Three good books!

Hi there! It looks like I've been holding out on you. I've got some good books to recommend, so here they are without further ado. All three are historical fiction with female protagonists. All three make great books for book club. The book covers are links to Amazon, as usual.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
I read this one because it was chosen by my book club, and I loved it. It was a lot of fun to read, tough to put down, and not too scary or gory, as some mysteries can be.

The story follows Flavia, a girl living on the family estate in England in ... gosh I can't remember what year. But she rides a bike and uses a telephone, though it is somewhat unusual that their home has "the instrument." When Flavia finds a dead body in the back garden, she does what 10-year-old girls do best: finds out as much information as possible as unobtrusively as she can. And of course that leads to trouble.

This book comes the absolute closest to a Nancy Drew mystery that I've read in adulthood. Flavia and Nancy are both young girl detectives with independent transportation and permissive families, but Nancy generally is appreciated by the police. Flavia is not.

It made for a good book discussion with questions like "How realistic do you think it is that Flavia had the skills needed to solve the mystery?" "When did you know who the murderer was?" and "What ages do you think this book would be appropriate for?" It was generally agreed that 12+ would be fine.

This is the first in the series, and I would mind reading the other ones at all. The mystery is all tied up at the finish, but some loose ends about the characters remain.

The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz

I first heard this recommended by Leila Roy, who was gushing about it a couple of years ago. I finally picked it up, and I loved it. I was going to pick it for my next book club pick, but Bethany beat me to it!

The Hired Girl is the diary of a farm girl circa 1910. Her mother died a few years before the story opens, and we find her working like a slave (unpaid, unprivileged, constantly belittled) to keep the family farm going. When she sees advertisements for positions as a Hired Girl and realizes the worth of her work, she runs away from home and her abusive father. Of course, being a runaway in 1910 comes with its own huge set of challenges and learning experiences.

I think it can be really tricky to do a diary format novel right. I'm really picky about diary format, because I keep a personal diary. The author does a really good job here, and also makes the story so interesting that I was happy to forgive entries that seemed too long or too detailed to be completely realistic. The story was realistic, and captivating, and I can't wait to discuss it with the book club ladies. Everything from journal keeping and women working to domestic abuse and religion.

I loved the way that religion featured largely in the book. Religion features largely in my life, and I find that a lot of young adult literature these days doesn't touch the subject. our protagonists late mother was a different religion than her father, and other characters of other religions and various degrees of devotion to their religions are big in the book, and make the whole story more nuanced and believable.

The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer

Ashley has been telling me for a while now that I need to read some Georgette Heyer books. And as we all know Ashley has great taste. So I went over to the grown-up section and it looks like Heyer is prolific. I picked The Grand Sophy because I seemed to remember hearing about it before. Now that Bethany has stolen The Hired Girl as her book club pick, I think The Grand Sophy will be mine. (Do you hear that, friends? DIBS)

The Grand Sophy is set in post-Napoleonic England, and will remind you of Jane Austen's books if you've read them. (Heyer was not, however, a contemporary of Jane Austen. Heyer wrote The Grand Sophy in the 1950s.) The book follows a family in London whose situation is rough: father has gambled away all of the money, and his eldest son has inherited a fortune from an uncle. Because the eldest, Charles, has a good heart, he is helping his family out, but he's a bit of a tyrant about it. Into the picture comes cousin Sophy, who needs a place to stay while her father is out of the country on government business. She has all kinds of virtues and a few vices and upsets the apple cart in all the best ways.

This one was just SO fun to read. I laughed out loud several times and loved the scene with the moneylender, particularly. I have to wonder if Eugenia from the Mercy Watson books is named for Eugenia in this book. That will be something to ask Kate DiCamillo someday! Anyway, good call Ashley, and I'll definitely be reading some more Georgette Heyer.

Cinammon Baby

Cinnamon Baby by Nicola Winstanley, illustrated by Janice Nadeau.

I love this book.

I checked it out from the library after finding it recommended on PlanetEsme. And her review is worth a read. (That Esme's so eloquent.)

Cinnamon Baby is a gorgeous picture book (watercolor, graphite pencil & paper collage) about the beautiful baker Miriam. Every day, she bakes. She saves the cinnamon bread for last, always, because it is her favorite.  She marries Sebastian, and they have a baby. A beautiful, wonderful, baby who will. not. stop. crying.  Are there any parents out there who are relating?

Oh! I just love Miriam, Sebastian and that baby! They love each other so well.

