Hour 39

Hours Spent Reading: 24
Books Read: 6
Pages Read: 1970
Money Raised: $684
What I'm listening to: the dishwasher. Exciting stuff, I know.

Please remember that I'm reading to raise money for Room to Read, which builds libraries, stocks them with books, and trains people to become their librarians.

The Red Pyramid Rick Riordan

Ok there are A LOT of similarities between this and the Percy Jackson. Couple of kids discover that they're part of an ancient belief system that's still alive and kicking in the modern world and have just a few days to get across the country and save the world, all the while battling mythical forces of badness.

Only instead of Greek gods, it's Egyptian ones.

Carter and Sadie are brother and sister, even though they didn't grow up together. They are descended from Pharoahs and they should be a part of the organization of Egyptian court magicians that's still alive and kicking... but the organization wants them dead, because they also have the spirits of Horus and Isis hanging out in their bodies with them.

But that's all secondary, because Set has kidnapped their father and is about to destroy the world, so he's their bigger worry.

Like I said, there are a lot of similarities with Percy, but I think I like this one better. I like that Carter and Sadie take turns narrating the story, but they're also bantering back and forth in their narration, like brother and sister. It's hilarious and works really well. I also really like how Riordan writes Bast.

There was some controversy about race when The Last Olympian came out. It's worth noting that Carter and Sadie are bi-racial. Carter is darker skinned, while Sadie is lighter skinned. And race is discussed-- Sadie resents that strangers don't think she's related to her dad and brother. Carter dresses like a dork (according to Sadie) because his dad has made sure that he always looks impeccable because people will judge him on appearance. Cops like to follow him around. Riordan is white. I'm white. I love that the blogosphere has been tackling issues of race in books and I would love to hear other opinions on this. I feel like I should say more, but I'm in the middle of a readathon and don't really have time to mull this issues and have only mulled them to this point because I was thinking about them while at work. But, I wanted to mention it so others could talk about it.

Overall though, I liked this better than Percy Jackson and am excited to read the rest of the series.

Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Hour 34.5

Just an update to say I'm back from work and reading again. I managed to get another 3 hours in since my last update-- I woke up early and read before work, then listened to part of an audio book on the way to work, read at lunch and on break, and then listened to part of an audio book on the way home.

Now, I'm part way through The Red Pyramid and 1/3 listened through a Nancy Drew. I'm going to finish reading the Nancy Drew (but only counting the pages actually read) and then finish up the The Red Pyramid.

Except maybe the other way around, because The Red Pyramid is long, so I think I'll read that while I can concentrate on a 500 page book. ;)

Hour 16.5

Hours Spent Reading: 16.5
Books Read: 5
Pages Read: 1454
Money Raised: $639
What I'm listening to: Size 12 Is Not Fat

Please remember that I'm reading to raise money for Room to Read, which builds libraries, stocks them with books, and trains people to become their librarians.

Ok, I have to work in the morning, so this is my last blog post until tomorrow night. I'll be reading a bit before bed, then listening to audio books during my commute and reading at lunch, though, so I'll still be plugging away the best I can.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson John Green and David Levithan

If you took the best parts of An Abundance of Katherines and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and put them in a blender, you'd get something almost as awesome as this book.

Two high school students, both named Will Grayson, are having a horrible night when they meet. Then one Will Grayson starts dating the other Will Grayson's best friend. There's a girl named Jane, who has a boyfriend. There's a musical written, directed, choreographed, etc etc etc and starring Tiny Cooper, the said boy/best friend and the gayest large person on the plant, or the largest gay person.

And because it's the best of Green and the best of Levithan, it's about so much more than the plot and it's more madcap and hilarious than I can say.

If you like either author, you'll like this one, too.

Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Hour 13

Hours Spent Reading: 13
Books Read: 4
Pages Read: 1144
Money Raised: $629
What I'm listening to: Another Man's Done Gone

Please remember that I'm reading to raise money for Room to Read, which builds libraries, stocks them with books, and trains people to become their librarians.

