Please Don't Read This Book

Winner!

Congrats to Emily Colletta!

You won a copy of Dreamland Social Club!(Kermit is super excited for you)

Shall be emailing you soon for your address! Congrats again.

Dreamland Social Club

Dreamland Social Club – Tara Altebrando

Marirosa Mia:  Jane has traveled the world with her father (who designs amusement park rides) and brother, but it's not until her family - still suffering from the loss of Jane's mother - inherits a house and a history in Coney Island that she finally begins to find a home.

Altebrando’s DREAMLAND SOCIAL CLUB was a breath of fresh air in a sea of science fiction and fantasy novels I had been gorging on when I started to read it. Its vibrant and beautiful writing captured me from the beginning, and its Coney Island setting (rich in details and history) wrapped itself around me like an awesome quirky blanket you didn’t know your grandma owned.

DREAMLAND is filled with wonderfully colorful teens like Babette (total girl crush on Babette) and the Tattooed Boy (the love interest - because EVERY book should have a cute boy with tattoos) who help Jane understand the uniqueness of Coney Island and connect to her mother’s past. 

DREAMLAND SOCIAL CLUB captured Coney Island’s personality (like New York City, Coney Island is a character in itself) and brought to life its weird/wonderful/crazy residents that help Jane come into her own.

For more on DREAMLAND and its author, check out: http://www.taraaltebrando.com/

 ALSO! Make sure to comment on this post for a chance to win a free copy of DREAMLAND SOCIAL CLUB! We will announce the winner on March 20th!

 

We have a winner!

Congrats to Miss Elizabeth Dunn-Ruiz, winner of our A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO giveway! YAY!

Elizabeth, we'll be contacting you shortly for your mailing address.

Thanks again for entering the contest everyone!

A Long Way From Chicago

A Long Way from Chicago – Richard Peck

Marirosa Mia: I wish I had a gun-totting grandma, Julie. Think of all the fun to be had and the people to scare.  Spanning the years 1929 to 1942, Richard Peck's A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO follows Joey and his sister Mary Alice, who come down from Chicago to spend their summers with their "tough as an old boot" Grandma Dowdel. They don't expect to be part of their grandmother's always crazy and often dangerous adventures like illegal catfishing, standing up to the drunk sheriff, and holding a wake for town bum Shotgun Cheatham, but they do! This novel made me want to chase down my mom and dad and grill them about my grandparents' illegal ways (they were also awesome people, so I'm pretty sure they had some). I was surprised by how much I liked this charming and funny novel and how much I kept wanting to go back for more. Julie?

Julie:  In order to convey how beloved A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO is in my family, I need to tell the following story:  Several years ago, I read the book with my older daughter, who is normally perfectly sane.  She loved it, all of it, from the very first sentence:  "You wouldn’t think we’d have to leave Chicago to see a dead body."  She loved it so much that she threw a staggering fit when I agreed to read the book to her younger sister after I'd finished reading it to her.  Grabbing it from me, she shouted, "It's mine!"  Then she ran to the kitchen; wrapped that book tightly in aluminum foil; added about a foot of scotch tape for good measure; and proceeded to hide the book under an avalanche of papers on her desk.  I didn't dare try to take it out from under that heap.  I believe she would have punched me.  And she's never thrown a punch in all her eleven years.  

M: I must say, Julie, that story just made my day. I'm interested in hearing what she would say about that book if she read it recently. A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO has a way of charming (there's that word again!) you right off the bat and not many books can do that, but Grandma Dowdel is hard to resist. Always up to something that broad was, and I was always glad to be along for the ride. 

J:  I bet my daughter would love it all over again, if she re-read it now.  I sure did.  It's the perfect combination of funny and touching.  Grandma Dowdel is so deliciously bad--she packs heat; she lies without compunction; she plays tricks on her neighbors; and she pulls no verbal punches.  What she says is hilarious in its own right; her grandson's asides add to the humor.  Take this tiny example, in which Grandma Dowdel disparages her alleged enemy Effie Wilcox:  "'Was that Effie again?  Never trust an ugly woman.  She's got a grudge against the world,' said Grandma, who was no oil painting herself."  Don't you love the lines throughout the book like that?  There must be a hundred of them. And--even better--don't you love how it always turns out that Grandma's bad behavior is in the service of some good?  She's taking on a pompous banker; or his insufferable, bossy wife; or the family of hooligan brothers; or their successful, inexcusably tolerant (of their children's bad behavior) parents.  Or she's doing something sneakily and unexpectedly nice for one of her grandkids. I so envy the effectiveness of Peck's writing.  All Grandma Dowdel does is wave from her doorway in the final chapter, and I choke up.  Every single time.  A funny book with well-drawn characters and tremendous heart.  Can you beat that? 

