Sunday, September 21, 2008

Wee Free Men

I chose Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett on a recommendation from a friend who really enjoys Terry's books. I can now see why!



The book starts out with a young girl named Tiffany. She's down by the river with her younger brother, and a monster comes out towards her. She attacks it. She also encounters these small blue men who speak kind of funny. This is when she realizes there is something different about her.

The little blue men are the Nac Mac Feegles, or as they call themselves, the Wee Free Men. They're blue, they wear kilts and they speak with a Scottish accent. I have to say, I absolutely loved reading what they were saying! It was amusing. I kept picturing little leprechauns that had defected to Scotland. And since they enjoyed drinking, they clearly had found the good Scotch ale!

Back to the story. Tiffany's little brother is abducted by the Quin, er, I mean queen, and miss Tiffany has to figure out how to get into the Queen's world to get him back. She is assisted by the Nac Mac Feegles, and has a few adventures along the way.

I really enjoyed this story, and I highly recommend it. Now that Harry Potter is over, I think this will make a great new series to read. (There are apparently several books written by Mr. Pratchett.) Let me know if you've read any of these books yourself and what you think! I'd love to compare notes!

Double Bind, a review


Do you remember reading The Great Gatsby when you were in school? I do. It was by far one of my favorite books we had to read in English class. I honestly can't tell you what it was about this book that I enjoyed so much. Perhaps the time frame, the way that Gatsby was finally able to see Daisy, I just don't know. And I just reread the book again, and still can't tell you why I liked it so much! I just do!

I reread Gatsby because the book, The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian refers to Daisy and Tom Buchanan, and their daughter, Pamela. I'd been recommend this book by my friend Susan, who knows my love for Great Gatsby and is a Language Arts teacher.

The book starts out with the main character, Laurel, talking about being attacked while bike riding in Vermont. She talks about the men who attacked her and what saved her from being killed. While the book itself doesn't focus on this, it is an underlying theme.

From there, we're brought back to present day, where Laurel is given pictures that were taken by Bobbie Crocker, a former resident at the homeless shelter where she works. Bobbie had recently passed away, and her boss thought that perhaps the photos could be put together to make a show and then be used as a fundraiser for the shelter.

There are photos showing famous singers, actors, musicians, and then some that also show the Gatsby residence, and one of Pamela Buchanan and a boy, whom Laurel believes to be Bobby Crocker. There are also a few pictures of Laurel on her bike in the woods in Vermont, wearing the shirt she described as wearing when she was attacked.

Laurel becomes obsessed with finding out who exactly Bobby Crocker is and how he was connected to the Buchanans. I can relate with her obsession-when you have a mystery to solve, you want to know, and sometimes other things just get tossed aside.

The rest of the book deals with her obsession to solve the mystery, print the photos from negatives, and to find out just who exactly Bobby Crocker was. I don't want to give away too much of the ending (which was quite surprising to me, and I honestly need to now reread the book to see what little details I missed), so I'll leave it at that. Let me know if you want to know more about the book or if you've read it yourself. I'm curious to know if other readers are as surprised by the ending as I am.

Everything Nice by Ellen Shanman


This book originally caught my interest because the main character, Mike, was in the advertising business and quickly finds herself without a job, and resorts to teaching. While I wasn't necessarily in the 'business' my degree is definitely in advertising, and I'm definitely NOT working in that field any longer. I have been working as a sub for the past 6 years, so I really wanted to read this book.


Mike finds herself one day without a job, because the folks at her advertising agency just not longer want to work with her. (And they had just fired her 'boyfriend' if you can call him that, so getting rid of her just made sense.) I have to say that the following excerpt just made me laugh out loud when I read it.

"Is this about the tampons? Because--"
"It's about a lot of things, although while we're on the subject it was probably inappropriate to refer to the consumers as 'bleeders' in front of the client."
"It slipped out."

