Highly Anticipated: The Raven King and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Posted on August 31, 2016 by Katy K.

Here are two books so momentous in my anticipation that I was sure from the beginning that I wouldn’t be able to give a fair review to them. Both being books where one wants to #KeeptheSecrets makes things even more of a challenge. So, just a brief taste of both of these books.

Raven King by Maggie StiefvaterRaven King by Maggie Stiefvater. Read by Will Patton. Scholastic, 2016.
This is the final book in the Raven Cycle, one of my very favorite teen series to come out lately, and one which I’ve listened to all the books (except this one) at least twice at this point. So many questions here: Can our team find Glendower? Will Gansey make it out alive? Will our crew make it to some kind of future past high school, even if they can survive the vast supernatural forces arrayed against them? And what about the various adults stuck in uncomfortable positions as well? Stiefvater does so many things so very well – the friendships and the beginnings of romance, the adults who are real people with their own complicated lives even when the teens are the focus, the building tension and the underlying magic, both beautiful and creepy. There was one point near the end that I felt utterly betrayed the preceding story, which I would be happy to discuss with others who have read the book. I will need to listen to again, to get more of the complex layers and to see if there’s any way I can get that one piece to work for me.

Harry Potter and the Cursed ChildHarry Potter and the Cursed Child by Jack Thorne, John Tiffany and J.K. Rowling. Arthur A. Levin, 2016.
Ah, Harry Potter! How I love you, despite your flaws! Of course we had to buy this book and read it, even if it’s only approved by J.K. rather than written straight out by her. Feelings: mixed but mostly positive. On the one hand, I loved seeing our major characters again, so many of them feeling like themselves. It was wonderfully realistic to see Harry having difficulty being a dad, and also good to see sympathetic characters put in Slytherin. The scenes are short, short, short. I also have to agree with Melissa of Book Nut that Thorne and Tiffany only wrote one aspect of Ron’s personality. I was going to say that it showed that it’s written by a playwright, in that I feel that large amounts of the characterization was left for the actors to fill in rather than being written out in the text. Then I saw Akilah’s post at the Englishist about how of course plays are meant to be read as well as watched. Well… I can see her point – but then maybe that means that this is still a lot of fun, worth reading once, but not something that has quite the level of depth and re-readability of the original books. I would dearly love to see it live, if I could hope for it to come close enough and be affordable.

Finally (not being able to hear the play’s score), I am left with “Time Plot” by Tom Smith running through my head.

Did you read these?  Agree/disagree with me?

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Top 10 Fantasy Authors I’ve Never Read for Top 10 Tuesday

Posted on August 31, 2016 by Katy K.

Top 10 Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the wonderful book-lovers at the Broke and the Bookish.  The topic this week is a free entry on school-related books.  But I’ve had last week’s topic that I didn’t participate in kicking around in my head all week.  That topic was officially books that have been on my TBR since I started blogging.

Top Ten Tuesday

To be honest, I don’t remember what was on my TBR before I started blogging 12 years ago, except for The Book of the City of Ladies by Christine de Pisan, a medieval classic which I don’t think I get enough sleep to read just now.  But since I’ve been blogging I have built up quite a list of authors that I’m sure I’d like but have never gotten around to reading during that time – not one book (not including the many, many authors where I’ve read some of their work and want to read much, much more.) Continue reading →

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Cybils Call for Judges and Kidlitcon

Posted on August 29, 2016 by Katy K.

One of the very best things that blogging has brought to me is conversations with other book lovers.  And the most intense discussions I’ve had about books and exposure to the breadth of great books published in a year have come through serving as Cybils judge.  Now in their 11th year, the Cybils Awards  pick the best in a wide variety of categories in children’s and young adult fiction.  I’ve served as a judge on the round one panel for the Middle Grade Speculative Fiction for the past two years, and it has been a great experience.  Why do I mention this?  Because the awards cannot exist without judges, and you too (if you are a book blogger) could apply to serve as a judge! Cybils 2016

More information on the Cybils website – applications are open through September 14.

