Location Dislocation

Enbrethiliel over at Shredded Cheddar blogs regularly about settings in her Locus Focus posts, and I have always enjoyed the idea of pondering settings a bit deeper. However, the importance of place was truly brought home to me during my recent marathon Southwest road trip with girlfriends.

I had posted ages and ages ago about purchasing a book at the Brisbane airport.  For the long-haul flight to the US I grabbed Mezza Italiana by Zoe Boccabella about an Italian-Australian's somewhat unwilling connection to her mother land.


It did look wonderful, it was wonderful, I started it and enjoyed it, but I just couldn't finish it.  For many nights during our 4,305 mile (6,800km) road trip it languished on bed side tables in various hotels across the Southwest, or even unpacked in my day bag.  In the end I gave it to my lovely sister, who was excited to read it.  I am hoping I can reclaim it when we next meet. 


I took a few moments out of an incredibly packed itinerary to ponder why I was neglecting such a great book.  Then I realized the problem was the setting.  Not the book's setting, but mine.  Or rather, the disparity between the two.  The land of the Zuni, Tiwa and Acoma is neither Australian nor Italian.  Yes, we could be extrapolating to overarching themes of roots and culture in general, but it would be a huge stretch.  So I gave up on poor Zoe and bought a book more suited to the area.

Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac deals with the Navajo Marines who bravely served in World War II by sending messages that could not be translated by the enemy.  It was fabulously suited to the area, of course, since more than once I saw gentlemen of the right age proudly wearing hats proclaiming their service in that branch.


Sitting on a shelf in a trading post next to jewellery and rugs, it appeared to be a local publication, and it was priced accordingly at about $8.  However, the historical fiction was so well written, I immediately forgot any pre-concieved notions of amateurism.  


It seems so real and true, yet is not autobiographical.  Bruchac is of Native American heritage and his connection to his people and the Navajo is evident in the authentic tone of the novel.  I was transfixed, reading in the car travelling through Monument Valley, putting in a bookmark to wander through pueblos and (yet more) trading posts.  It was a perfect fit.

Actually, I bought this book for Hubby as part of his thanks-for-looking-after-the-kids gift collection, but ended up enjoying it so much it got a little worn...

Have you ever chosen a book to suit your holiday destination?

Books I Could Actually Stand...

Well hello there, book lovers! Okay, I admit, I have been very much on the slack side lately. I have gotten into the habit of just reading the same books over and over again, to avoid having to think. Lazy much? So I developed a post about books I could read again without wanting to shoot myself or the book or the people around me. So here goes.

1. The Key To Rondo by Emily Rodda

I actually didn't have a choice but to read this over and over again because it was for a competition called Reader's Cup. But I found it was the only book I didn't eventually get sick of taking notes about and analysing each paragraph.

I have always had a weak spot for fantasy: Harry Potter, The Shadow Thief, Series of Unfortunate Events, that kind of thing. This book was perfect because it didn't have that really dark aspect that sometimes keeps me away but did have the exciting fantasy.

In the book, A boy named Leo inherits a music box that comes with a strict set of rules. Mimi, Leo's hated cousin, and her dog come to stay. Quickly the strict rules are broken and they find themselves transported to a land ruled by the evil Blue Queen. This book is filled with quirky characters and nail-biting moments. Feel free to read it over and over again.

2. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Alright, we've probably all seen the movie, but the book is ten times better!

It talks more in depth about things like her mother's death, her romance with Prince Charmont, and her curse. I guess when you talk about it  like this it sounds pretty typical fairy tale, but if it's anything it's probably anti-fairy tale.

Ella, a beautiful girl from the kingdom of Frell, despises the Prince, the most wanted boy in the whole kingdom. She protests for ogre rights and takes down the king, the evil one in the story. Lucinda, a fairy who bestowed a "gift" on her when she was very young, is a ditzy, stubborn woman.

