Please Don't Read This Book

Congrats! Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Laura Hartness who won a copy of FIRE and GRACELING by Kristin Cashore. Laura we will be emailing you soon to get your address!

Thanks to everyone who entered and look out for more reviews and giveaways.

GIVEAWAY: Graceling & Fire by Kristin Cashore!!

Graceling and Fire by Kristin Cashore

Julie:  Here's one of my flaws:  Sometimes, when a book launches to a crazy good reception--a slew of starred reviews, even more raves in the blogosphere--I refuse to read it.  Why?  Silly reasons, most of them unflattering.  But one, at least, can be cast as heroic.  I am taking a stand for underdog books.  I figure, this insanely popular book doesn't need me.  It has enough attention.  Other books need me.  

Only after much time has passed might I give the popular book a chance.  If I see it standing alone on a shelf, for example, past its heyday.  Then I'll think, I remember that book!  It's supposed to be good!  And then I'll read it.  I don't always love it.  But I certainly loved this one:  Kristin Cashore's GRACELING, a fantasy novel I finally read this summer after resisting for four long years.  "Read" is not really the right word:  I drank it in, then moved quickly through the other two books in the trilogy, FIRE and BITTERBLUE.  Mia, I know you recently read GRACELING and FIRE.  What do you think?  

Marirosa Mia: I must agree with you on those two points, Julie. You do have a tendency to refuse to read books that are already being lauded by others (which I totally understand, and it's part of your adorable stubborn self).  And I also loved Cashore's Graceling Realm (which is what the trilogy is being called). GRACELING and FIRE have sat on my shelf for over a year now, trumped by other books on our list.  So when you finally relented and read them, I rejoiced! I was even happier when I started GRACELING and simply flew through both it and FIRE. I dove into the world that Cashore created and can't wait to dive into BITTERBLUE! I think in each book Cashore grows as a writer - which I just LOVE. I love it when you can see a writer flex her muscles and continue to shine with each book.  I think Cashore is just getting started. But on to the books themselves! Julie, what do you fancy about them?

Julie:  Let me start with GRACELING.  In it, Cashore tells the story of Katsa, who is one of the rare few in her land to be born with a Grace (or gift).  Katsa is Graced with killing, at a minimum, and is forced by her uncle, a king, to work as his thug.  Reacting against her own brutality, and against the petty ruthlessness of several kings, Katsa helps form a secret, rebellious Council. In the course of conducting a Council mission, she meets Po, another royal-born Graceling who challenges her in unexpected ways.  

I have to confess that as I was reading GRACELING, I more than once thought, Wait.  Didn't something like this happen in THE HERO AND THE CROWN (a novel by Robin McKinley that we rave about here)?  I also confess that I prefer the tone of THE HERO AND THE CROWN, which is more other-worldly and haunting, less contemporary.  But I never paused for very long to consider any of this.  Because GRACELING has a terrific combination of action and character development.  Cashore does a terrific job bringing to life a slew of characters.  The book is never boring, even though Katsa is so incredibly gift that by rights there should be little tension.  In fact, until the end of the novel, most of the tension comes not from Katsa's Coucil-related work but from the psychological impact of her Grace and, more interestingly, Po's.  I can't say more without a spoiler, but I particularly love Cashore's willingness to grapple with all of the emotional fallout that might result from actually having the amplified powers that some of us dream of.  Do you agree, Mia?

M: I don't think I thought of THE HERO AND THE CROWN at all while reading GRACELING, though they may have similarities. I agree with you that when a book does it right, popularity of themes is often forgotten, swept away by the story you're reading. I also love how the main struggle is all internal for both Katsa and Fire, who are both very physical and powerful women. For example, in FIRE the main character, Fire, is a human monster.  Monsters are creatures born in every species with extraordinary gifts. They are coveted and feared all over the land. For Fire, who makes men and women equally love and hate her with one glance, her "curse" is the ability to work her way into people's mind, making her a very powerful ally or enemy.

Both Katsa and Fire come into their own throughout the novel, discovering who they are within the confines of their gifts and who they could be outside of them. Was there anything in particular you didn't enjoy about the books? Mine is a bit minor and feels petty, but I thought the use of the word "monster" was a bit generic in FIRE. Reading sentences that spoke about a "monster mouse" and a "monster kitten" made me roll my eyes on occasion.

 J:  I thought FIRE veered a little too close to soap opera at times.  It started slowly, too, and it took a while for me to warm to (forgive the word choice) Fire, who tries so valiantly to do nothing (and therefore cause no harm).  I also agree with you about the monster mice and kittens.  They undercut the power of the term.  But none of this stopped me from rushing to read BITTERBLUE, the next book in the Graceling Realm.  You'll have to let me know what you think of that one as soon as you're done!  

M: Will do! And for our lovely readers, I actually have some copies to give away! Add your comment below for a chance to win a paperback copy of both GRACELING and FIRE. Contest ends September 28^th. So comment! Do it!!!

ARC Giveaway

Our friend and classmate from our MFA days, Jackie Resnick, is giving away 3 advanced reader copies of her upcoming middle-grade novel, THE DARING ESCAPE OF THE MISFIT MENAGERIE.  We're so excited for her!  Click here to find out more about the giveaway: http://jacquelinewrites.com/Blog.

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!