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MOVED TO NEW SITE

So... for my own convenience (easier to use,) I've changed my reading journal to here:

http://www.fairrosa.info/rj

Please update your link -- whoever reads this!

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Neverwhere
author: Neil Gaiman
audience: Adult

Keeping to the same grim, weird, dreamy, and at the same time breezy and light vein, this is yet another entertaining gothic fantasy. I don't know why I'm simply not that affected by the images so gross in nature or the pains so extreme. Maybe it is because English is still my second language and I might never become fully immersed in its effects? I can't judge whether I should be shocked, grossed out, or frightened -- and all I felt was largely amusement at Gaiman's imagination.

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Fruits Basket
audience: 5-7

Cute manga!

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Persepolis
author: Marjane Satrapi
audience: 7th and up

This is a book that every single person should read. Satrapi has the gift of injecting much humor into a story that is ultimately tremendously disturbing and sad. The images (being a Graphic non-fiction) are fittingly simplistic and yet so expressive: the war dead, the tortured, the rebellious teens, the loving parents, the everyday people. I cried at least 3 times in different places. If I hadn't been reading it in the crowded school cafeteria, I probably would have cried more than that -- but I also laughed out loud a few times at the wit and comical situations Marji experienced. What an amazing accomplishment.

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Castle Waiting
author: Linda Medley
audience: 6th and up (Graphic Novel)

Almost done with this really delightful illustrated light fantasy.

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A Feast for Crows
author: George R.R. Martin
audience: Adult

This is definitely not as well written or plotted as the previous ones in the Song of Ice and Fire sequence. However, it was fun to read about the other parts of the world Martin created -- to know what Oldtown and Bravossi feel and smell like is fine.

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Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
author: Philip Dick
audience: HS

This reads so differently from Blade Runner which it inspired. I am more or less indifferent to the book -- I like the philosophical aspect of it but also am a bit bored reading too much musing and not enough action. Might be a bit unfair since my expectation was based on the action-packed movie..

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A Storm of Swords
author: George R.R. Martin
audience: Adult

3rd book in Song of Ice and Fire. Still amazing. Actually.. it is even more amazing than the second one. Certain scenes of bloodshed is engraved in my brain now...

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A Clash of Kings
author: George R.R. Martin
audience: Adult

Second book in the Song of Ice and Fire cycle. Oh, my, God! It is as exciting and surprising as the first one. I was trapped in the world of Westero and the outer regions, fascinated by the host of characters and the complex storyline.

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Elsewhere
author: Gabrielle Zevin
audience: 5-7

This book, quite popular with many students of mine (mainly girls) is such a disappointment. The writing is so elementary that it reads as if an elementary student could have written it -- on the sentence structure and formation level. The limited view on life after death (although, it is supposed to give an alternative idea on the land of the dead) assaults my sensitivity and insults my intelligence. It "pretends" to be profound but it is so shallow. I also could not care enough about the characters to be emotionally touched. Although, I have to say that I wanted to find out how everything turns out in the end. *shrug* It will be popular for a while and then it will join its characters and flow to the Elsewhere of books.. oblivion.

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Whales on Stilts
author: M.T. Anderson
audience: 3-5

This book is very funny and oddly with a lot of "heart." It's wacky and very fast-paced. I read it aloud to Lily (my 7-year-old daughter) and she absolutely adored it. I am quite curious to see how this "series" will unfold.

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The Book of Everything
audience: 6th and up

A slim volume with a tremendous vision. Or, maybe I should say with tremendous Visions -- since 9-year-old Thomas, the protagonist, seems to be seeing many of them, and most prominently, the Lord Jesus.

A work of translation (from Dutch,) it is beautifully fluid. Enough references of the place, time, and history to pinpoint the setting but never interfere with the lean main story. Truly a gem.

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Saturday
author: Ian Mcwan
audience: Adult

Currently listening

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Honeysuckle House
author: Andrea Cheng
audience: 5-7

This is a really well-told story about two Chinese/Chinese American girls. Although I think their voices are a little older than their 4th grade selves (the author's voice dominates both children's parts,) the situations presented are completely believable and for a book that not a lot of adventurous things happen are quite compelling.