The whole fairy tale concept gets turned on its head by this story. Lesa actually gave this to me! We all knew she had excellent taste.

3. Teen Vogue

I know, I know, it's not technically a book. I had to write about it, though, because I just read them over and over again! It is amazing the amount of times I can pick one up and notice something new. It's like with a goldfish, you put something new in their tank, and because they have such a short memory span, they get surprised every time they pass it! Okay, not the best comparison, but you get the idea.


 The magazine is filled with advice on problems I actually am facing, amazing fashion (not in my price range but what do you expect) and up-and-coming stars with interesting backgrounds (except that time they put Justin Bieber on the cover). It's also very affordable and I don't feel like my brain cells are frying every time I pick one up!

I really like the section where they photograph girls wearing things from their own closets. It reminds me to op-shop every now and again.

I know it isn't targeted for adults, but it makes a great gift for teenagers from 13-17 years of age. And my Mum likes it, too. But maybe that's just her.

X.

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The Devil Wears Prada

I was really quite surprised at myself when I worked out that I hadn't read this yet. A fashion classic! I have seen the movie a countless amount of times, and I love it. The book has to be fantastic, right?

The first thing I noticed was the size. It was pretty thick, considering the size of the brain-dead books I've been reading lately. The plot is roughly the same as the movie. Slight changes- Emily is nice, Miranda is more evil, and there is a large focus on Andrea's best friend, Lilly, who isn't even mentioned on screen.


As I plowed through the book, devouring every couture brand name mentioned, I began to get well... annoyed. Just quit already! She has terrible working conditions, she complains about it on every page, she loses her boyfriend and her best friend, and she stays. By the end of the book, it seems pretty repetitive.

Overall, the book is better than the movie, but so frustrating. I haven't read the end yet, but I'm guessing she finally quits, and all those frustrated readers become relived. And we all go back to eating cereal out of the box and not worrying about Andrea's future.

X.
http://viewsofnow.blogspot.com/

The Skinny on Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

What is Mockingjay (for those of you living in caves)? 
The final book in the crazy popular Hunger Games Trilogy  by Suzanne Collins. Part Lottery by Shirley Jackson and part gladiatior games, this YA dystopian series is chilling and intense (especially the first one).  If you haven't read it, go find the first book, The Hunger Games, right now! Don't even worry about the trilogy if you aren't a series person, just read the first book and if you end up hooked, so be it. ;o)

Why did I wait five months to read Mockingjay? 
Just a combination of contrariness and not being in the  mood when it came out, I suppose.  Can you believe I actually had it in hand on the day at Walmart and didn't buy it?! It was only $12 too, which is a steal, but I really couldn't justify buying it knowing the library would have it by the time my mood improved.  Plus, even as much as I've enjoyed this series, I doubt it will be a beloved reread (a person can only take so much intensity) so no need to own it. 

Did I like Mockingjay?
Simple answer: Yes!  Of course, I prefer The Hunger Games best since I am a beginnings person (and it was so dang intense) but I was not disappointed like so many other fans were in the ending of the series.

 I never cared one way or the other about the Team Peeta or Team Gale business. Both boys were worthy and Katniss' choice made sense in the circumstances. 

 As for the unfortunate event(s), very sad but again it made sense in the context to illustrate the horrors of war-- and those horrors are happening right now in our own world, folks! 

The characters exhibiting symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder added an element of reality. Some fans complained about Katniss' coldness but I see it as a manifestion of not just the stress of the Hunger Games but surviving the day to day life in District 12.


Final thoughts?
 The Hunger Games stuck in my mind for days and days after reading it--  Catching Fire and Mockingjay didn't have quite the same impact but are still thought provoking.  

All dystopians make me muse and wonder: Could such a society occur? Would I survive in such a society? As an American, I tried to guess which states made up the districts of Panem. And like many dystopians, this one left me dying to know what is going on in the rest of the world! 