So Punk Rock: And Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother Micol Ostow, art by David Ostow

My second Micol Ostow book of the day, but much different than the other stuff of her's that I've read (which have all been SASS novels.)

Ari Abramson is a junior at a Jewish Day School in New Jersey. In an effort to up his coolness, he starts a band. As the school paper says, The Tribe consists of three Gittleman juniors: founder and self-professed Joe Schmoe Ari Abramson on guitar, quiet dark horse Yossi Gluck on drums-- (seriously-- did any of us see him coming?), and the irrepressible Jonas Fein on base and lead vocals. Rounding out the quartet is backup singer Reena Gluck, whose inimitable vocals have been described as a cross between Amy Winehouse and a sane person. p112

Initially, it's a pretty motely crew, but for some reason, they seriously rock.

Of course, there are tensions as Jonas's ego gets the better of him, Ari still can't catch the eye of hot girl Sari (of course ignoring that Reena is much more awesome and not nearly as annoying.) And Ari's parents are gung-ho about honors classes, the SATs and Ari going to Brandeis (even though it's just the beginning of junior year.)

Friendship, self-exploration, and a book about Jewish kids that doesn't try to explain anything for non-Jews in the text (there is, however, a glossary in the back.) So you get such hilarious exchanges as "Are f^&*ing you serious?" "Serious as Yom Kippur, man" p 37 (And yes, while they swear just as much as you'd expect rocker high school boys to swear, it's all @$#$^^$%#$^@%# out.) Just thinking about that line makes me laugh. Warning world-- I'm going to start using it. The rest of the book is also super-funny.

Parts of the story are told comic-book style, which works well. I wished there was more of it.

A super-awesome book that I loved loved loved loved.

BUT, I was hoping that Ostow was kidding when she referenced a t.A.T.u. cover of How Soon Is Now? Sadly, she wasn't. It really exists. I have a dark, secret, horribly embarassing soft space for t.A.T.u. but... that's just wrong. I've listened to it. It's wrong. I may have downloaded it.

I blame the coffee.

Also, I do love the Murakami references. Because he's awesome.

Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Hour 10

Hours Spent Reading: 10
Books Read: 3
Pages Read: 890
Money Raised: $623
What I'm listening to: Black Hole Sun

Please remember that I'm reading to raise money for Room to Read, which builds libraries, stocks them with books, and trains people to become their librarians.

The Ghosts Of Ashbury High Jaclyn Moriarty

According to the introductory note, gothic fiction is often full of "mad people locked in attics, secret passageways, monsters, murderers, ghosts, and family curses."

Although this book takes place at a modern high school outside Sydney and is, for the most part, realistic fiction (with just a touch of magical realism) this does have everything that a good gothic novel needs.

I know I owe you reviews of the previous Ashbury High books (although you do not really need to read them to read this one.)

It's Year 12 for Cass, Lydia, and Em. (Liz makes a brief appearance as well and Bindy keeps popping up, never fear.) As with Moriarty's other books, this is told in "stuff" mainly personal essays for the HSC, committee meeting notes, emails, and blog entries.

Of course, due to the nature of most of the narrative-- an exam question to "Write a personal memoir which explores the dynamics of first impressions. In your response, draw on your knowledge of gothic fiction" and an assignment to "Write the story of Term 2 as a ghost story" we're never entirely sure of the reliability of our narrators, even when we know our narrators from previous books and how they're usually unreliable.

Ashbury has two new scholarship students-- Amelia and Riley. The school is obsessed with them, their aloofness, their secret history, their insane talent at everything they touch. Mostly though, their past. They came from Brookfield, but no one's Brookfield connections know them, except Seb, who warns Lydia to steer clear.

The reader sees different parts of the story, different sides, and has to guess what's happening. And there are important elements of gothic fiction that you forget and then, BAM! There they are!