The text is straightforward and romantic: "After that he bought a loaf of bread every day for a year. Then he asked Miriam if she would marry him, and she said yes." Sigh. Love it.

The pictures are intricate and enhance the story so well. Sebastian is a violinist, though you wouldn't know it from the text. Like Esme, I adored the scenes of Miriam walking the crying baby around town.

I can't lie. I choked up on the last line -- I was reading it aloud to my boys, the first time I read it -- but it was okay because it was the last line, so I didn't have to read after it. This may be my go-to book for baby showers from now on.   (Though I still adore Marla Frazee's Walk On! for that purpose.)

Highly recommended, especially for parents.

Edited: I've now collected all my favorite books to give at baby showers in one convenient post. You're welcome.

Micro-reviews: Graphic Novel Edition!

My best waiter voice says: Today we have here a delicious sampler of graphic novels to choose from. They are in order from my least favorite to my most favorite.

The Lightning Thief Graphic Novel, by Rick Riordan. If I had picked this up to see what the series was all about I wouldn't have read further. Annabeth, age twelve? Looked like she was a woman from the nineties. The jokes were lost because so much of the humor is in Percy's voice as the narrator of the series. He still "narrates" the graphic novel, but his voice isn't preserved and neither are the laughs. My take: Read the original, instead.

To Dance: A Ballerina's Graphic Novel by Siena Cherson Siegel and Mark Siegel. This was a graphic novel by a dancer, for dancers. There was so much distracting name-dropping that I couldn't get into the story. What there was of one. The dialogue was to little and too flat to hold up the story. I almost think there should have been none at all? I don't know. Can't say shoulda. The art was good and interesting, with great use of color. Done in watercolors. The other GN memoir I've read is Persepolis, and it is much broader in scope, more detailed, longer in timeline, etc. So this one didn't compare favorably. Thankfully it didn't get bogged down talking ballet terms, at least. My take: ballerina's could like it.

Crogan's March by Chris Schweizer. Follow up to Crogan's Vengeance, not a sequel but a story of a different ancestor. As with the first, this one begins with a modern setting and compares it with a tale from the past. I don't feel like the question that it set out to explore was really explored, though. Mmm. Maybe I was distracted? Still an enjoyable read. My take: I'll keep following the series. 

 Joey Fly 2: Big Hairy Drama by Aaron Reynolds and Neil Numberman. Joey Fly, a fly, and his scorpion sidekick must solve the mystery of the missing diva, a painted lady butterfly. Full of details that make it fun. Silly similes and metaphors, artistic detail. Appropriate for all ages and great for a read aloud. My take: Gotta get these, for when my sons get older.

Babymouse: Mad Scientist by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm. Babymouse works on a science experiment, for the science fair. We love Babymouse around here. Our favorite was the Star Trek bit of this one.  I thought it was particularly funny because Jacob tried to grow mold on bread with the scouts once and it didn't work out the way he planned.  My take: Not my all-time favorite of the Babymouses, but fun. 

Library Wars: Love & War by Kiiro Yumi. What can I say? This is a new favorite series of mine. It's got loads of awkward hilarity (love) and enough action (war) to move the story along. It's manga (read it backwards, from left to right!) and the premise is that Japanese librarians have an army of their own to protect books from the censor-happy government forces. As a tall woman, I find the pairing of Kasahara (tall) and Dojo (short) particularly entertaining. I'd recommend this one for high school on up especially if you're looking for something that's light but not fluffy.  My take: The best new guilty pleasure, low on guilt. 

The Happiness Project

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

So I'm in this book club. I call it the "Over the Years" book club, but I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who does. Anyway, it's been meeting monthly since 1993, so "over the years" is apt. Well the book for July is The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. I put it on hold at the library and it came in pretty quick, so I've just finished it.

I was excited to read it because my friend Lindsay mentioned it on her blog, and talked about how Rubin's "Spend out" principle really resonated with her. I just love the photo.

This is a well written book. It is organized beautifully. Reading through it, I got the feeling that Gretchen Rubin likes to be organized -- a woman after my own heart! Not only is the book well organized but her thoughts are well articulated within it, and many of the resolutions she made over the course of her year-long happiness project were about becoming more focused on things that matter.  I found it fresh and insightful to look at the small things that we can change to make us happy -- those of us who are already happy with our lives, for the most part -- and in that way keep the good that we have and deepen our current happiness.