Mockingjay suited me to a tee as an ending to the Hunger games trilogy and the epilogue.. oh, the epilogue was perfect!  Because, really....  What will we tell the children?

Sugar Sugar by Carole Wilkinson

My English teacher absolutely insisted that we "relax" after exams last week by picking out a book from the wonderful selection at my school. Now normally, I am opposed to the idea of the school library due to the fact that the librarians are mean and they don't have a wide enough range of Lewis Carroll. This time though, a book on the latest fiction shelf caught my eye. So I sat down and read it until I was well into the book. And I turned out loving it.

Sugar Sugar is a fiction book set in the 70's about a young Australian girl, Jackie, living in London, who travels to Paris to fulfill her dream of becoming you guessed it, a fashion designer. Now, I know that sounds like the most predictable girly fiction book there is, but I am convinced it is much more than that.

Jackie loses her way, her dream, and her money but manages to get by in the most peculiar ways. From hitchhiking to sleeping in an Italian wheat field, this book shows traveling the other side of business class and Duty Free. And yes, there is a romance. With a mysterious boy Jackie met hitchhiking who left her politely on the side of the road. It is a very strange relationship.

I haven't finished the book yet, so unfortunately I can't ruin the ending for you, but I am dying to find out how she gets home and gets the boy.

That's about it. Read it, and live a little.

X.
For all those lovers of me out there, check out my blog.

Holly's Heart by Beverly Lewis

After reading one of my Mary Kate and Ashley books for about the fifth time in a row, I was getting fed up with the lack of reading material. I rang my friend Maria, asking desperately for a book to read. She lent me Holly’s Heart, a teenage fiction Christian book. It has five stories in it, all linked together. Holly is a young writer whose Dad walked out on her, her mom and her little sister, Carrie. The book is quite Jesus-y, but very well written so it makes up for that. That is if you think being Jesus-y is a bad thing, which some people do, and some people don't. So yeah, you don't have to be a loyal church-goer to read the book.

Holly talks about boys, besties*, school, and family. I think it has really good advice in it, as well as being entertaining.
In case you're wondering how honest you are, there is a very interesting quiz at the back of book two. Beware, if you're not honest enough you shall be shunned by Beverly Lewis and sentenced to reading Ephesians 4 and 5.

x.

*besties= teenage talk for best friends.

Off the Beaten Page on the Tangalooma Whale Watching Boat

Elissa is the cousin on the left. She is fourteen.

What did you last read? The Immortals:Shadowland by Alyson Noel. It's about a girl whose family dies in a car accident. She moves in with her aunt and meets a guy who is immortal (400 years old).

What will you read next? The next book in the series is out in two months. They appeal to teens.

What's the worst thing about reading? It takes too long to get to the end.

Off the Beaten Page on the Tangalooma Whale Watch Cruise

Izzy is the cousin on the right.

What are you reading? Chronicles of Narnia the Magician's Nephew, and Water tales, Aquamarine by Alice Hoffman.

Why are you reading 2 books at a time? I brought two in case I finished one. Water Tales is boring in the second part. Chronicles is very interesting, and you should probably read it before you read the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, which everyone seems to be reading because of the movie.

What did you read before this? Ella Enchanted, which is suited to teens. Generally I read more than most of my friends.

She says, 'Reading is nice.'

By the way, on the cruise we saw these two whales above, and the one below. And about 10 of their mates. Just spectacular...

Vivian Vande Velde: Stolen

Looks scary, doesn't it. Actually, the story isn't scary and is only a bit creepy-- creepy, in an old folktale sort of way. Did you read folktales as a child? Oh, I loved loved loved them. My library had collections of folktales from around the world and I devoured every one. Such fun to shiver deliciously over ghostly and witchy tales during the day then take a running leap into bed at night for safety (especially after reading about Baba-Yaga the witch in Russian folktales).

Why do witches steal children? Do they really eat them?