It's not a comedic book, but parts are very, very funny (I mean, everything Em touches is comedic gold.) But it's also a very interesting look at second chances, perception, history and present, and, of course, ghosts and haunting-- real, metaphorical, and imaginary.

More people need to discover the genius that is Moriarty. Seriously.

Book provided by... my wallet.

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Hour 3.5/Poetry Friday

Hours Spent Reading: 3.5
Books Read: 2
Pages Read: 410
Money Raised: $594
What I'm listening to: Judas's Death (although, given the book, it would be much more appropriate if I had been listening to Mercy House. Sadly, my life is soundtracked by iTunes shuffle right now, not a well-thought out playlist.)

Please remember that I'm reading to raise money for Room to Read, which builds libraries, stocks them with books, and trains people to become their librarians.

Keesha's House Helen Frost

Keesha's house is set off the street
s if you don't know what you're looking for
you might not even see the wide blue door
half hidden by a weeping willow tree.

Using sestinas and sonnets (and even a crown of sonnets) several kids tell how they became lost, and sometimes, found. They tell of the safe place they found at Keesha's house, where people just let them live and be. Where they're allowed to exist. We also hear from the adults in their lives, the ones that care, the ones that see what's happening, the ones that don't.

There is tragedy here, and hope. Like the other books written by Frost, I'm always struck by the absolute poetic craft she puts into her work, but her words and story shine through so much that you don't notice it while reading. (Ok, so, I knew it was Frost, so after reading a first poem, I analyzed it and quickly recognized the sestina, then looked at rhyme schemes for the sonnets. BECAUSE I AM A DORK.)

Powerful wonderful stuff.

Round up is over at The Crazy Files.

Book Provided by... a giveaway at a work meeting! score!

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Hour 2.5

Hours Spent Reading: 2.5
Books Read: 1
Pages Read: 296
Money Raised: $591
What I'm listening to: I Fall In Love Too Easily

Please remember that I'm reading to raise money for Room to Read, which builds libraries, stocks them with books, and trains people to become their librarians.

Up Over Down Under Micol Ostow and Noah Harlan

It wouldn't be a 48 Hour Book Challenge without a Students Across the Seven Seas book! And a super-special to boot!

As a super-special, we get 2 stories. Billie is an Australian studying in DC and interning at the EPA. Eliza is an American studying in Melbourne and doing fieldwork in Melbourne bay. They're living with each other's families.

The chapters tend to alternate between the two girls. Billie's a super-hard core environmentalist (and occasionally annoyingly sanctimonious about it.) Eliza, the daughter of a high ranking politico at the EPA, is used to growing up in the spotlight and is looking to cut loose when she's on the other side of the world. It was a bit painful to watch Eliza make a ton of decisions that even she knew were bad.

BUT! Overall, super fun, even though it's a bit odd to read a SASS book about my own city. The map of the city is comical. Also, I must chafe when Eliza claims the DC doesn't function very will because of it's design-- traffic is confusing? The streets are a grid and go in numeric or alphabetic order! Traffic is confusing if you aren't used to it, yes. I found it very confusing for awhile, but I doubt that a born-and-breed DCer would claim it was confusing...

Also, if they're driving from Dulles to DC, why are they going through Maryland? If you work for EPA, your office would be on the Mall, not the Hill, and the Washington Monument is in the middle of the mall, not the end of it, no building in DC proper has 17 floors, and while Billie's disappointed that she doesn't get to do much as an intern, she's doing MUCH MORE than any real intern, especially a high school one would get to do...

Ok, I stopped cataloging the little details after awhile (never watch a DC-based movie with me. The highway signs are always a mess and I will tell you all about it!!!!)

Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Hour 0

The coffee is brewing, the dogs are fed, the dishwasher loaded.

It's time to start reading!

Please remember that I'm reading to raise money for Room to Read, which builds libraries, stocks them with books, and trains people to become their librarians.

Fundraising Update!

Read this post from this morning first.

