Mini Reviews: AugBooks Edition

After participating in Nancy's AugBooks Readathon, I'm grouping some of my reviews together as a mini review post (others, like The Silmarillion, are getting stand-alone reviews). While I didn't complete my reading list, I did get roughly half read (if we count finishing Gorgeous once the official AugBooks deadline passed), and there was only one I bailed one! Yahoo!

Beautiful Day
Elin Hilderbrand
Reagan Arthur, 2013

One of those perfect summer reads: a wedding weekend, a beautiful island/beachy setting (normally I read Southern beaches, so the Nantucket setting was new-but-still-familiar-feeling), and more family drama than a reunion in the Deep South. I loved the multiple perspectives, giving a multi-faceted inside look at everything taking place surrounding this One Beautiful Wedding. The backstory was woven in beautifully, and I just really enjoyed the whole reading experience.

Book provided by my local library.

Frogged
Vivian Vande Velde
HMH, 2013

A supercute, quick late elem/MG read about what happens when the princess kissing the frog, gets frogged. Imogene is a likeable princess, and her time as a frog leads her on many misadventures with colorful people. It's also a time that teaches Imogene what it means to be a princess (something her mother's best efforts struggled with). And, of course, there's a Prince.

Book provided by my local library.

Jane Austen Marriage Manual
Kim Izzo
St Martin's Griffin, 2012

"What if a modern woman took Jane Austen's "marriage advice" to the letter, and applied it to her own life?" That's the basic premise of this novel, although with a slightly more cynical/materialistic bent than Jane herself suggested (although Mrs. Bennett would certainly agree with Kate's theories!). It's a fun, quick read. I figured out where it was going reeeeeally fast, but that didn't take away from the reading. The story itself fades into the background for me though, because what I really enjoyed were the characters. Kate's one crazy conflicted woman, and watching her struggle to justify things is both exasperating and entertaining. There's a whole cast of colorful and interesting characters, my favorites being Fawn and Griff. (Also fun: so many of Kate's intimate circle feature Austen character names: Marianne, Brandon, Emma, etc. So fun!) A good summer reading choice.

Book provided by my local library.

Invisibility
Andrea Cremer & David Levithan
Philomel, 2013

I loved the idea of this book, and I've enjoyed other books Levithan has co-written (especially loved Dash & Lilly's Book of Dares!), but once I started reading ... I just couldn't get into it. After several chapters from each viewpoint (alternating between Stephen and Elizabeth), I started skimming. And even skimming things were moving sooooo slowly. And it's kinda weird. I mean, I knew it'd be weird -- the guy is INVISIBLE -- but it's like, weird-weird. Thus, I'm leaving it unfinished. Hopefully other readers will enjoy it more.

Book provided by my local library.

Sidenote: I really enjoyed making myself a list of things to read in a set amount of time, and focusing on doing just that. I may employ a similar method for catching up on some of my reading the rest of the year ... Or, I may have a big "end of year readathon" ... Hmm ... Must think on this ...

The Penderwicks at Point Mouette

The Penderwicks at Point Mouette
Jeanne Birdsall
Alfred A. Knopf: 2011

This is the third installment of the Penderwick adventures, and it's just as fun and cute and quirky as the previous two. It is summer again for the Penderwick girls, but this time, they're being separated! Rosalind is vacationing with a friend, leaving Skye "in charge" as OAP (Oldest Available Penderwick) while she, Jane and Batty go with Aunt Claire to Maine for a few weeks. Needless to say: Adventures ensue.

Joining the Penderwick girls (and Hound, the faithful dog) is old friend Jeffrey, and the posse quickly makes new friends - young and old. There are misunderstandings and misadventures galore, surprises and discoveries, first kisses and bonfires. It's a very eventful few weeks, and I loved reading every moment of it. The characters are very well-written, and remind me of my cousins and other people I actually know. I feel like I could pick the Penderwick girls and Jeffrey out of a crowd. And I do hope the series continues - I have enjoyed watching them grow and develop over the last three volumes, and hope to see the story go further. I have a particular weakness for wanting to see how Skye and Jeffrey continue their friendship.

Even though this is the third Penderwick novel, you can read it as a stand-alone. It is fun however, to read them in order, just to get a better sense of the characters. They're a lot of fun, and their adventures are hilarious. Definitely fun reads that middle grade readers would enjoy, and this older reader appreciates.

Also, purely random observation: The covers! I love the covers of all three - and, truthfully, the cover of The Penderwicks is what got me to read it, and subsequently fall in love with the story. Delightfully old-fashioned, and very fitting with the story.

Book provided by my local library.

Eleanor's Story

Eleanor's Story: An American Girl in Hitler's Germany
Eleanor Ramrath Garner
Peachtree Publishers, 1999

This is a striking, intriguing, and moving read. Eleanor is the American daughter of German parents. Her extended family still lives in Germany, and right before WWII breaks out her father decides to take advantage of a prosperous job opportunity and move the family from New Jersey to Berlin. War breaks out during their ocean crossing, and they find themselves stuck in Germany. At first, things aren't too bad and War seems like a bit of an adventure to Eleanor, her older brother Frank, and their new friends. But anyone familiar with the history of WWII knows that things get serious, and the story Eleanor tells is a unique perspective of the chaos and destruction.