Stolen is about a witch who steals children but all is not as it seems. This story puts a whole new wonderful spin on witch folktales. It has a fire and pitchfork mob, a missing and presumed dead witch and baby, a mysterious twelve year old girl with amnesia found in the woods, and an evil .... can't say anymore... it would give too much away. Take my word for it there there are several unexpected twists and turns in the last chapters that will astonish you. They certainly caught me by surprise--- and the last revelation was so perfectly and delightfully folktale-ish!

The only thing that took me out of the story for a moment was the dialogue. Since I was imagining a renaissance faire type of village, I thought to myself: These people are awfully well-spoken for farmers and villagers. Didn't detract from the story and maybe only a speech/language pathologist would even think of such a thing.

If you appreciate a good folktale, give Stolen a look. It is a very quick read at only 158 pages and would be perfect for a cozy afternoon or bedtime book.

Stolen was on the young adult bookshelf at my library but it is certainly suitable for middle graders.

I haven't read any other works by Vivian Van Velde but I want too. Hopefully, I can find Being Dead, a book of ghost stories reviewed here by Kathy (The Literary Amnesiac).

Top 10 Picks; YA books

This week the clever Jillian has asked us to give our favourite YA books. I am afraid some of mine are a bit juvenile, but I have included them because rules were meant to be bent!

A Wrinkle in Time series, but I need say no more, since I notice it on several lists.

Twilight. Yes, I know all the criticism leveled at them, and I do agree to a point. But there is no denying the pull, the absolute NECESSITY of reading them if you are a young woman or spend time with young women. Hey, if a juggernaut rolls by I am going to jump on!

I started reading them after confiscating four books in one day from my high school students. These were only books the girls were actually reading during my class time, you know, while I was trying to teach them something else. Can you imagine how many girls were reading outside of my lessons? Stephanie Myers has done a great thing for girls, in my opinion, by getting them to read, discuss books and express their opinions (Edward or Jacob?) (Hate the books or love them?) (Fave in the series?).

The Black Stallion. I was never a horse-y girl, but I did love horse books. Walter Farley's characters, both human and equine, captured me and I wanted to live on a deserted island and race horses. I must see the movie some day.

Le Petit Prince is a book I read in French at university. I just loved the simple story that left so much to the reader to work out. Reading it made me feel intellectual, and I loved the little drawings. The idea of little planets and little princes is so enchanting.


Have you ever read The 21 Balloons? Oh, my! Diamond mines, balloon carousels, adventures, secret islands, daring escapes, fantastic homes, volcanoes and amazing food, riches, and celebrity. This book by William Pene du Bois has everything.

The Princess Diaries- Meg Cabot.

This is my answer to Jillian's top ten. This week, top ten YA books. I know there are supposed to be a list of ten here, but there are ten in the series, so that counts, right?

I picked up the first book in The Princess Diaries series while I was in a Korean airport. Having read all the books I packed, I was in desperate need of a new one. That book happened to be the only one in the bookstore that was pink and not in Korean gobbeldygook. I started reading it as soon as we took off, and found myself completely uninterested in everything in it. I handed it to Mum. A minute later, tears of laughter were streaming down her face. Confused, I snatched it back and had another read. Nothing. I resorted back to my Gameboy for the the rest of the flight, enviously watching my hysterical Mum.

Three years later, I pick it up unwillingly, remembering the Korean flight incident. And get no sleep for three days after. Since that day, I have been hooked on the series. It follows the diary of a young girl who finds out unexpectedly that she is a princess from her controlling grandmother. I won't say anymore, as tempted as I am, so I don't spoil it.

There are ten books in the series, and after number seven, it gets a bit erm .... inappropriate for about my age and down. (twelve, if you don't already know.)

Just be prepared, if you are my age, to not get any homework done for a week, or, if you are Mums, starving children.

Alice- book or movie?

Hello blog readers.