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A Game of Thrones
author: George R.R. Martin
audience: Adult

Thoroughly engrossing -- full of gorey war and killing details... but the characters are so well drawn that it rings completely true. The twists and turns of the plotline, especially toward the end of this 800+-page book, kept me so emotionally involved and pumped that I am quite ready to go on to the next book -- almost 1,000 pages long. It is soap-opera-esque, but with all the right forumulae for a successful one! I guess I truly crossed a threshold here with the reading of this book -- officially I am now a genuine fantasy reader who is not daunted by the length of the book, only annoyed if the book is poorly presented!

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The Looking Glass Wars
author: Frank Beddor
audience: 5th and up

I only quickly scanned this... so much of it is I dislike. Sam Swope's New York Times book reviews from last November spoke clearly and eloquently about the problems of non-fantasy writers writing fantasy:

Although Swope was talking about Dale Peck and Adam Gopnik, both adult writers, not of the fantasy ilk, his description fits Mr. Beddor as well:

"It's fantastically hard to make a fantasy world coherent and convincing, but inconsistencies undermine our trust in the narrative, even a good one"; ...seems unable to say no to any cool idea that pops into his head, and he has a wearying lot of them," and "... falls victim to the demands of his parallel world, the complex rules of which must have been a nightmare to keep track of."

Same problems exist here -- thrown-in cartoonish creatures and devices that might seem "cool" to the author and the editor but are simply two-dimensional imitations of the real deals; on-the-spot random rules and changes of rules that show the lack of attention to the true foundation of this world. What's worse in this book is the heavy-handed pounding of a message: Use your IMAGINATION wisely, children. What's EVEN worse are the brutal carnages that happen over and over again which serve to completely disensitize any reader -- reducing their impact to nil.

So... yes, continuing to search for good books.

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Whittington
author: Alan Armstrong
audience: 5th and up

I had so little patience reading this Newbery Honor book of 2006. It was on so many people's favorite of the year lists and got the award attention, so I thought that I must give it a try. Then, I discovered that the three "stories" presented here are NOT woven together or overlayed with skills; they are FORCED on each other. The flow of any of the three stories is constantly interrupted by the other stories.

Most of the book is the cat retelling Dick Whittington and His Cat -- which, in my view, should have had disqualified this book from the Newbery contenders list -- Folk Tales retelling are not eligible.

The fact that the barnyard animals' speech is understood FULLY by the two children without any external or internal rhyme or reason; and the fact that the animals are teaching the child the arts of WRITING and READING is so unbelievable that, in my view, this title is a fantasy-wanna be and a poor imitation of great traditions.

*sigh* My search for solid children's books continues...

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Forever
author: Judy Blume
audience: 7th and up

I need a good book! What a streak of non-too-impressive reading experiences!!! This infamous book that is no. 8 on the most challenged books list deserves no more but mild distain from me, mostly because its lack of subtlety. It's like reading a really dry "how to" book on teens' first sexual encounters. At least the ending is NOT too pat.

In Search of a Good Book... suggestion please??

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Last of the Really Great Whangdoodle
author: Julie Edwards
audience: 3rd - 5th

is a re-read. I loved this book upon first reading -- more than 10 years ago. This second reading surprised me. I don't remember ANY of the details, and I am usually really good at recalling details. Every scene and character was brand new to me -- and not in a good way at all. I detest the didactic tone and the transparent "messages" of all the benefits of the imagination! (I don't detest imagination, of course, just the way its worth is being handled in the book -- and hey, whose idea is it that adults lose their imagination? I have a lot more imagination than some of the youngsters I know!)

Over all, I couldn't believe that I once LOVED this book, as an adult, although I can see why so many children still love it -- for its vivid descriptions of the very rich and imaginative details and the adventures the children embark on.

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The Penderwicks
author: Jeanne Birdsall
audience: 4th - 6th

This National Book Award Winner failed to intrigue me, either. It is nostalgic -- faint echoes from old favorites such as Little Women and the E. Nesbit books. Some of the humor seems forced to me and the general complaint from other adult readers that the grown-ups in the story have almost no depth at all is a valid one. And to an extend, the children are stock characters themselves, each embodies a set of characteristics without surprises or changes. Their predicaments also don't concern me much as a reader. Maybe I am too cynical and maybe this is a book for much younger children?

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Shakespeare's Secret
author: Elise Broach
audience: 4th - 6th

This title is mildly amusing but never did get me completely hooked.