M: I must agree that was a wonderful moment at the end. Heart strings were tugged. Also, even more wonderful news, I happen to have an extra copy of this book! And I’m giving it away to one of our wonderful readers who comments on this entry. So make sure to leave a comment (a simple “hey” will do) for a chance to win a copy of Richard Peck’s A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO. Contest ends 1/31!

Winner of Eon!

Congrats to Nic! You won a copy of EON! Yay!

A copy of this awesome book is on it's way to you.

Thanks for commenting!

Eon: Dragoneye Reborn

EON – Alison Goodman

Note: Book giveaway below!

Marirosa Mia: My dear friend, Annie (of Anniezilla) is back for another round of book reviewing! If you didn't catch our first round where we reviewed the addicting SWEEP series go check it out if you get the chance. Now, take it away, Annie.

Annie: About a year and a half ago, you sent me a lovely book called EON: DRAGONEYE REBORN, by Alison Goodman. Read it, loved it, realized it was by the author of a book and short story combo that I had enjoyed previously, loved it some more. Much to my dismay, it was another year before you would read it (tsk tsk – though at least you didn’t have to wait long for the sequel).

Our heroine Eona starts out hiding her true identity by pretending to be a boy, Eon, in the hopes of becoming a legendary Dragoneye, with control of a dragon aligned to one of the Chinese zodiac signs. As a contender, she is bound to a master focused on helping her become the next Rat Dragoneye (the current astrological sign).  At the same time, she must deal with her own physical disability, which weakens her capacity to train with the other potentials.  Not to mention the fact that she must hide her female self for fear of death.  Throughout the book ‘Eon’ struggles with her true self in order to become Eona. Politically, the atmosphere is changing and Eona must also confront the repercussions of actions that reflect her internal confusion and development.

Eona is not the book’s only strong character.  Goodman also skillfully develops secondary characters, each with a unique voice. I know you must have loved Lady Dela and Ryko, Mia. They certainly stand apart from the standard trope of the secondary character.

M: I love me some well-developed secondary characters, Annie! Especially ones as genuine as Lady Dela and Ryko. Their relationships with Eona and each other were so well created, I yearned (yes, yearned) for Eona to confide in them and trust them as much as I did. I’ve got to tell you, Annie, I L.O.V.E.D this book and its sequel EONA (which we'll talk about at a later post), and I'm so very happy I didn't have to wait a year to read EONA. This was one of those "just another ten pages" books that you can't put down, and before you know it it's 2 a.m., and you're having a small panic attack because you have to go to work tomorrow in the morning, and you aren't sure 4 hours is enough time to finish the book. Yeah. One of those books. Once I finished I started making a list of people to make read it. 

I loved how frank it was in terms of the story; how Goodman was aware of her lead female character as a female. It didn't feel like a ploy or a device - 'oh look! a girl pretending to be a boy!'  It felt instead natural and accurate, which I'm not sure is the right word. There’s no ignoring Eona as a woman.  You might say, "Of course not! The whole plot is that she’s a girl pretending to be a boy!" But there’s more to it in this story. She isn't just a girl wearing a slouchy shirt, putting on a funny 'man' voice and trying to swagger like John Wayne. She's binding her breasts, she's going against biology, she's fighting against her own body to be anything but a woman, which would get her and her master killed. I liked how denying her true self took on a very negative form even in the ways she went about it: poison, painful binding, crippling, etc. By refusing who she was, she was essentially killing herself. Pretty powerful stuff. Now I'm babbling. Annie?

A:  I think you're pretty spot-on regarding the denial of Eona's femininity and resulting injury. As the story progresses, the theme of identity emerges.  It’s even more prominent in the sequel. EON has plenty of characters besides Eona who must deal with their place in the world and their performance of their role, including your much-loved Lady Dela and Ryko. Also, the other pivotal characters, Lord Ido and Prince Kygo, each have a level of strength that is based on their ability to understand their own identity or role. As with Eona, the more the characters understand themselves, the more strength they gather.  And, as Eona also establishes, the characters fully in denial of themselves or lacking personal conviction tend to, how should I say this? Not fare as well.