For a person who has been an Alice fanatic for over five years and the proud owner of nine different editions of the book, the movie had a lot to live up to. Believe me, I had my doubts. But anything directed by Tim Burton couldn't be that bad, right? Well, indeed I went to see it, and the verdict was:
OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHMMMYYYYGGGOOOOOOOSSSSSHHHHHHH!!!!

I know that comment was normal teenager, and I truly apologize for not using my amazing writing skills to scrape together a decent sentence.

Best movie ever.

I know that most people liked it because of the Johnny Depp factor, but I assure you, I am not judging on that alone. The movie captured the world that Lewis Carroll painted through his book. As always, the book is far better than the movie, but it really wasn't fair because NOTHING can top Alice's adventures in Wonderland. I repeat; NOTHING. Overall, the book and the movie make a nice pair. And, if anything, this just means another copy for my collection.

I.z.z.y.xx

PS Here is a photo of the only material thing I would rescue from a house fire.

Going Bovine

Whoa... Duuuude... this book is a trip! And I don't just mean the cover. Cameron, a seventeen year old pot smoking apathetic underachiever, is diagnosed with mad cow disease. Seeking a cure, he embarks on a wacky journey across America guided by a punk angel only he can see and accompanied by Gonzo, a hypochondriac gamer dwarf, and a talking yard gnome who might be the Viking god Balder. Is the trip real or a hallucination?

Right about now, I am guessing that a third of you are intrigued and a third of you are repelled. For the third of you sitting on the fence, this book is reminiscent of the movie Bubble Boy (love that movie). Cameron is not sweet and endearing (at least in the beginning) like Bubble Boy but the quirky characters he meets and his perpetual seemingly random absurd adventures are very much like Bubble Boy. He even encounters a happiness cult named Church of Everlasting Satisfaction And Snack-'N'-Bowl. So if you like the movie Bubble Boy this book may be for you.

If you still aren't sure if this is your kind of tale, here are a few of the amusing chapter titles:

• Wherein the Cruelties of High School Are Recounted, and the Stoner Dudes of the Fourth-Floor Bathroom Offer Me Subpar Weed and a Physics Lesson
  
• Which Treats of the Particulars of High School Hallway Etiquette and the Fact that Staci Johnson is Evil; Also, Unfairly Hot
  
• Which Treats of Our Daring Escape from St. Jude's and Our Talk with a Stinky Dude in a Tinfoil Hat
  
• In Which We Make a Stop in New Orleans and Gonzo Refuses to Eat Fish, Annoying the Crap out of Me and Our Waitress
  
• In Which I Learn That Two Very Small People Can Add Up to a Major Pain in the Ass and We Nearly Bite It at the Konstant Kettle

Anyone still with me? This book is about living, dying, parallel universes and the randomly connected but important little things. It is at turns dark, bizarre, wry and comedic. The quips traded between Gonzo and Balder are a hoot.

Libba Bray did an believable job writing in the voice of a seventeen year old boy. A couple of times at near the beginning, I thought: oops, that sounds like something a forty year old woman would say to be funny. But maybe only a forty year old woman (which I am) would notice.

Even though this book can be bewildering at times and has a happy/sad ending, I liked it. Cameron starts out as a boy with no zest for living; he believes everything in life is a big fake. Over the course of his very trippy trip, Cameron learns to appreciate and love family and friends and even find beauty in art and nature.

Some of the YA bloggers rate sex, language and violence levels in the books they review. I found this book tame in all those regards but so no one is inadvertently offended, this book contains a few f-bombs, drug use and mild sexuality. If you require more particulars, feel free to email me.

If you are looking for another gothic fantasy like Libba Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty, this isn't it. If you are in the mood for a wild and crazy thought provoking ride, this one may be for you.

Have you already read Going Bovine? Did you love it or hate it? Undecided? What did you think of the ending? If you read it in the future, come back and share. And don't forget to read Libba Bray's funny four page acknowledgments. Love her sense of humor.