I've already raised a lot of money for Room to Read even though the 48-Hour-Challenge hasn't started yet.

But, someone just said that they would donate $1 for ever $2 that I raise between $500 and $600. $500 was my fundraising goal (it will train a librarian to run one of the libraries that Room to Read builds) and I'm really close to meeting it.

Please, consider sponsoring me for such a wonderful cause.

Weekly Geeks: Graphic Novels

This week's Weekly Geeks evokes strong opinions in me, so I HAD to answer it!

Do you read graphic novels or memoirs? Who are your favorite authors? Which books do you recommend?

If you haven't read any, why not?

Some people have the impression that graphic novels are glorified comic books, are unsophisticated or don't qualify as "serious" literature. What do you think? If you track your book numbers, do you count a graphic novel as a book read?

I read a lot of graphic novels. My favorite authors are Bill Willingham, Jennifer Holm, Sara Varon, and Marjane Satrapi. Many of my favorite words-only-book authors such as Shanon Hale, Meg Cabot, and Holly Black have also come out with graphic novels. Also, let's not forget that Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, which changed comic books.

As for which titles I recommend, it depends on what you like to read. One thing to remember is that graphic novels are a FORMAT, not a genre. Any genre you find in words-only novels, you can find in graphic novels. If you're looking for titles to prove to people the worth of graphic novels, then I'd start people with Maus (both volumes) or Persepolis (both volumes). Alice In Sunderland or The Arrival are also good to show what the format can do, although I wouldn't start someone on Sunderland.

If you want excellent stories, excellent art, and excellent production, it's hard to go wrong with anything that First Second puts out.

Now as to whether or not they are worthy literature or just "glorified comic books," I have to reject the premise of the question. Take Sandman for instance. It was written by Neil Gaiman! And excellent series of books (although it wasn't until the later volumes that I fully understood its complete and utter genius.) But it's not a glorified comic book. It's actually a comic book. The volumes you buy from a bookstore are omnibus editions of multiple issues bound together. I am OBSESSED with the Fables series (written by Bill Willingham, who worked on Sandman, which you can tell in the way that odd plot points or characters come back to haunt the story 5 years later.) I acquire and read them in omnibus form, but they are comic books. (And when I say comic books here, I mean published serially, all paperback, usually bound with staples, and distributed through shops specializing in comic books)

When one says "graphic novel" they think of the one-shot, stand-alone title. It is, however, interesting to note that most authors and artists who work with this format use the word "comics" to describe what they are doing, whether it's an issue of X-Men, or a deeply personal memoir. And I think they do this because they recognize that the lines of distinction aren't that important. You can make silly one-off filled with lots of things blowing up, and you can make a serial that meets the standards of "high literature." Format, not genre.

There are many, many, many books without pictures that aren't serious literature. There are many comic books the same way. (And I'll spare you my ramblings on the importance of reading unsophisticated, un-serious literature.) But there are also several books without pictures that are deep and serious and change your world view. Same with comic books.

Once again, it's a format, not a genre.

And if the book is over 100 pages, it totally gets counted as read. Why wouldn't it?

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Tuesday Morning Announcements

Three-day weekends always throw me off. There's a good chance that blogging's going to be light the next two weeks, with the exception of all the blogging that will go on next weekend for MotherReader's 48 Hour Book Challenge. Basically, I'm behind in my reviews and have a lot on my plate this week, reading-wise, so it will be all-reading, and just a little bit of reviewing.

Speaking off the 48 Hour Book Challenge, I am still asking people to sponsor my reading endeavors. I am raising money for Room to Read, which builds libraries and trains people to run them. They are trying to build 11,000 libraries in Asia and Africa by the end of 2010. I have a fundraising page here that you can donate to directly or if you want to wait to see how I do, or donate based on how much I read (books, pages, hours, number of pots of coffee I drink... you can do that, too!)

I'm looking forward to it! As always the number of books I plan to read is impossible, but it's nice to dream.