The Cybils are organized by the Kidlitosphere, which also organizes Kidlitcon .  I went for the first time last year and am getting ready to go this year in Wichita.  It is such a great small conference where I got to talk to almost everyone who came, including sitting down to lunch with authors right after their sessions.  This year, I’ll be part of panel discussion on blogging middle grade with Charlotte of Charlotte’s Library and Casie Hermansson of Parental Guidance Ratings.  Check out the whole Kidlitcon program( put together by Charlotte)!  And I hope to see you in Wichita!Kidlitcon 2016 in Wichita

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Escape from Wolfhaven Castle. The Impossible Quest 1.

Posted on August 24, 2016 by Katy K.

A while back, Kane Miller wrote me to ask if I would like to read these books, originally published in Australia, which they were publishing for the US market.  And seeing as how I am always looking for shorter fantasy books to appeal to my son, as well as fantasy from outside the US, I said, “yes, please.”

Escape fr0m Wolfhaven Castle by Kate Forsyth Escape from Wolfhaven Castle. The Impossible Quest 1. By Kate Forsythe. Kane Miller, 2015.
This is the first book of a five book series, each of them short enough not to be overwhelming to new readers, while still having enough depth of plot and character not to be underwhelming to struggling or reluctant middle grade readers.  As the story opens, Tom, the cook’s son, is out in the forest when the wild man of the woods warns him that danger is coming.  The difficulty is finding anyone who will listen to a warning from a lowly pot boy.  But things do go badly wrong, and three other young people – the witch’s apprentice Quinn, the lord’s daughter Elanor, and the squire Sebastian – are thrown together, trying to escape a castle that’s suddenly under siege from within.  Elanor isn’t used to making decisions on her own, and Sebastian’s natural world order is being seriously threatened by having a peasant be the one with the most information and therefore making decisions.

I read the first two books in this series, and my slow-reading son finished the first book in record-for-him time.  I appreciated that the characters do not develop instant friendship, and all of them have room for character growth. There are enough standard fantasy elements that this may not have the adult crossover appeal of some other series.  That being said, the tropes are used well, the magic draws solidly on herb lore and British mythology, and the language is very good.  This is an excellent introduction to fantasy, both for independent and family reading.

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A Thousand Nights, Court of Fives, Keeper of the Mist

Posted on August 23, 2016 by Katy K.

Here are three recent teen fantasies I’ve read with two things in common: I loved all of them, and they all feature brown-skinned heroines.

A Thousand Nights by E. K. JohnstonA Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston. Hyperion, 2015.
Lo-Melkhiin has married 300 girls, each from a different village, and each of them has been found dead the next morning.  When news comes that Lo-Melkhiin is coming to the village of our unnamed narrator, she knows that her sister is the prettiest and most likely to be chosen.  “She that he chose of us would never be forgotten. She would still be dead.” She puts on her sister’s purple bridal dishdashah, embroidered in black and secrets, to make sure that she is chosen. She will turn shifting sand into a plan as hard as glass to find a way to do what the men will not, and stop Lo-Melkhiin.  Her sister, too, plans to pray to make her a smallgod and give her the power she needs.  All the characters besides Lo-Melkhiin are identified only by their relationships to each other, which together with the language, gives the story a powerful mythic feel.  Our narrator is particular, but also universal, famous and yet unknown in a story about the secret power of women, found in women’s work, songs and talk. Captivating, beautiful, and powerful.  Spindle, set in the same world, is coming out in December.  And if you haven’t yet, you should also read her Story of Owen. Continue reading →

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Forest of Wonders, Pax, Fridays with the Wizards

Posted on August 22, 2016 by Katy K.

I am doing shorter reviews of these three recent middle grade fantasy and dystopian books because I am once again reading much, much faster than I’m able to write reviews. The first I found earlier this year when I was looking hard for new middle grade fantasy by authors of color.

