy Orenstein. Harper, 2011, 256 pages.

Spoiled: Review Haiku

The Fug Girls do YA,
to bitchy-keen effect.
Well played, as they say.

Spoiled by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan. Poppy, 2011, 368 pages.

Swimming in the Steno Pool: Review Haiku

Packaged like chick lit;
dry like academia.
Caveat reader.

Swimming in the Steno Pool: A Retro Guide to Making It in the Office by Lynn Peril. Norton, 2011, 291 pages.

Can't post. Reading.

As I did last year, I'm going to take a brief summer hiatus and catch up on some excellent reading, beach and otherwise. See you in August.

[Image found on The Book Lady's Blog]

Swim the Fly: Review Haiku

Teenage boys in all
their horny, lying, dumbass,
endearing glory.

Swim the Fly by Don Calame. Candlewick, 2009, 352 pages.

The Penderwicks at Point Mouette: Review Haiku

And again I say,
why am I not a Penderwick?
Maine-ly awesome.

The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall. Knopf, 2011, 304 pages.

The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party: Review Haiku

Maimed cattle, illegitimate
twins, new shoes, and --
at last! -- a wedding.

The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party by Alexander McCall Smith. Pantheon, 2011, 213 pages.

The Art of Immersion: Review Haiku

Takes a while to get
there, but a nifty look at
storytelling now.

The Art of Immersion: How the Digital Generation Is Remaking Hollywood, Madison Avenue, and the Way We Tell Stories by Frank Rose. Norton, 2011, 354 pages.

The Last Little Blue Envelope: Review Haiku

MJ gets it right:

love, death, longing, heartbreak --
plus the best car EVAH.

The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson. Harper, 2011, 288 pages.

Sweet Valley Confidential: Review Haiku

Their wedding procession
song was from Phantom of
the Opera?!? *dies*

Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later by Francine Pascal. St. Martin's, 2011, 293 pages.

Squish: Review Haiku

Is there nothing the
Holm kids can't do? Fun new series
for squishy boys.

Squish #1: Super Amoeba by Jennifer L. Holm and Matt Holm. Random, 2011, 96 pages.

Beginner's Grace: Review Haiku

A primer on prayer
right when I needed it.
Reverend Kate speaks the truth.

Beginner's Grace: Bringing Prayer to Life by Kate Braestrup. Free Press, 2010, 272 pages.

The Pioneer Woman: Review Haiku

Couldn't get enough
of this real-life love story.
Cowboys are sexy.

The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels: A Love Story by Ree Drummond. Morrow, 2011, 352 pages.

The Wilder Life: Review Haiku

Poundy lets her
prairie freak flag fly: A road trip
for budding Half-Pints.

The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure. Riverhead, 2011, 352 pages.

Trouble Maker 2: Review Haiku

Well, that was a waste
of a good half an hour

of my life. Piffle.

Trouble Maker, Book 2 by Janet Evanovich and Alex Evanovich. Dark Horse, 2010, 112 pages.

The Trouble with May Amelia: Review Haiku

I'm starting a line
to punch May Amelia's father
right in the mouth.

The Trouble with May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm. Atheneum, 2011, 224 pages.

Five Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth: Review Haiku

More new content would

have been nice, but you still can't
beat a pterobear. RAWRRRRR!

Five Very Good Reasons to Punch a Dolphin in the Mouth (And Other Useful Guides) by Matthew Inman. Andrews McMell, 2011, 160 pages.

Let's Panic About Babies: Review Haiku

Fussy and Finslippy
don't know nothin' about
birthin' no babies.

Let's Panic About Babies!: How to Endure and Possibly Triumph Over the Adorable Tyrant Who Will Ruin Your Body, Destroy Your Life, Liquefy Your Brain, and Finally Turn You into a Worthwhile Human Being by Alice Bradley and Eden Kennedy. St. Martin's, 2011, 272 pages.

Unfamiliar Fishes: Review Haiku

Vowell spins the twisted
tale of Hawaii -- but dear God,
why no chapters?

Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell. Riverhead, 2011, 256 pages.

Verily, Verily: Review Haiku

Not for scholars: a
mish-mash of KJV things
the author finds cool.

Verily, Verily: The King James Version: 400 Years of Influence and Beauty by Jon Sweeney. Zondervan, 2011, 224 pages.

One Was a Soldier: Review Haiku

Brutal, honest, grace-filled
repercussions of war.
And oh! -- a wedding!



One Was a Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming. St. Martin's, 2011, 336 pages.



P.S. Bonus points for swiping the title from arguably the most delightfully ridiculous Episcopal hymn of all time.

Happy Birthday to Me

Today is my birthday. And instead of having a night of wanton debauchery and certain humiliation, I am doing this, with fourteen of my closest b-school friends. The older I get, the more insane I get.

Junonia: Review Haiku

A quiet piece of genius as ten-year-old Alice learns about loss.

Junonia by Kevin Henkes. Greenwillow, 2011, 192 pages.