Which leads me to another "problem" (really, I can't complain. As a friend reminded me awhile ago, I have awesome problems.)

Thursday is the library's annual Teen Notables Discussion, where teen librarians and librarians with an interest in teen books get together to discuss about ten notable books that came out the year before. The reading list was announced a few months ago and you don't have to read *all* of the books on the list, even though I have every year, because well... I'm just like that. I have 3.5 books to go.

I also have several books that are overdue at the library and should really get returned, but I WANT TO READ THEM.

So, my reading's cut out for me.

But.

Jacyln Moriarty's new book, The Ghosts Of Ashbury High comes out today and the UPS man is bringing it to my house AS WE SPEAK.

OH! Whatever shall I read?!!!


Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Changeless

Changeless Gail Carriger

SPOILERS! There are SPOILERS for Soulless in this review! It can't be helped!

There seems to be a plague of... humanity infecting London's supernatural. The Shadow Council can't figure it out, and to top it all off, Lord Maccon has some urgent family business crop up in Scotland and has gone to deal with it. As the plague spreads, Alexia follows it, along with Ivy, her sister, and a most intriguing French woman who makes the most marvelous parasols. The answer seems to lie at Maccon's ancestral home, where there is a pack of werewolves sorely lacking and alpha and feeling abandoned by the one they used to have.

Did you like the first? You'll like this one, too. The back is a bit misleading, as it makes it seem that Maccon and Alexia are having relationship issues when they're not. The same humor and manners and romance as the first, but takes the story further with the mystery of the humanity plague. Plus, some great new characters.

BUT HOLY COW THE ENDING! You might want to wait and read this at the end of August, so you can pick up Blameless right away and not fret over such a cliffhanger!

Book Provided by... my local library, then my wallet

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Soulless

Soulless Gail Carriger

My friend Dana read this during my blog birthday party. It looked good and she confirmed that I would like it. It then went on to win an Alex this year. So, I checked it out from the library and LOVED LOVED LOVED it. I got the sequel right away and then when I finished it, ran to the bookstore and bought both of them and pre-ordered the third (which comes out this fall.)

Basic premise is this-- Victorian London. Ghosts, vampires, and werewolves exist and are upstanding members of society. Not everyone can be a supernatural. It has to do with an excess of soul. If you have too much soul, then you'll survive being changed into a vampire or werewolf, or can stick around as a ghost after you die.

To balance this, there's Alexia Tarabotti. She's a spinster, half-Italian, larger with a big nose, and has horrible Bluestocking tendencies. As if that weren't bad enough she has no soul. This comes rather in handy when she's attacked by a hungry vampire in the middle of a ball. Preternaturals like her cancel out the supernatural elements when they come in contact. As soon as the vampire touches her, his teeth turn back into teeth.

Of course, then she accidentally kills him. And gets herself involved in the detestable Lord Maccon's (alpha werewolf) investigation, which discovers that there are vampires and werewolves going missing. And new ones turning up with no idea about the rules of such things...

SO MUCH FUN!!! Victorian manners + steam punk + urban fantasy + good food + horribly awful hats + a great romance? YES PLEASE.

It's just fun and funny. Many of the characters are outrageous and over the top. Alexia's mother and half-sisters are picture-perfect pretty and unbelievably shallow. Lord Akeldama is a mincing vampire whose fashion sense is much more Regency dandy than Victorian aristocrat, which a bevy of young men looking after him. And Alexia's best friend, Ivy Hisselpenny (Hisselpenny?!) has Empire's worst taste in hats.

It was also a lot... steamier... than I was expecting, but I'm not complaining about that, especially as it was really well done. ;)

Book Provided by... my local library, and then my wallet.

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Toads and Diamonds

Toads and DiamondsHeather Tomlinson

It's a tale that's not told very often (although Gail Carson Levine did it in The Fairy's Mistake.) Two sisters meet a fairy by a well. The good sister is rewarded so that every time she speaks, jewels fall from her lips. The bad sister is punished so that every time she speaks, snakes and lizards fall from hers.