I almost snapped my fingers and said "yes!" several times as I was reading the book. Near the end, Rubin highlights the distinction between resolutions and goals, and that was a particularly enlightening section to me. Goals are set and met. Resolutions are decided upon and you continually strive to meet them. Both are good, of course.

Resolutions? Yes please. I will be making some of my own very soon. I've got a nice list of books I want to read, now, too. She keeps recommending them, you see, and making them sound so fascinating.

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword

Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch

Guys. You've got to read this one.  It's totally awesome.

The tagline is "Yet Another Troll-Fighting 11-Year-Old Orthodox Jewish Girl!"  The book made me laugh and I particularly loved the sibling interactions, being from a big family myself.  It's just darn good storytelling is what it is.  I made Jacob read it.

Jacob says: "It left me wanting to know the rest of the story, which is a compliment!"

Yes, it is the story of how Mirka gets a sword, and I too am curious to see how she'll use it in the future.

You can read the 57 page webcomic here(ville), but I recommend just getting your hands on the book because it is the expanded (139 page) version.

Seriously though. It's in my Top 5 graphic novels. Or among my favorites, anyway. I don't think I could make a top five (or even 10) list.

Crunch

Crunch
by Leslie Connor

I picked this one up for the Cybils, and I'm so glad I did.

The premise of the book has provided me with thinking material for the last several weeks. It's about the Mariss family living through a fuel crunch.  The parents are away on their anniversary trip when, all of a sudden, their gas ration coupons are no good to get them home.  Fortunately the five kids at home, including our protagonist Dewey, have got things pretty well covered.  With no fuel available, however, the Mariss Bike Barn is suddenly a booming business.

I loved hearing about how the Mariss kids played the cards they were dealt.  And, of course, I've spent quite a bit of time thinking about what would happen to me in a similar situation.  The book also has a little mystery sub-plot that I liked as well.  I liked that it added tension to the book, but didn't overshadow the drama that is everyday life.  As one of the oldest of 7 kids, I can tell you there's a bit of drama in everyday life when mom and dad aren't home. And yet, Dewey manages to keep it positive, and himself positive.  It's admirable. It's real.

And that's probably the highest praise I can give this book.  It seems real.  When I stopped reading, I had to remind myself that I was back in my own life, and not one of the Mariss kids.  And I wish I was as well prepared for a "crunch" as they are.

Salt Water Taffy

Salt Water Taffy: The Legend of Old Salty (The Seaside Adventures of Jack & Benny)
by Matthew Loux

I grabbed this one off the shelf of my library cold.  That is to say, I had never heard of it before, but it looked like it could be fun.  It was!

Jack & Benny, brothers, aren't particularly thrilled to be spending the summer in Maine without a television.  At least the town has a store that stocks scrumptious salt water taffy. When all of the taffy goes missing, they team up with local fisherman Angus O'Neil to catch a thief.

Very cool.  Super quick, fun read.  We mostly stick with Jack & Benny, but we get a few other perspectives that enhance the story nicely.  I could see my younger brother (and other upper-elementary kids) enjoying the series.  Recommended.

I love Bookie Woogie

This blog, recorded and transcribed by an illustrator and his kids, is awesome. And today's post was perfect! It's an interview with author Aaron Reynolds. I just read his fantastic graphic novel mystery Joey Fly Private Eye.

It was so noir. So fun. So punny. I love puns! Also, fake sound effects. This was one of those books that I started reading aloud to Jacob before I had got 5 pages in. Joey Fly has a bungling assistant that he has to work around. Can the two of them solve the case of the missing pencil box? Or will Sammy's antics shut them off of the case -- like a fly on the outside of a screen door?

Okay, that was lame. The funny lines in the book are way better. You should just read that.

Also in the interview they talk about some other great graphic novels. I'm a big fan of Babymouse and just discovered Amulet as well. Too fun! My favorite part of the interview is when Mr. Reynolds talks about how concerned he was that Joey Fly has no mouth and no pupils in his eyes. He tells how it all worked out.

Here's to great graphic novels and their authors! I'll have more to share with you coming up. Over in the sidebar you can follow my Cybils progress (and my NaNoWriMo wordcount as well). To date I've read 31 of the nominees! So I have more great books to share just as soon as I get the chance.