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Looking for Alaska
author: John Green
audience: 8th Grade and Up

I read the first half prior to the Printz Award Announcement and the second half after it had won the Printz. It was quite an amazing read and I could see how many of my students will truly enjoy this novel. Those who have embraced Perks of Being a Wallflower and A Curious Incident of a Dog at Night Time are ideal readers for this very thoughtful and intense read. I did find the "After" part a tad longer than necessary. Too much emphasis on the soul-searching side without the help of actual incidents to move the story along. Still a worthy winner of 2006.

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Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
author: Douglass Adams
audience: All

This wacky science ficition story is read so amazingly well by Stephen Fry! I thoroughly enjoyed the listening experience. Now I must go on with the rest of the series! Of course, I can see that maybe some of the slapstick jokes can get a bit tiring after being repeated a few more times than absolutely necessary. Fortunately it is a short tale. I don't think I could have withstood the funny blasts much longer!

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Buddy Love, Now on Video
author: Elene Cooper
audience: 5-6

I enjoyed reading this one: the main character is likable, the pacing is fast, and the problems are not that simplistically or easily resolved, although the story is a little bit outdated and does not include a real climatic scene.

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Me Talk Pretty One Day
author: David Sedaris
audience: Adult

This one, read by Sedaris, too, was thoroughly enjoyable. Witty, at times bitter, and other times revelational, it presents the modern American life's many quirky sides. (Of course, it's such life viewed via a very strange mind indeed.)

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Mortal Engines
author: Philip reeve
audience: 5th and up

This scary, ugly world of the future (thousands of years away) is so well realized and extremely chilling. The story is exciting but oh, so very sad. Almost every single one of the characters, major or minor, dies along the way. So bleak -- most of the deaths are justifiable, but some seem a bit gratuitous. Definitely not a book for the weak of stomach. After closing the book, I can still hear the grinding of the city wheels and gear and feel the pain from so many different kinds of wounds inflicted to the various characters.

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Eragon
author: Christopher Paolini
audience: 5th and up

After finally getting past the first few chapters of rather clunky writing and derivative plot details, I suddenly understood why the book has been so popular with young readers. This is a book that, young readers of fantasy stories would have written themselves: the surprising but not really complex plot twists, the relationships between major characters, and the resolutions are all very young-person-like (as opposed to childlike.) The actions flow quite quickly and there is definitely enough excitement to uphold reader's interest. Now, I might actually go and read The Eldest.

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Dolores: Seven Stories about Her
author: Bruce Brooks
audience: 6th and up

I definitely liked the character very much and enjoyed a few stories tremendously: especially the first story when she was 7 and the story about her first romance. However, it does not quite feel that all the stories are connected, and I can't quite figure out how each of them builds on the previous version of Dolores. I think that is the intention -- to show how she becomes the Dolores of the next stage. But, it might be just me as a reader who failed to see the connection between one set of characteristics to the next. It also seems very unrealistic, fairy-tale like almost -- although I do know young women who remain true to their inner-selves and are accepted and even admired for their fierce loyalty to their own hearts. So, maybe it is not quite a fairy-tale!

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The Fountainhead
author: Ayn Rand
audience: Adult

After hours of listening, I am now finally done with this famous work. So many of my friends read this when they were younger and told me how this book "changed their lives." At this stage of my life, I definitely did not feel that the ideology or situations presented in the work have that much impact on my life as a whole. It is a gripping story with completely unforgettable characters, for sure.

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Pet Shop of Horrors Vol. 1
author: Matsuri Akino
audience: 5-7

This reminds me of some of the best and most horrifying mangas I read as a teenager, fitting the serie's title. Whoever wishes to read it, must proceed with caution -- and a strong appetite for the graphically gory scenes.

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The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)
author: Rick Riordan
audience: 4-7

This is bound to be popular with anyone who loves action-packed adventure stories. Vastly accessible due to its simplicity both in prose style and in its explicitly directive explanations of Percy's emotional reactions to events. For me, there were simply too many repeated and predictable patterns (and some scenes thrown in simply for thrills) and not enough layers for contemplation to warrant deep satisfaction.

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Criss Cross
author: Lynne Rae Perkins
audience: 6th and up

Even though it took me some effort to get into the main part of the story, once I adjusted my own mood to fit the text's, the characters came alive and all the little scenes brought quite a bit of enjoyment: from their humor, insights, or authenticity. Definitely a book speaking for a specific audience -- and there is no predicting whom it might attract.