wingandclawforestForest of Wonders by Linda Sue Park. Harper Collins, 2016. 
Newbery-award winning author Linda Sue Park returns with a classic medieval fantasy that has a more modern sensibility as regarding the movement of peoples around the world.  Our hero, young Raffa Santana, dark of hair and eye, is the child of immigrants who have nevertheless stayed in their village long enough to feel established. They are apothecaries working with powerful botanicals to create medicines both typical and a little bit magical.  When Raffa’s best friend and cousin Garith leaves with his parents to work in the Commons, the most important part of Gilden, the capital of Obsidia, Raffa is very upset and decides to follow along.  Naturally, he takes with him the bat that has turned purple-eyed and started talking since Raffa treated it with his homemade botanicals.  As he reaches the city, he finds that things are more complicated than he was expecting.  He befriends both blond, pale-skinned Trixin, a poor city girl supporting her entire family, and dark-skinned Kuma, a solitary country girl suspicious of all except her companion bear Roo.  There are plenty hijinks, narrow escapes, and secrets to uncover as well as underlying meditations on ethics.  This is a solid and highly enjoyable book, especially for kids who enjoy stories of talented kids and adorable animals. You can tell by the cover that it’s the first of a series, and I am looking forward to reading more entries.

paxPax by Sara Pennypacker. Performed by Michale Curran-Dorsano. Harper, 2016.
In the not-too-distant future, the fox Pax has been Peter’s constant companion ever since Peter found the orphaned kit soon after his own mother’s death.  Seven years later, Peter’s father joins the military in its ongoing battle over water.  He tells Peter that Pax must be returned to the wild while Peter is sent to his grandfather’s house, 500 miles away.  This tear-jerker of a story is told in alternating perspectives as Pax tries to live on his own for the first time while Peter, on crutches and trying to stand up for himself for the first time, attempts to walk the 500 miles to find Pax.  Pennypacker’s inventive language use is fully on display, but here used to be stunningly, lyrically beautiful rather than the quirky humor of her Clementine books.  There are very clear statements on the evils of war, as well as tougher lessons on the appropriate times for, and uses of anger.  I think I read this too close to the 1000 Black Girl Books campaign as despite its beauty, there was a largeish part of me that felt that this was another Newbery-bait, tear-jerking book about a white boy and his dog, even if the dog was a fox this time.  If you or a kid in your life are in the mood for really sad (I had a young patron come in asking for it because he wanted sad), this is a great choice.  I myself prefer Clementine, with her serious life lessons told through humor.

fridayswiththewizardsFridays with the Wizards by Jessica Day George. Bloomsbury, 2016.
Princess Celie returns in this fourth book in the series that began with Tuesdays at the Castle.  The evil wizard Arkwright has escaped from the castle dungeons, and the hunt for him is on.  The castle is clearly upset, and Celie is trying her best to figure out what the castle wants.  Arkwright seems to be wandering in secret passages and coming out for stealthy attacks on people in the castle.  Meanwhile, the castle gives Celie the pieces of an old boat, which it’s decided – without her input – will be rebuilt and given to Prince Lulath and his kingdom as a gift to celebrate the engagement of Lulath and Lilah.  None of this sits well with Celie – but just as she’s feeling fed up with everyone underestimating her and doing things that affect her without her input, it’s up to her to save the day again.  This is another lovely entry in this series, perfect for younger fantasy readers.

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Diversity on the Shelf- July Update

Posted on August 21, 2016 by Katy K.

What? It’s not early August anymore?  I know – I was offline for a couple weeks and am only very slowly getting caught up again. Here’s my update for the Diversity on the Shelf challenge hosted by Akilah at the Englishist.

I read 24 books in July.

5 of these were by authors of color, and all middle grade except as noted:

  • The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich 
  • Good Luck, Anna Hibiscus and Have Fun, Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke (somewhere between early chapter and middle grade)
  • Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
  • Unidentified Suburban Object by Mike Jung

 

Three more featured main characters of color:

  • Keeper of the Mist by Rachel Neumeier (YA)
  • Black Dog Short Stories by Rachel Neumeier (YA)
  • Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (adult)

 Bonus: An adorable green-skinned goblin deals with violent prejudice in this picture book from the author of Zita the Space Girl:

nobodylikesagoblin

  • Nobody Likes a Goblin by Ben Hatke

This puts me at 35 books by authors of color in 2016, and an additional 21 books by white authors with main characters of color. Now to write some reviews!

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The Dinosaur Hunters by Patrick Samphire

Posted on July 27, 2016 by Katy K.

Not too far in the future, four authors whose books I have read and very much enjoyed will be doing an author event that would be close enough to consider if it worked with my schedule.  Alas, it does not.  But if you will be in the Lansing, Michigan area on the evening of August 9, you could go see Stephanie Burgis, Jim C. Hines, Merrie Haskell, and Patrick Samphire at Schuler Books.  Here’s the Facebook event page.