Frogs and Mice

Two picture books I loved recently:

Nic Bishop Frogs -- Fantastic, amazing photographs! And very nice text as well. Not too heavy, not too light. Its books like these that make me go to the Juvenile non-fiction section more often than the regular ol' stuff. I mean seriously. When there are such fascinating, understandable texts on the ground floor, why would I go upstairs and try to wade through something dull? Love it.

Once Upon a Twice -- by Denise Doyen, illustrated by Barry Moser. Found this one over at the PlanetEsme blog, and she likened it to Jabberwocky. I LOVE Jabberwocky! The version illustrated by Graeme Base. Aaaanyway. This one is not exactly like Jabberwocky, I mean, Carroll made up SO many new words with that one. Practically every other word at the beginning is nonsense. Once Upon a Twice does more with wordplay than word invention. Still, I was tickled by it. And the illustrations are the perfect atmosphere. Check it out!

Warbreaker

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

It's a thick one, guys! But totally worth it. I really enjoyed this one.

The eldest princess of Idris is destined to be the bride of the God King of Hallendren. She has trained her whole life in preparation. Her youngest sister is redundant. Until push comes to shove in politics and the girls both find themselves utterly unprepared for their new roles. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Lightsong the Bold, Returned god of Bravery is trying to figure out why anyone thinks he's a god and what his purpose was in coming back to life. Mix in a few other sly and slippery and dangerous and complex characters, and you've got a recipe (wait. How did I get from ranches to recipes?) for ...beef stew? mountain oysters? okay I give up, but it was tasty.

The humor had me choking back laughs. The intrigue had me biting my nails (literally. I caught myself chewing my thumb). The romance was swoonworthy, but isn't the main focus of the book. The magic system is mind-boggling.

Recommended for adult and young adult fantasy fans. Another good one from Sanderson. As my little brother said after reading this, "He kind of gives me hope for the end of the Wheel of Time series." Me, too. And hopefully we'll get to meet him on his upcoming tour! :)

oh, p.s. Sanderson published this book online, so you can get the entire text here on his site. However it is also available in hardback at libraries and bookstores.

Leave It To Psmith

I died laughing.

Luckily, it appears I can still blog. Seriously though, I have not read a book by P. G. Wodehouse that I did not like. Mostly, though, I've just read his Jeeves and Wooster stuff. I mean, I did read Mulliner Nights, too, and that one was great. So I decided to branch out.

"Is Psmith (the P is silent) like Bertie Wooster?" Jacob wanted to know. Nnnnnooo... He IS a member of the Drones Club, but he also belongs to several other, more respectable, clubs in London. His driving motivation in this book is to find a job that is NOT in the fish business. So, yeah. He's job-hunting. That tells you how different he is from Bertie, right there.

He is hilariously long-winded. Unbelieveably eloquent and silly at the same time. When trying to win the love of his heart's desire he belatedly adds that he can do card tricks. And recite Gunga Din. He spends the majority of the book impersonating someone else and doing a horrible job of it.

Anyway, pick this one up if you need a laugh. And particularly if you like laughing at turn-of-the-century English people.

Four for the price of one

During my recent vacation I found more time to read than I have in a while. So here is a little bit about my latest reads:

Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce. We listened to this one on the drive. I liked the narrator (VERY important for an audiobook) and I liked the story. Jacob and I laughed out loud fairly often. But the book is thought provoking as well. What would you do, really, if you had a million dollars? What if you had come by it in a very unlikely way? Mom, you should check this one out.





Karlsson-on-the-roof by Astrid Lindgren. Ransom recommended this one to me -- it's by the author of Pippi Longstocking. It was odd. And silly. And somewhat predictable, but much better than I thought it would be from the first bit of the book. Anyway, I enjoyed it and I think it would be quite fun to read with second or third graders because there is so much that is unexplained and that you could have them fill in. :)


Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George. I had been meaning to read this one for quite a while. It was very cute. Tagline: She wanted dragon gold. She got a pair of slippers. So. It takes place in that fantasy time in which dragons are still around and used to be friends with humans, but aren't anymore. But Creel is going to change all of that. Maybe? She manages to be pretty sharp (but amazingly dense about the biggest most important thing in the book: the slippers) and her story is quite enjoyable. I'm glad I already own the sequel.




The Plain Janes by Cecil Castelucci & Jim Rugg. The Readergirlz pick for this month. This one is a graphic novel about Jane. She's recovering from tragedy and moving to a new town. Can she make friends and find herself? Can she change the world through art? I enjoyed the overarching themes of the book, and was entranced by the John Doe sub-plot, but had a bit of a hard time with some of their art attacks. I'm supposed to believe they had the money to buy the supplies for that? Without anyone knowing? mmm. Enjoyable read though.