 By the way, my fiancé actually read the book before me (as he was scouting through my pile of books to see if anything was for him). He was right there with you, urging me to read it. Luckily I had the weekend to zoom through it. I hope our discussion will encourage other people to pick it up. The book creates a much richer and more vibrant, if not stunning, world then I think is indicated by the book jacket. 

M: Yes! Go out and get EON! (Or comment below and enter to win a free copy of the EON paperback! Winners will be announced next week!) And stay tuned for our follow-up review of EONA which comes out in April!! (Which means go get EON now so you can run out and get the second part of this duo-logy as soon as it hits the shelves.)

Winners of a copy of Between Shades of Gray

As Oprah would say: And you get a book! And you get a book! And YOU get a booooooook! etc.

Well, the winners are Emily Colletta and Sam (who did not give a last name).
Congrats!
We'll be contacting you shortly!

Between Shades of Gray

Between Shades of Gray – Ruta Sepetys

 Note: Book Giveaway Below!

Marirosa Mia:  I'm very grateful to have my dear friend Elizabeth here to talk about BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY with me. This novel was passed around my office for several weeks, from one hand to the next. Each time with one simple warning: You will cry.  Everyone from the sappiest to the most cynical among us passed the novel on with that same warning: You will cry.
Still, when my turn came, I was sure I would be the first to break this cycle. I would not cry. I had no idea what BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY was about, but I was certain of one thing: I would not cry. Even though I tear up the second that ASPCA commercial comes on (you know the one) or during every single Pixar movie (don't lie, you do too), I decided that this time, I would not cry.

Before we find out whether or not I cried, let's take a moment to summarize the novel. BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY, by Ruta Sepetys, is the story of Lina, a fifteen-year-old girl who in the summer of 1941 finds herself ripped from her home along with her mother and younger brother by the Soviet secret police and sent to a gulag in Siberia. Her father - separated from his family - is sentenced to death in a prison camp. Lina vows to use her love of art and writing to document the pain and struggle that now fill her everyday life.

You're darn right I cried. Elizabeth?

Elizabeth: Did I cry? I cry almost every day. I cry while watching TV and movies, or while listening to sad stories on This American Life or Tori Amos albums, and, of course, while reading novels about genocide. I find this to be such a silly subject for discourse. It infuriates me that people in our culture make such a big deal out of crying. If the Miami Heat want to cry after losing a few games, fine, let them, and let's not discuss it for three hours on ESPN. So, yes, to the larger question implicit in this notion of "will one weep?": Does the author succeed in crafting a beautiful novel in which dynamic characters in terrible conditions evoke an emotional response from the reader?

Sepetys takes me through a period in world history that I know only as a few sentence synopsis and helps me to understand the human suffering embedded in the facts. She does not shy away from complexity; she doesn't rely on simple definitions of "good" and "bad" for her characterization of the soldiers and the prisoners.

M: So true. Sepetys doesn't shy away from showing us what our characters would do in order to survive.  What a mother would do to keep her children safe (well, as safe as one could be in a gulag) - shown in two separate instances. Both through the actions of Lina's mother and then through Andrius' mother.

And as you said, not all prisoners and soldiers fit neatly into one category.

I loved that Sepetys showed us the resilience and constant determination of our characters even though they themselves probably thought all hope was lost. In particular Elena - Lina's mom - who from the very beginning set the tone she would keep for the rest of the novel as she smashed her belongs to bits ("Because I love them so much.") before the Soviet police could get a hold of them.

And then there's the relationship between Lina and Andrius. But more on that in a bit. Elizabeth, what stayed with you after finishing the novel? 

E: Actually, it is that relationship that stayed with me the longest, the idea that even in the worst of circumstances people continue to be people. Lina is a girl on the edge of becoming a young lady and here comes this handsome, mysterious boy. What's a girl to do but fall for him? It's the way of the world! The oppressors in this book tried desperately to strip that humanity away, but what a futile goal. 

M: Very futile. What I loved about that relationship in addition to what you just mentioned was how conflicted I was about it. On the one hand I wanted it to flourish, to fight; for them to find a little bit of light and love in all that darkness. It made my heart flutter. On the other hand, I was petrified. Here I was getting very much attached to them together yet at the same time I was filled with anxiety and fear. Would they make it? What did the end of this journey hold for them? Would this book break my heart? Please, please don't break my heart. I think it's a testament to how well written this is that I wanted to author to disregard history, to throw it all away for love.