Tuesday Treasures! Steal Away... to Freedom

Not too much time for treasure hunting today but I spotted a gem to enjoy during lunch. Steal Away... To Freedom by Jennifer Armstrong, 1992.

The synopsis caught my interest: two 13 yr old girls escape to the north. One is African-American and the other is caucasian. The book opens with a letter written in 1928 from a Mary in Manilla to a Free in Toronto and alludes to a great friendship, mistakes, and a memoir that it is time to share with the world. Okay-- that hooked me: I do have a thing for old notes/letters.

My questions about who Mary and Free could be were soon answered. Mary is the granddaughter of the white girl (Susanna) in the synopsis and Free lives with the now elderly African-American girl (Beth).

Susanna and Beth decide it is time to share their story with the youngsters who write down every word.

Even though some bits are a bit melodramatic, the story the old women tell is compelling. Both sets of girls meet at age 13 in very different circumstances. I can't wait to find out how each set gets past the fear/distrust to become friends.

I really should have brought this home instead of saving it for next Tuesday's lunch read. Why do Susanna and Beth have to escape? Does Susanna's male cousin start harassing the girls? What is Susanna's horrid female cousin up to? Will Beth overcome her fear of punishment and let Susanna teach her to read? In the second story line, why does Free seem to dislike Mary at first sight?

Well, guess who is going to be raring to get to work next Tuesday?!

Chinese Cinderella

We read this for Reader's Cup last year, and it was not easy for my poor 11 year old. She cried some nights. For a sheltered, treasured modern girl it is hard to understand how another child could be treated so badly. I read ahead and it did end in a note of hope, but it seemed a long way away at the pace of one chapter per night. I don't actually recommend it as a bed-time read. My girls like something happier before they fall asleep.

Adeline Yen Mah immigrated to America after a difficult childhood. This book is not so much an American memoir as a Chinese one. It brings a very interesting period of Chinese history to life, and is one of those hard-work-triumphs-over-adversity stories that can be so inspiring.

http://readerscup.cbca.org.au/Documents/Readers%20Cup%20Flyer_2009%20%5Bd2%5D.pdf
http://www.adelineyenmah.com/

The Lost Island of Tamarind

Every night I am reading aloud from the Lost Island of Tamarind by Nadia Aguiar. Wow, what a great bedtime story! Maya, Simon and their baby sister Penny are on a mysterious island looking for their parents. It doesn’t exist on any map, and has bizarre animals and plants they have never even heard of. A strange storm has washed the grown-ups from the family’s yacht where they have always lived, travelling the seas and doing research.

According to my websearch the author, Nadia Aguiar, grew up and now lives in Bermuda, which shows in the rich depiction of the tropics. Her descriptions of the plants, the heavy air, the sounds and the smells remind me of the subtropical rain forest outside my own door.

In the story, the kids manage to sail to Tamarind where carnivore vines swallow up the boat, suspend jaguars, and try to abduct Penny. They meet up with Helix, a boy who protects them and takes them to a river where they can wait for a barge. Refusing to stay, he slips into the jungle after giving them a spear and an amulet. Maya wonders if she’s made the right decision, or if she should have trekked through the dense growth with him to town.

They don’t even know if their parents are on the island, are not sure if they can trust the bargeman, can’t decipher their parents’ log book entries, don’t know what the amulet will protect them from, aren’t sure they can get help in town, and are fast running out of diapers for Penny.

I am swept up in the fantasy and mystery of the story, but also appreciate the accurate depiction of adolescents. For example, Maya pretends to be asleep so she won’t have to talk to her brother. ‘She felt too strange and emotional right then—filled with so much love for her family she thought she might weep—but if he spoke to her she was afraid she would snap at him. Why was it like that with family?’ Why indeed?

I am not reading ahead, really I am not. So at the pace we are going it might be a few weeks before we finish it. Do you want to know how it ends as badly as I do?