Twilight: Graphic Novel Style

I'm kinda getting really excited about this! I like the fact that Edward and Bella do not look exactly like Kristen Stewart & Rob Pattinson. And I like the fact that Stephenie is highly involved. I was wondering what she's been up to...

To read my reviews of other graphic novels, click the "graphic novels" tag below.

The Keeper of the Bees

The Keeper of the Bees by Gene Stratton-Porter

No, this isn't the one you've probably heard about. The one that is so popular with "bees" in the title right now is The Secret Life of Bees. The Keeper of the Bees, on the other hand, was written in 1925.

The book follows Jamie Louis Macfarlane -- a wounded serviceman who finds his way on a grand adventure that makes him a better man and brings hope and love back into his life. Strong Christian themes run through the book, which isn't a surprise considering the time in which it was written. And it was an interesting study for me to see all of the ways that political correctness has changed in the last hundred years.

More than that, though, Keeper of the Bees is superbly written. It's so eloquent that even the boring parts were riveting to me. I found myself thinking, "I can't stop now, he's looking around the house!" So when things really pick up, when there's action, I couldn't stop for anything.

I found it shelved in the Juvenile section of my library, and am a bit mystified. Sure, there is no objectionable material in it; but, noawadays books are often shelved by the protagonist's age, and Jamie is a full grown man. He does have a great relationship with the Little Scout, but the story is certainly Jamie's. Anyway, I highly recommend this one.

I Am A Mother

I Am A Mother by Jane Clayson Johnson

This one is a change from my usual fare, but Annaliese recommended it, so I had to try it out.

The book is about motherhood. Written by a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, its target audience is the women of the same church. However, I think it would be a fine read for any person who wants a postive perspective on motherhood.

Johnson talks about her experiences with motherhood, her own mother, and other women. She talks about how women who have not borne children of their own are still mothers. She quotes others on the eternal, spiritual importance of motherhood and on why mothers are undervalued today.

The book was good -- it made me smile and it even got me a bit misty a couple of times. The only criticism I have is that I think she was writing for a small field, sometimes. What I mean is, sometimes she would say something like "whether you're x, y, or z, ..." and I would think "what about the rest of the alphabet?" But really, I quite liked the book.

I couldn't seem to put it down; I zipped through it on a Sunday afternoon. So if you want something uplifting about a very large demographic in our world today (read: mothers) give it a shot!

Wink: The Ninja Who Wanted To Be Noticed

Wink: The Ninja Who Wanted To Be Noticed by J. C. Phillipps

"It was the happiest day of Wink's life when he was accepted to the Sumer Moon School for Young Ninjas."

What a brilliant beginning to a brilliant book. It is hilarious and colorful and cute. It moves you: you totally feel for little Wink and can see where he's coming from. The method of his ultimate success is very gratifying.

I absolutely love the cut-paper illustrations. When I was required to write and illustrate a picture book for my Elementary Music Education class, cut paper is what I chose. It just looks so cool. And so of course the whole time I'm thinking "what fantastic papers!" and "where did she get them?" But only the second time through, because the first time I was too caught up in the story.

Recommended for all ages.

Babymouse: The Musical!

The best! My favorite of the Babymouse collection so far! Bravo, Brava!

The new boy at school is super cute. When he singles out Babymouse for some attention, it gives her the guts to try out for the school musical. But (evil) Felicia Furrypaws gets the lead! Will Babymouse get her chance to shine?

Oh. My. Goodness. References to SO many musicals in this one! Annie, Phantom of the Opera, Grease (complete with parody of "Summer Lovin'"). But the part that really got me was the little American Idol scene.

Comic Genius! And I feel very lucky because Jennifer Holm is coming to visit Champaign again! She'll be at the library at 7 p.m. on May 15th.


Previously: Babymouse 1-8
Interview with Jenny & Matt Holm
Report of Youth Lit Festival

Rash of Reviews

Okay, so I read a book a while ago, and started a little post about it. But I didn't get time to finish the post before I read another book. So I started a little post about that book. But I didn't get time to finish the post before I read another book. So I . . . you get the picture. And now all of these little posts have become like little itchy bumps on my arm! And I just have to scratch them before I can do anything else!