Big Nate Strikes Again: Review Haiku

Poor man's Greg Heffley faces his girly nemesis and wins, loses.

Big Nate Strikes Again! by Lincoln Peirce. Harper, 2010, 224 pages.

Ruby Lu: Review Haiku

It's Ramona, if she were Chinese. And her books were a lot shorter.

Ruby Lu, Brave and True by Lenore Look. Atheneum, 2004, 105 pages.

Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything. Atheneum, 2006, 176 pages.

Ruby Lu, Star of the Show. Atheneum, 2011, 144 pages.

P.S. Why the new illo? Prefer the original.

Piper Reed, Campfire Girl: Review Haiku

Piper demonstrates just how hard it is to be a good friend sometimes.

Piper Reed, Campfire Girl (#4) by Kimberly Willis Holt. Square Fish, 2011, 176 pages.

Whiter Shades of Pale: Review Haiku

Snarky musings on ironic beards and bulky sweaters. Mindless fun.

Whiter Shades of Pale: The Stuff White People Like, Coast to Coast, from Seattle's Sweaters to Maine's Microbrews by Christian Lander. Random, 2010, 240 pages.

The Unsinkable Walker Bean: Review Haiku

Bizarre high-seas adventure of boy engineer, complete with mer-creeps.

The Unsinkable Walker Bean by Aaron Renier. First Second, 2010, 208 pages.

Picture This: Review Haiku

The near-sighted monkey offers you her thoughts on creativity.

Picture This by Lynda Barry. Drawn & Quarterly, 2010, 204 pages.

Suck It, Wonder Woman: Review Haiku

Breezy, forgettable
episodes from every
fanboy's fantasy.

Suck It, Wonder Woman! The Misadventures of a Hollywood Geek by Olivia Munn. St. Martin's, 2011, 288 pages.

Milo - Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze: Review Haiku

Weepy and funny
at once -- but what's the title
got to do with it?

Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg. S&S, 2010, 288 pages.

Finishing the Hat: Review Haiku

Made me find CDs
and relive my junior-high

Sondheim obsession.

Finishing the Hat: Collected Lyrics (1954-1981) with Attendant Comments, Principles, Heresies, Grudges, Whines, and Anecdotes by Stephen Sondheim. Knopf, 2010, 480 pages.

Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream: Review Haiku

A slice of heaven
for seven-year-olds who
believe in luck and dreams.

Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream by Jenny Han. Little Brown, 2011, 160 pages.

The Cloister Walk: Review Haiku

Juuuuust a cloister walk with theeeee . . . Norris lives by the Rule, finds grace and truth.

The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris. Riverhead, 1996, 384 pages.

A blessed Easter to you all.

Wicked Appetite: Review Haiku

Glo equals Lulu;
Liz equals Stephanie;

Diesel equals Ranger.

Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich. St. Martin's, 2010, 320 pages.

Hereville: Review Haiku

Orthodox Jewish
girl kicks troll a$$, takes names, and
slays her own dragons.

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch. Abrams, 2010, 144 pages.

The Rule of St. Benedict: Review Haiku

For tax day, a course
in discipline and moderation
in all things.

The Rule of St. Benedict. This edition: Penguin, 2008, 118 pages.

Happy blogiversary to me: Birthday Haiku

You'd think at some point
this would grow tiresome.
Fortunately, it hasn't.

(Also, those of you who know me IRL will understand why I'm amused that the traditional gift for the fifth anniversary is wood.)

SEVEN: Birthday Haiku

Don't let her fool you:
she's got the attitude of
a fifteen-year-old.

The Popularity Papers, Book 2: Review Haiku

Don't know how she found
my junior-high diary,

but this is spot-on.

The Popularity Papers, Book Two: The Long-Distance Dispatch Between Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang by Amy Ignatow. Amulet, 2011, 208 pages.

Love My Rifle More Than You: Review Haiku

Affecting look at
the bitches and sluts* who
bravely serve our country.

Love My Rifle More Than You: Young and Female in the U. S. Army by Kayla Williams. Norton, 2005, 290 pages.

*Her words, not mine. Relax.

Close to Famous: Review Haiku

Behold the power
of small-town resilience and
a well-timed cupcake.

Close to Famous by Joan Bauer. Viking, 2011, 200 pages.

Theater Geek: Review Haiku

Broadway babies shine,

but little errors reduce

credibility.*

Theater Geek: The Real-Life Drama of a Summer at Stagedoor Manor, the Famous Performing Arts Camp by Mickey Rapkin. Free Press, 2010, 220 pages.

* Ahem. The giant in Act Two of Into the Woods is not a he. The repeated lyrics in "Being Alive" begin "Someone to" or "Somebody," but never "Somebody to." All the campers would know this.

The Lemonade Crime: Review Haiku

Justice, fourth-grade style:
Siblings close the book on bully's
reign of terror.

The Lemonade Crime by Jacqueline Davies. HMH, 2011, 160 pages.