Review: The Eighth Day

It's a long drive from where I live in California to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, twenty-two hours to be exact. But I made good use of my time. During the trip I was able to start and finish an ARC that I won of THE EIGHTH DAY by Dianne K. Salerni. Five pages in and I was lost to the world. Stopping for dinner was a huge inconvenience. And did my family really need to interrupt to point out the snow / lake / mountains / wild animals we were passing? I think not. In fact, I was so engrossed in the book that I failed in my role as navigator and we ended up more than twenty miles off course before I looked up and realized what had happened. Needless to say, hubby might not be as big a fan of Dianne as I am :P

So what did I love about this book? For starters, the concept is cool: an extra day stuck in the middle of the week that only a few people know about. The problem lies with what certain people decide to do with all that extra time on their hands. By blending modern day situations with Arthurian legends and throwing in a few Dr. Who and Ancient Aliens references, Dianne has created something completely original. Filled with heart-pounding action and wonderful characters–people who grow on you even when you start out thinking you won't like them–this is the type of book that I finish reading and hand off immediately to my kids. If you have a chance to get an ARC, jump on it. Otherwise, look for it when it releases next month. You'll definitely want to add this to your TBR list.

As for the WISH YOU WEREN'T blog tour, there's plenty of fun stuff happening this week. Reviews, deleted scenes, 25 things you might not know about me, and of course, plenty of give aways. Here's where you'll find me around the blogs this week:


Read This Instead: Wednesday, Kathy will share a deleted scene from Wish You Weren't.
Me, My Shelf & I: Thursday, 25 Things you may or may not know about me :)
Book Dreaming: Also Thursday, Shannon O'Donnell reviews Wish You Weren't.


All of these sites will be giving away prize packs as well (printed copy of Wish You Weren't, astronaut ice cream and a wish token), so stop by and enter your name to win!

Of course, you can always get your very own copy of WISH YOU WEREN'T from these magnificent retailers. And when you buy the print version from Amazon, you get a free e-book download, too -- bonus!

Amazon   |  Kobo  |  B&N  |   Smashwords  |   Solvang Book Loft

Building on a Classic

Like most kids, mine enjoy a good pirate story. We've read How I Became a Pirate, Uncle Pirate, The Time Pirates, and of course Peter Pan. So when I showed my kids the cover of Peter and the Starcatchers, they were more than willing to have me read it to them.

Now I happen to love a good retelling of a fairy tale. (Check out this review of three versions of my favorite fairy tale, East of the Sun, West of the Moon). But the writing duo of Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson do more than just retell the tale of Peter Pan. They turn it on it's head and create their own mythology. Filled with adventure, magic and, of course, pirates, this story also has a huge dose of humor (always a plus with middle grade). We see how Peter and the Lost Boys first cross paths with Hook (who has a different name since he doesn't have his hook yet) and Smee. We also learn how Tinkerbell and the mermaids of the lagoon come into existence.

This book makes a great read-aloud (perfect for National Read Aloud Day on Wednesday), but it's easy enough for good readers to tackle on their own. Now that there are four books in the series, this is an excellent choice for kids who like to follow a group of characters on numerous adventures.

Looking for more Marvelous Middle Grade book reviews? Check out these bloggers:
Shannon O'Donnell
Ben Langhinrichs
Myrna Foster
Brooke Favero
Joanne Fritz

Book Review: Across The Universe by Beth Revis

When I first heard the concept for this book, I got excited: A cryogenically frozen girl on board a spaceship wakes up fifty years too soon when her cryo chamber is unplugged, and she is nearly killed. Sounds cool, right? But how could the author sustain this concept over an entire novel, let alone a trilogy?

She does it. And she does it brilliantly.

This book succeeds on so many levels because there are so many layers to this story. (Just like a croissant!) We get a murder mystery, a political thriller, a space fantasy, a medical intrigue, a love story (could you guess from the cover?).  But we also have the story of a teenage girl who wakes up fifty years before her parents in a foreign world where she is a minority of one. And that's a powerful story.

There is so much to love about this book. It's beautifully written, full of action and the futuristic gadgets are way cool. I was blown away by the thought and detail she put into creating the amazing society that has survived for generations onboard this spaceship. The main characters pull you into their stories with their distinct voices. The questions she raised and the themes she explored left me thinking about it for days on end.

A few things bugged me in the beginning, but by the end of the story, they totally made sense. And while there are some loose threads dangling for the next book, there was enough of a conclusion to the story to leave me more than satisfied. That's huge for me. I don't like reading a series only to be left dangling on the edge of a precipice because, you know, there's another book coming out in fourteen months. That makes me hate the book and the author. I'm glad that didn't happen since Beth is a bloggy friend of mine.

Now before you start thinking that my review is colored by friendship, let me just say that reading books by blogging buddies can be a double-edged sword. Because if you don't like it, then what are you supposed to say? So I was apprehensive going in. I wanted to like it but worried that I might not. I'm so glad that I didn't have to worry.