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A Game of You (Sandman No. 5)
author: Neil Gaiman
audience: Adult

Like all the other Sandman graphic novels in the series (of 10 books,) this one is exquisitely designed and the story is the usual Gaiman-esque oddity: illogical and yet completely sensible, if one thinks with one's heart, not one's head. Some images are really quite gory... they even bothered me! (The severed, reconstructed Head of George which flapped its tongue and talked...hmm... really disturbing..)

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The Clique (book 1)
author: Lisi Harrison
audience: 5-7

Wow... pre-Teen Soap Opera to the top level! My goodness. The girls are so mean and there does not seem to have any remorse after all their misdeeds... Yes, I wanted to read to find out what comes next, a guilty kind of pleasure, but am so appalled by the lack of any "moralistic" view that I simply won't endorse this series. I am curious, though, as to why this is such a popular series and what the young readers (as young as 4th grade in my school) see in these books and how they view these girls.

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The Year of the Dog
author: Grace Lin
audience: 3-5

I am reviewing this one for the Horn Book so I won't post my opinions here!

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Lionboy: The Truth (book 3)
author: Zizou Corder
audience: 4-6

The rip-roaring conclusion of the adventurous and exciting trilogy did not disappoint me. Although so many threads are dealt with, the story line keeps pushing forward and the climax is quite satisfying. The blend of quality prose and very very childlike details remains the most charming aspect of this story.

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Anansi Boys
author: Neil Gaiman
audience: Adult

Definitely enjoyed this light, weird, fun, fantasy... Gaiman is so good at creating parallel worlds inhabited by slightly "off" characters -- and they tend to be some form of magical/godlike beings. The images are so vividly presented that even I, the non-visual-reader, can picture the scenes, the settings, and the individual characters. It's definitely a story that leaves a long-lasting impression.

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Raven's Gate
author: Anthony Horowitz
audience: 4-6

Although I liked the gloomy and scary bits of the book, too many scenes simply did not work for me and the momentum kept being stopped by unnecessary descriptions of something that the readers already were told. At moments, it just seemed sloppy. Still, parts of the story work quite well and I imagine those who like both Alex Rider series and Cirque du Freak series will enjoy the blend of adventure and horror in this volume. I wonder whether the second book will be better than the first..

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Fire and Hemlock
author: Diana Wynne Jones
audience: 6th-8th

I just love how Jones writes -- there is a distinct tone, witty, dark, whimsical, and wise all at once.. and the world is so out of kelter... dangerous and fascinating at the same time, alluringly alarming.. is that how best describing this strange and charming book? I can't wait to discuss it with the online pals who will start the discussion tomorrow -- the last chapters are very murky and I could not quite figure out what really happened. Hopefully, in a few days, I'll have some answers to my questions (and I don't even know what my questions ARE!)

This cover art puts me off, though. I much prefer the version I read - darker and more mysterious, much less focusing on the main characters.

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Something's Fishy, Hazel Green
author: Odo Hirsch
audience: 4th - 6th


Slightly entertaining and at times very funny, in an intellectual, quirky way. A really fast read with some interesting scenarios. I like especially Hazel's relationships with all those surrounding her -- from the fishmonger, to her best friends, to bullies whom she is not afraid to challenge.

However, I did find the set of quirky characters appear a bit unbelievable and the mystery simply... not very mysterious?

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American Gods
author: Neil Gaiman
audience: Adult

Fascinating? Brilliant? Fragmented? All-encompassing? I cannot quite pin down exactly how to describe this book, except that I really enjoyed reading it. All the legends, myths, characters are highly intriguing. Of course, Gaiman's ability to present the most grotesque, morbid, and gory images with utter beauty, total elegance, and an alluring charm is what truly attracts me. American Gods reminds me of Peter Greenaway's movies.

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Inexcusable
author: Chris Lynch
audience: 8th and up

Although this book can make one very "uncomfortable," I was impressed with Lynch's ability to maintain a very unsympathetic, unreliable narrator's view point throughout the book. What a sad story.. but I imagine, not a completely abnormal one. It's interesting how one can justify just about anything that one does -- no matter how external evidences all point to a very different conclusion. Thought-provoking, to say the least.