E: You romantic, you! But, yeah, you're right, Sepetys did a great job of creating that tension. She created believable lives and conflicts within unalterable historical facts- not an easy task at all. I hope that this book finds its way into junior high and high school Global History classes. It would be a great text, like NIGHT by Elie Wiesel or WHEN MY NAME WAS KEOKO by Linda Sue Park, to help bring facts to life and remind us of the human side of politics.

M: Me too! And to help that along. I happen to have 2 (yes, two!) copies of BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY to give away today. Winners will be chosen at random from the comments section! Make sure to enter to win a copy of this lovely book for yourself or to donate to your local school/library. Winners will be announced next week! And for more information about BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY please visit the official book website.

 

The Sweep Series

 
 
The Sweep Series By Cate Tiernan

Marirosa Mia: If you're a friend of mine, I've probably shoved the SWEEP series in your face quite a few times. I didn't expect to like it. The storyline sounded awfully familiar: Plain Jane character, Morgan, discovers that she's a very powerful witch, which opens a whole new world of magic and trouble for her. There are also some boy/love triangle-with-best-friend issues, some attempted murder, etc., etc. Everything screamed, "You've read this before, move on." But I also had some very persuasive people who continued to insist that SWEEP was worth the investment. And since the first book was attractively thin, I figured, What's the harm?

What's the harm? What's the harm!?!?! How about needing to devour the series as quickly as possible (15 books in total - all out for the world to read) and cursing myself for never learning to speed read! I had to - of course - send this book to as many people as possible. One of whom was my dear friend and fellow devourer of books, Annie! (Take a look at her blog over at http://anniezilla.tumblr.com/) So, Annie, what did you think?

Annie: I have to admit, the series sat on my nightstand for quite awhile before I decided to give it a shot. The books didn't do much for me at first glance. Once I had finally read BOOK OF SHADOWS (Thanks, Mia!), I then zoomed through the rest of the novels. Like you, I appreciated the slim reads, but only because I had almost the entire series ready and waiting for me. So it was easy to read, in nice little chunks! If I had to wait until each was published, I would not have been a happy camper.

I have one caveat: I have not read the 15th book, which takes place many years after the timeline of the first 14. I hear it doesn't do justice to FULL CIRCLE’s (the 14th novel’s) wrap up.

Morgan narrates a majority of the stories, with the last few novels switching between her and several other characters, including one of her ancestors. I initially thought the change in narrators would be a little offputting, but I ended up really loving learning the backstories and histories of some of the characters.

Now I'm asking myself, why isn't this book just like any other story about magic, love, betrayal and everything in between? I think it comes down to some of the characterizations. The main character, though mad powerful, isn't perfect. Neither are any of the support characters - each with his or her own burden. And while sometimes the characters may seem selfish or whiny, they seem accurately portrayed nonetheless. You can always see where they are coming from. I think I also just really liked Morgan's relationships with both friends and lovers.

M: Very well said, Annie! I think it's my fault you will never read book 15. Given that I wasn't a fan of it and refuse to let you read it--since I am an awesome friend.

When I finished the series I was amazed at how few people had heard of it! How is this possible? Though in a sea of young adult novels about witches and magical powers, I could see how this little series got lost along the way. But no more! Now that it's being re-packaged into several rather attractive volumes (each containing 3 of the books), SWEEP’s time has come! 

Now back to this review. Was there anything you didn't particularly like about the series? Anything that just didn't sit right? For me, it was book 15. I hated the entire book. I'm not a fan of authors refusing to give characters a happy ending when they've so clearly earned one. As an author myself, I understand that your characters shouldn't have it easy. But after a while you need to give your characters a break! And your readers! Stop toying with my emotions, Tiernan! So for me, the series ended on book 14 with a nice open ending. (This is actually a compliment to Tiernan’s writing, as I was so attached to Morgan, I no longer wanted to see her suffer.) How about you, Annie?

A: Hrmmm. I think what bothered me most, at least while reading it, was the constant vacillation that seems to occur. Sometimes I forget that books about teens or young adults have an extraordinary level of--how should I say it--angst. The books are pretty darn clean, but every now and then I felt like I was just waiting for people to get over themselves and make a decision. Oh and it's totally your fault I won't read the last book! I also hate how someone will ruin a perfectly good series by eeking out that last bit of emotional trauma. Open endings can be a perfectly worthy way to end a series.