Meantime, I recently read this novella by Patrick Samphire set in the same world as Secrets of the Dragon Tomb, which he was kind enough to send me as a review copy.  I’m keeping thoughts brief only because I’m short on time, not for lack of book love.

The Dinosaur Hunters by Patrick SamphireThe Dinosaur Hunters by Patrick Samphire. Five Fathoms Press, 2016.
Sixteen-year-old Harriet lives on Regency-era Mars in the care of her married older sister, who has just gotten it into her head that Harriet needs to be safely married off.  Harriett is appalled, but jumps at the chance to help her bumbling police inspector brother-in-law Bertrand save his job by helping him track down the notorious thief the Glass Phantom.  That villain is reported to be in the area with designs to steal a fabulously expensive necklace from the Countess von Krakendorff.  (In this world, dinosaurs are still alive on Mars, though rare.) Since the Countess is heading on a dinosaur hunting expedition beyond the wall that separates the dinosaurs from civilization, Harriett disguises herself as Harry and heads out with Bertrand.  There will be airship travel, lots of characters with secrets, ancient artifacts, curious Martian wildlife, and of course, encounters with dinosaurs.

I enjoyed Secrets of the Dragon Tomb quite a lot, but this story, featuring a girl dissatisfied with her social lot and determined to find more in her life, was a little bit more to my taste.  The details of the curious Martian wildlife and artifacts are just as delightful, and the attention to the social mores of the by-gone era as precise.  There’s also more of a look at the former natives of Mars – I would really like a fuller exploration of this topic!  The story is also aimed a little bit older, involving an actual murder (though of a disagreeable character.)  I wasn’t quite sure that all the ends were tied up – but as the story is left open for sequels, I shall happily wait for more.  All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed The Dinosaur Hunters.

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To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before & P.S. I Still Love You

Posted on July 25, 2016 by Katy K.

Way back in April, the Top 10 Tuesday theme was “__ Books That Make Me Laugh Out Loud.” – I did Middle Grade Fantasies That Make Me Laugh Out Loud, of course.  But some other book blogger I stumbled upon (mea culpa! I didn’t write down her name!) in exploring the other people who’d signed up had put the first of these books on her list. It had been on my radar since it first came out, but being contemporary and realistic, had never quite made it to the top of the list. This pushed me into actually checking it out and starting it on my break that day.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny HanTo All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han. Simon & Schuster, 2014.
This book starts out awfully sad for a book billed here as funny.  High school junior Lara Jean Covey is the middle of the three Song girls – Song being their deceased mother’s middle name.  That sad event happened several years ago, but they are still feeling the pain.  Now oldest sister Margot, who’s kept the family running while their doctor father is at work, is leaving for college in Scotland.  She’s breaking Lara Jean’s heart by breaking things off with long-time Josh next door – Lara Jean is afraid that Josh will no longer be the close family friend he’s been for so many years.

The humor comes a bit later.  Ever since eighth grade, Lara Jean has written letters to boys she had crushes on when she’s decided it’s time for her to get over them, detailing all the things she loved about them.  They’ve lived in a hat box in her room – but now the hat box is gone, and boys are coming to her at school, ancient letters in hand.  Josh gets one.  Super-handsome athlete Peter Kavinsky gets one.  Choices are made to stop the flood of embarrassment that only make sense to a hormone-fueled teenage brain.

This is definitely a teen romance, and despite the decidedly made-up situation, it has the solid ring of truth underneath it.  Lara Jean’s life is filled with many things beyond boys, including her love of baking and her discomfort with driving, having just learned to do so. Her circle includes fleshed-out family members and several friends, including strong-willed and temperamental younger sister Kitty, friendly Josh, and “bad girl” best friend Chris.  While the drama feels relatable to any modern teen, Lara Jean’s part-Korean heritage is an important part of her family culture. Though the Korean may be more particular, the integration of old and new traditions felt familiar to me, as well.  I fell in love with Lara Jean and went right on to the next book.

psistillloveyouP.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han. Simon & Schuster, 2015.
Trying to stay as free from spoilers as possible – Lara Jean’s romantic life, which seemed beautiful at the end of the last book, is now developing wrinkles.  The most romantic moment in her life was caught on video and published on the locally popular website Anonybitch.  Lara Jean is quickly recognized and suffers the full force of modern opinions on teen girl’s sexuality, put through the wringer both for the modest nightgown she was wearing and being called a slut by fellow students and encouraged to do better by herself by teachers.