Maybe it's just me, but I can't think of many accounts of WWII from a child's perspective - Diary of Anne Frank comes to mind, obviously, but other than that the titles I think of are historical fiction written after the fact by an unattached author. Eleanor's Story is different - it's the remembered experiences of a real-life American girl who found herself essentially trapped in Germany for the horror and aftermath of WWII. For me, this was a new reading experience - but a very 'enlightening' one. Eleanor's naivety and childish interpretations of what global War means ring true, and as she grows up - and the War is still going strong - her growth in understanding is also believable. Some of the stories -- I just can't even imagine. Most of the WWII books I've read have tended to focus on either the Holocaust aspect or the lives (and loves) of American forces...Eleanor let me see a different side: that of the German civilian and, in her case, the added danger of being an American - and thus a potential threat. At times it's a rough read, but it's a rough time in human history too, and I would be less inclined to give a "roses-and-puppies"-account of WWII Germany credit.

Eleanor's Story extends beyond the official end of WWII, which also offered a neat perspective, and includes two sections of pictures of Eleanor and family. All in all, it's an eye-opening read that offers a different look at things for someone who has some background knowledge/experience of WWII, but also is a really neat introduction for students. I think seeing the story of someone they are close to in age can help explain some of the trickier aspects of WWII, whether it's in a classroom setting or some other form of reading.

Book provided by publisher for review.

Blog Tour: Under a Fairy Moon

Under a Fairy Moon
TM Wallace
Brownridge, 2011

Many thanks to Pump Up Your Book! for letting me join the blog tour for this new novel! Not only is the cover beautiful, but the story is engrossing and unpredictable. Under a Fairy Moon is a YA fantasy that doesn't quite go where you think it will, but the adventure is all the better for the unexpectedness.

It all starts because Addy has one very active imagination, and she uses it to escape the uncertainty and awkwardness of her 'real world.' Her stand-offish neighbor has a mysterious, and fairly secretive, garden that Addy has claimed as her own wonderland. But it's not just any garden, there's a darker mystery to it - but not wholly dark. Together with Connor - the boy she follows into the garden one morning, trying to keep him from 'stealing' her territory - Addy discovers that there is far more to the garden than even her imagination conjured. The two find themselves embroiled in a game of 'Fairy Chess' - an elaborate and grueling "game" that tests their weaknesses and strengths, forcing them to look deep inside and come to terms with who they really are, in their heart of hearts. Along the way, they meet countless mythic and otherworldly creatures, making friends and enemies, and learning that this is no ordinary game. The stakes are high - for both the Summerland and their world.

Under a Fairy Moon is a complex story that can be read at a surface-level as an enjoyable and attention-keeping fantasy adventure. You could also look at as a story with a deeper meaning as well - as much as I dislike the whole "what is not being said while really being said" aspect of reading and literature, I couldn't help but find myself making parallels while reading: this could very easily be used as an example of the ongoing and ever-present good-versus-evil battle. My brain was getting annoyingly in the way whispering about how things could be interpreted, how this character or that idea could translate into a bigger picture/point than initial reading. I try really hard not to indulge in those trains of thought (unless the author has clearly indicated some such, and then I view it as a treasure-hunting challenge!), but it was a strong sensation, so I mention it. Overall, the story was fast-paced and very, very involving. Lots of twists and turns, and I never knew what was going to happen next.

Make sure you visit the main page (click the banner) to see the other stops along the blogtour!

Book provided by publicist for review.

Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom

Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom
Susan Nielsen
Tundra Books, 2010

As promised in a previous post, a review of Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom! I wasn't entirely sure what I was getting into when I started to read -- I haven't read about middleschoolers in years -- but the premise was just too good to pass up. How could I resist a story about a girl trying to set her mom up with George Clooney?! You just can't do that. Resist, I mean. Although chances are it'd be a bit difficult to set up someone with Clooney. But I digress ... Back to the review: The characters are younger than what I've read in a while, but that did not detract from either the story nor the characters themselves. Violet is not too growny, and while once or twice I felt like she was acting a little 'beyond her age', within the context of the story it made sense and worked. Then too, I stopped to think about my little cousin and her friends - all 13-14 - and how they behave ... Violet was very convincing as a character, and I enjoyed her escapades.

For all the fun and humor of the title, there is some serious real-life stuff going on in Violet's life. Nothing is over-dramatized or played up for emotional shock value, everything is presented as "this is reality". I think there are probably a lot of readers who can relate to Violet and her experiences and emotions. It's a real book, that will make you think about real things, but in a super cute and very enjoyable, fun read. Definitely glad I gave it a go - thanks, Amanda, for making it possible!

Book provided by my personal library.