Across the Universe comes out January 11, 2011. I'm sure some of you are holding your breath, wondering if I'll be giving away the ARC (they are a sought-after commodity!). But I already have a lineup of people who want to read it here at home because I can't stop telling everybody how good this book is!

Even though I have the ARC, I'll be buying my own copy of the hardcover version. The story is THAT good. This is a book I will read over and over again. Plus there's a cool perk that comes with the hardcover version: a reversible cover.

 This map of the ship will actually be a reversible cover. How cool is that? You can't get the full impact with an ARC.

I was excited when Beth got her agent, amazed by how quickly her novel sold, even more surprised when I saw what a fast-track the book was on to publication. Because seriously people, last year this time Beth didn't have any of that. None.  (You can read the interview I did with her here to learn more about her road to publication.) Now that I've read the novel, I can see why.

Congratulations Beth on a stunning debut!!

Spreading the Awesome: Marcelo in the Real World

Have you ever gotten to the end of a book and wished there was more? Or better yet, wished your writing could move people the way that the story moved you? Marcelo in the Real World is that kind of book.

It's no secret that I love fantasy, but I try to read outside of the genre as well. Marcelo isn't a super hero. He's a teenage boy with an unidentified cognitive disorder who is comfortable with his routines, his special-ed school, his job at the therapeutic riding stables. His father decides that for the summer Marcelo needs to move outside of his comfort zone and so Marcelo goes to work in the real world: at his father's law firm. But neither of them is prepared for what that means.

In the hands of another author, this story could end up being a sentimental tear-jerker. Author Francisco X. Stork doesn't take that route. Instead he gives us an unflinchingly honest look at what it means to be normal. While there are some obvious fish out of water situations, there are also some unexpected consequences that make this book a real page turner. As Marcelo tries to live up to his father's expectations, he starts to learn that choices aren't always black and white in the real world. The way he approaches these discoveries is what makes this story unique.

There is so much to love about this book. I love that in spite of his differences, I never felt sorry for Marcelo. I love that while the family is Mexican, they are completely American. I love that the story made me think about how what's right in one situation might not always be the right answer. 

Marcelo in the Real World is Francisco X. Stork's third novel and it has garnered a lot of awards. His newest book, The Last Summer of the Death Warriors, came out in March. If it's half as good as Marcelo, it'll be well worth the money.

I loved this book so much, I'm giving a copy to one of you dear readers. If you'd like to win this book -- hardcover I might add! -- follow this blog and leave me a comment before midnight Tuesday PST. I'll post the winner Wednesday morning.

If you're looking for other great book recommendations, check out this list of Recommended Reads from Elana Johnson. If you're making your way through all the awesome this morning, next on the list is Courtney Barr.  She's reviewing Bree Despain's The Dark Divine.

Thanks to Elana for organizing this blogfest of books. I can see my TBR pile growing and growing...!

Another Verse

I never thought I would read a novel in verse. Somehow the concept made me think of William Wordsworth or Burt Bacharach. Or Dr. Seuss. And to be honest, I didn't want to read anything written by those people for 200 pages or more.

But last year someone gave me Because I am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas. I ignored it for a while, let it sit on the shelf. But let me tell you, when I finally opened it, I couldn't put it down. I was blown away.

So this year I was actually excited when I got my hands on Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate. I had seen positive reviews from people and the story sounded interesting enough: Kek, a ten-year-old boy from the Sudan, is shipped off to Minnesota in winter after his father and brother are killed and his mother disappears. But like other books I enjoy, it isn't just the story that pulled me in. It's the writing.

Kek moves in with an aunt and older cousin who had escaped the refugee camp earlier. He has so much to discover in Minnesota: snow, English, grocery stores. The words are written beautifully, but the book is funny, too. This passage with Kek and his cousin Ganwar before his first day of school made me laugh out loud.

That night,
I try on the school clothes
in the box Dave has brought for me.
I pick a button shirt with flowers on it
and soft red pants,
but Ganwar rolls his eyes.
Thos are pajamas, he says.
You wear them when you sleep.

I try again.
Ganwar shakes his head.
The kids will eat you alive, he says.

This is bad news,
since I didn't know that America people
like to eat each other.

Home of the Brave won the Golden Kite Award for Fiction, it's an SLJ Best Book of the Year. Of course, if you're like me, awards don't mean you want to read the book.

What I'm really enjoying about this book is seeing how the author can get a point across with very few words. If two people are talking outside in the cold, she doesn't say It's cold. She writes

His laughter makes little clouds.

Isn't that great? Here's a kid who has never experienced winter and what does he notice? Laughter makes little clouds. Brilliant!

Whether or not you enjoy novels in verse, if you are a writer, I highly recommend that you read one. Home of the Brave and Because I am Furniture are great choices, but there are plenty of others out there. I think Lisa Schroeder will be next on my list. Look at how the authors use language, how they  say so much with so little. Then think about how you can apply that to your own writing.

We're not all going to write novels in verse. But learning to be more economical with words is a lesson we can all use.