At the same time, Lara Jean is working at the nursing home, setting up dances and scrapbooking, while getting advice from seniors Stormy and Alicia on dating and life.  Kitty has an expanding self-awareness, and she has decided to rope Lara Jean into trying to get their dad to date again.

This has the same heady mix of relationships romantic and not, ethical dilemmas, trouble and hilarity.  I was very excited to read just last week that Han is writing a new one.

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State of the Book Basket – July 2016

Posted on July 16, 2016 by Katy K.

Summertime! We have hit a momentous milestone in our reading lives: the kids are now good enough readers to put the books in a bookstand and read during breakfast. I’ve always done this, but the interruptions are slightly less when I’m not the only one reading. Here’s what we’re reading:

My daughter, now six and three quarters, as she likes to say, is moving back and forth between picture books (Secret Tree Fort by Brianne Farley and Cecil the Pet Glacier by Matthea Harvey from the library, as well as ones we own) and chapter books (Have Fun, Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke, and Sofia Martinez: Singing Superstar by Jacqueline Jules.) She’ll read some Magic Tree House, a picture book, and then back to a chapter book.

She just decided that she needed to read a graphic memoir I just finished herself – Something New by Lucy Knisley, her story of planning her wedding. It’s quite dense for a rising second-grader, but she seems to be motivated! I’m reading her Good Luck, Anna Hibiscus, as well as Cupcake Cousins by Kate Hannigan, depending on what she feels like. That last is the perfect level for read-aloud: interesting to her but just advanced enough that she isn’t tempted to read ahead on her own. We’re listening to both Charlotte’s Web and Pie by Sarah Weeks in the car.

My son, age eleven, has finally found a print series he wants to read all the way through! It’s Hikaru No Go by Yumi Hotta, about the ancient strategy game of Go, which my love learned as a child from his older brother. My boy was (last I checked) on volume 10 of 23. He’s also looking at some Greek mythology books and asked if he could read Something New, too. I’m reading him my childhood summer favorite The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit. It’s not really surprising that there are some uncomfortable moments in this book, first published in 1903. I’m just surprised that I didn’t notice the awfulness of the (mercifully brief) blackface scene until reading it aloud, at which point we had to halt for a conversation to discuss why it’s so inappropriate. Also not free of sexism, though that’s a good deal less obvious here than in, say, Peter Pan. He’s listening to Mister Monday by Garth Nix on his iPod, and we’re listening to The BFG by Roald Dahl in the car. (Somehow I read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory repeatedly as a child, The Great Glass Elevator once or twice, and no other Roald Dahl until now.) There’s also some sexism here, but at least readily apparent and easy to discuss.

My love recently purchased Velveteen vs. the Seasons by Seanan McGuire and read it in record time. I think he’s now gone back to re-read Velveteen vs. the Junior Super Patriots. We are both (separately) listening to Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie. This has won so many awards and is loved by many of my favorite book bloggers as well. We are still trying to figure out what’s going on enough to know if we’ll love it or not.

I have my usual long queue of mostly library books. I’m reading Vitamin N by Richard Louv in hard copy (looking especially for ideas to get the Brownie troop more nature experiences) and Black Dog Short Stories by Rachel Neumeier (purchased) on my ereader. I’ve got The Dinosaur Hunters by Patrick Samphire (a review copy!) up next on my ereader, and Inside Out and Back Again by Thanha Lai, Grayling’s Song by Karen Cushman, Unidentified Suburban Object by Mike Jung, The Game of Silence by Lousie Erdrich, the Winner’s Kiss by Marie Rutkoski, and Poison is Not Polite by Robin Stevens in line in print. My love would also like me to read the complete Justice League: New Frontier by Darwyn Cooke, which I am absolutely planning to do as soon as there aren’t so many library books checked out. As soon as I finish Ancillary Justice, I also have a Great Course on CD, Medieval Heroines in History and Legend Part 1 by Bonnie Wheeler.

What are you reading?

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