M: Ha. I take full responsibility! And I'm so glad you enjoyed the series as much as I did. Now for some fun! We are giving away one free copy of Sweep Vol. 1 (containing the first 3 books in the series), to enter just comment on this post! The winner will be picked one week from today!

Marching For Freedom

Marching for Freedom – Elizabeth Partridge

Viking Books for Children – 9780670011896

Marirosa Mia: So, if you haven't heard, Elizabeth Partridge's MARCHING FOR FREEDOM kicked butt in this year's SLJ Battle of the Books, beating out some heavy-weight contenders. A few of those--TALES FROM OUTER SUBURBIA, MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD, and WHEN YOU REACH ME--were recommended on this blog. MARCHING FOR FREEDOM has also been gathering starred reviews like Meryl Streep gathers Oscar nods! So we here at Please Don't Read This Book decided to see what all the fuss is about. Julie, what'd you think about this beauty?

Julie:  I loved it.  And I didn't expect to.  I'm a reluctant reader of non-fiction.  I'm embarrassed to admit it, but it's true.  I start yawning at the very thought of it (unless, for some wacky reason, it's a book about Nixon, or about a massive financial meltdown.  Go figure.)  And if you hadn't pushed a little bit for us to consider MARCHING FOR FREEDOM for this blog, I doubt I ever would've read it.  What a mistake that would've been!  This book moved me to tears.  Elizabeth Partridge does a spectacular job of showing what a critical, and breathtakingly brave, role children played in the fight for voting rights in Alabama.  But this is not solely the story of the children involved--in fact, the book seamlessly interweaves their story and that of the adult leaders of the movement, treating children and adults with an equality that I rarely see in children's literature.  The personal stories are used so effectively, too--starting with a tense but relatively slow-paced backdrop, moving to a bloody climax, and ending with triumph.  Does a story arc get any better than that?  And the design of the book!  But I better stop going on and on.  Mia, what do you think of the design--or anything else you'd like to rave about?

M: I'm glad you enjoyed this so much, Julie! I'm actually quite the avid non-fiction reader, and as with graphic novels I enjoy converting people with a few key stories. This book was heartbreaking, infuriating, and yet uplifting. I thought it was the best decision to incorporate photography into the book rather than using illustrations.  You might say, "Well, why wouldn't they?" But I think most times when writing about historical moments, people seem to think that illustrations will make it more appealing to children.  But these pictures were so emotionally charged that I couldn't imagine this book without them. Another thing I really enjoyed about the book is that it concentrated on a specific place. Rather than writing about the right to vote in general--which would have been a massive undertaking--Partridge focused on one town, Selma, through which she represented the struggles of the time as a whole. I also thought the opening line was just fantastic and pulled you right in: "The first time Joanne Blackmon was arrested, she was just ten years old." 

J:  Yes, yes, you're a better reader than I am.  But I have better teeth!  

Okay, fine, I don't really have better teeth.  But I can't think of a single thing I'm better at, so let's move on.

Here's good news, hot off the presses:  MARCHING FOR FREEDOM just won the Boston Horn-Globe Book Award for Non-Fiction!  Woo hoo!  There's one more excellent reason to read it.  

At this point we usually share some quibbles about the book.  Here's mine:  As much as I love the format, it's a picture-book size, with a middle-grade text.  I wonder whether that's ever an obstacle for the target kid audience, who may shy away from picture books as a point of pride.  I recognize that this point is flawed.  After all, the cover itself couldn't be less babyish; and the book design has more of the feel of a coffee table book than a picture book.  But I'm r-e-a-c-h-i-n-g for something negative.

M: ha.ha. Maybe... who makes a coffee table book for kids? But that's just silly--kids drink coffee too, don't they? Don't they? Ok, just me. Anyway, fun fact! I happen to have an extra copy of MARCHING FOR FREEDOM, who wants it?

J:  Hurray!  How I love giving your books away, Mia!  Anyone who comments below in the next week is eligible.  At the end of that time we'll draw one commenter's name from a hat and send along a free copy of this fantastic book.  Feel free to recommend a great non-fiction book (written for adults or children) in your comments, if you'd like.  I have a lot of catching up to do.