So. A rash of reviews:

A Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotson. Oh, I do want to own this book. The minute I finished it I knew I wanted it in my collection. It is a delicious romance that is hilarious and poignant. I found it much more comparable to Twilight than books advertised with the phrase "If you liked Twilight..." See, I'm a sucker more for the clean romance than the vampires. Now, the romance goes more from Twilight through to Breaking Dawn all in the course of one book. So... there is no actual bodice ripping per se, but married me likes it better than single me would have. And, okay, this book is so funny! It's got little wordplays and comic disasters and oh, it is so much fun. My mother will love it. I made Aislin read it. Any thoughts, dear?

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. It is so controversial. Either you love it or you hate it. There is so much swearing! Just like everyone says there is. And there is some other pretty distasteful stuff too. But I really wanted to read it and form my own opinion of it. The verdict: lukewarm. I guess I'm one of the few fence-sitters. Holden has a very authentic voice. I saw so much of him in so many different people I know. It is hard to believe he is a fictional character. And hard to believe the people he describes are fictional as well. And hey, the events seem really real, too. Now, I'm glad that my life has very few similarities to Holden's. But it was very interesting to look into his life. And also very interesting, afterward, to watch the commentary about the book by (my favorite youtubing author) John Green. Part 1. Part 2.

Skellig by David Almond. I think David Almond has a thing for birds. He wrote one of my all time favorite books of this last year: My Dad's a Birdman. This one, Skellig, came first, though and categorized as YA fiction. In fact it won the Printz award (like the Newbery for YA). And it was really good, so I can see why. It's pretty poetical and symbolic, yet totally literal enough that you'd get a lot of good stuff (including a pretty gripping story) out of it even if you didn't care about what all those birds flying around mean. I learned a bit more about Arthur Itis in this book than I would've guessed. Umm... what else? It was really good. Okay next scab...
The Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George. Totally cute. And original. Yet very comfortable. This is a retelling of the 12 dancing princesses. Which is pretty cool, since I'm not super familiar with the tale, so I was able to be surprised a bit along the way. And our hero! Oh! He is so sweet. And talented. There are two types of talented heroes: the type that can inexplicably do everything really well (read: Edward, Rom, etc.) and those that have some really awesome skills that they use to get the job done. Like the totally awesome knitting-gardening-soldier who is our hero.

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull. The name says it all. It's a book about the secret wildlife preserve for fabled creatures. Creatures that Kendra and Seth didn't even know existed until they went to visit their grandparents. This is a fun adventure. And I've heard the next books in the series just get better and better. Which I'm okay with, because I was sort of wanting to kick some of the people in this one sometimes. It all turned out for the best, though. And, hey! They're making it into a movie eventually.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

I just jumped on the Frankie lovin' bandwagon! The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart has been getting lots of love. It just won a Cybils award in the YA fiction category, it was a Printz Honor book, and has many more accolades. Also John Green has said it was good for a long time.

Set in the present day (a wax sealed envelope might lead you to believe otherwise) this is the story of how Frankie proves that she (yes, she; the name Frankie might lead you to believe otherwise) is a very powerful woman. You see, Frankie's family underestimates her. Yes, she is gorgeous, yes she is young. But she is also smart and capable.

I related very well to Frankie (gorgeous, young, smart, capable -- what can I say?) the main difference between us being that my parents never called me Bunny Rabbit.

And don't let me forget to mention there is some delicious romance in this book. Because it would be dishonest of me to say that I didn't bite my lip wondering what would happen with that crush from afar.

But what makes the book so good is that goes further than all these little plot elements (romance, proving you're smart) and delves into the human psyche. Oh, also, the panopticon is awesome.

Okay, read it now so we can talk about it! First 17 pages here.

TGLAPPPS Part Deux

Post by Alysa
So I just finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Loved it. Loved. Ashley already reviewed it for us here. In fact, she has expanded her review for publication in a newspaper. You done us proud, girl! Now we just need Laura's thoughts.

Aislin and other fans of The Picture of Dorian Grey or Oscar Wilde (but especially Dorian fans) should definitely read this one. Also my mom. Oh, and Hilary of course.

This book is happy. It is uplifting, that is to say. There are some unhappy parts of course, but a story needs conflict. It's uplifting and engrossing but not gripping. That means you WILL be able to put it down to make dinner, shower, etc., but also that you will be happy to have a minute to pick it up again. Also be sure to read the acknowledgments after. Or before. This book made me wish I had a real-for-reals pen pal.

Happy, happy! Yay! Loved.