I just found that hilarious. I could see myself possibly referring to someone like that, although I'd really hope that I'd have the brains NOT to say it in front of a client. Anyway...back to the book.

So Mike is jobless and within a few months realizes that she's not going to find a position in the advertising world because her reputation is fairly well known. So, she ends up moving back in with her father, something she thought she'd never do. The biggest problem? He's got a girlfriend (which Mike didn't know about) and the girlfriend is moving in too!

The air is tense the first few times Mike and Deja are in the same room. Deja is a retired teacher and she mentions to Mike that she thought there would be a position in the marketing department for her old school. Turns out they need a "life skills" substitute, and she fills in. The results are an interesting turn for Mike. She works as a teacher, she sees her ex-boyfriend on late-night tv performing a comedy routine based upon their previous relationship, and she discovers she has feelings for someone that she's known for quite awhile.

I really enjoyed this story. I was sad when it ended, although I have to admit, the ending is pretty predictable. I look forward to reading other books by this author.

Friday, September 19, 2008

The Gatecrasher

I am a big fan of the books written by this author's pen name Sophie Kinsella. I really enjoy the humor in her books! I've also come to enjoy reading books by Madeleine Wickham, although their topics tend to be a bit more 'serious'.

The book starts out with Fleur, a single mom, trying on a bunch of hats and only wanting to order them in black. It turns out she's a gatecrasher-but not of the wedding kind. She crashes funerals and memorial services, but only for those whom she believes will pro...more I am a big fan of the books written by this author's pen name Sophie Kinsella. I really enjoy the humor in her books! I've also come to enjoy reading books by Madeleine Wickham, although their topics tend to be a bit more 'serious'.

The book starts out with Fleur, a single mom, trying on a bunch of hats and only wanting to order them in black. It turns out she's a gatecrasher-but not of the wedding kind. She crashes funerals and memorial services, but only for those whom she believes will provide her with a wealthy widower.

She attends the memorial service for Emily Favour and meets Richard. She quickly gets to work and the next thing she knows she's been invited to lunch with him. Soon they are almost inseparable, and Fleur cannot really deny enjoying it. Richard is quickly in love and enjoys the newness in Fleur. They go to his second home in the country (in a gated community, of course) and she quickly befriends Emily's sister, as well as the children of Richard and Emily.

Trouble brews when Zara, Fleur's daughter, shows up. She could possibly bring Fleur's happiness to an end by unveiling Fleur's secret. Will the happiness end and Fleur have to find another widower to "fall in love" with??

For the most part, I enjoyed this book. It read quickly, as the other books by Wickham/Kinsella have. I did, however, have a problem with the ending. I felt as though Madeleine was suddenly rushed to get the book to press and just quickly ended the story. There seemed to be so many balls just left in the air and nothing to catch them. Because of the final chapter, my entire opinion of the book changed.

Overall, the book was fine, and I would recommend it to others, with the warning that the ending is a bit disappointing. I'd hate for others to be just as disappointed as I was.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

The Sisters Grimm

I purchased this book because I have been enjoying books that contain familiar characters, but in a different context. Most notably, books by Jasper Fforde-both the literary Thursday Next series that brings the classics in, and the Nursery Crime series which brings mystery into everyday nursery rhymes.

The book starts out with a pair of girls, sisters and orphans. They're on the train to meet their grandmother, whom they have believed to have been dead. Once you've been introduced to the characters, the interaction amongst fairy tale characters begins. The girls and their grandmother are investigating a house 'explosion' when Mr. Charming (also known as Prince Charming) shows up on the scene. Jack of Jack and the Beanstalk becomes a character of note, and readers are quickly trying to remember the different Grimms tales that they've read as children. (And other fairy tales/nursery rhymes as well.)

As an adult, I found this book to be a quick read, and I did enjoy it. Given that the suggested reading level is for grades 3-6, I find it right on par. Enough interest to engage the younger reader, but also enough to also entertain even the oldest of readers. I look forward to continuing the series