Tomlinson's version is set in a mythical kingdom with many parallels to India during the Mughal era. In this version, both sisters are good (and how refreshing is it to get a fairy tale with a step-mother and step-sister who are good and nice and the entire family is extremely close despite their lack of shared blood?) In Tomlinson's version, both sisters find their abilities to be both curses and blessings.

Diribani's deepest desire was for beauty, and she started speaking diamonds and flowers. A prince took her back to his castle, collecting her jewels and sending them back home, keeping some for the royal treasury. He did it because Diribani kept starting a riot as people scrambled to pick up her jewels, while others tried to kill her for being a witch.

But she thought the goddess gave her the gift so she could use her wealth to help the poor, to improve life for her people. Now the bulk of it is going to the corrupt governor of her home province, probably to buy bigger guns.

Tana loves her sister, but has always be jealous or her effortless beauty and grace and goodness. Her deepest desire was to protect her family, but got snakes and lizards. Her neighbors like the the influx of good ratters, but her true curse becomes apparent when she tries to answer a marriage proposal and a cobra falls between them. The ruling class is afraid of snakes. Tana is driven away from town and on the run for her life when she sees just how corrupt her government really is, and how her curse can save her people.

So much wonderfulness. I loved the tensions between the foreign ruling class and the bulk of the people, and the religious issues. I liked how not all of the Believers were bad, not all of the Followers of the 12 were good. Tomlinson builds a world without too much explanation, it never gets in the way of the story.

Tomlinson doesn't change too much of the story (the main exception is that she makes the both sisters, and the mother, good people and realizes that in more complex story, there are greater repercussions to spewing jewels every time you talk.) But she still manages to make the story fully her own.

Love love love love love. A wonderful example of what a fairy-tale telling can, and should be.

Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker

The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker Leanna Renee Hieber

In Victorian London, there are six members of the Guard, tasked with The Grand Work. The Grand Work involves keeping the spirit world at bay, keeping the human world safe. But things are getting harder. Hell hounds have been unleashed. The Ripper stalks and attacks the alone and defenseless.

The Guard waits for their prophesied seventh. The one who will bring a war, but will also enable them to win it.

Percy Parker has always been different. Not only can she see and hear ghosts, but she looks like one with bone white skin, ice blue eyes, and white hair. When she arrives at Athens Academy, she is thrust up against the Guard their enigmatic leader, the dark and somber Professor Rychman.

Amazon kept recommending this to me because I liked Soulless so much, so I checked it out from the library. It's no Soulless, but I did enjoy it. I liked the way Hieber works British History (such as Jack the Ripper) in with the spirit world and how it's all related to Greek Myth. (I won't say which ones, because that gives some things away, but lots of warped Greek myth here.)

I was a bit taken aback, because this is, technically, a romance novel. It doesn't get that steamy and while there is definitely a love story here, I feel it's almost secondary to the grander plot of the Guard finding their seventh and fighting back the forces of evil. (Also, it's a rather chaste love story.)

Rychman, however, a great romantic hero. He reminded me a bit of Snape in that dark aloof professor always swooping about the school. But he's more in the lines of Darcy-- smoldering and stand-offish that takes awhile to get to know the soft gooey center. Ok, maybe not gooey, but you know what I mean. (I hope.)

I also really liked the secondary characters. I most loved how the rest of the Guard (lovingly) mocked Rychman, which gave the reader most of our information about his character and appearance. Elijah thinks that Beethoven should start spontaneously playing whenever Rychman appears, so they start singing it when he enters and exits, much to his chagrin. It was those small moments that made the book for me.

Book Provided by... my local library

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Star Wars Rebel Force: Uprising

Star Wars Rebel Force: Uprising Alex Wheeler

WARNING! SPOILERS FOR PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THIS SERIES!

This is hard, because in many ways, this was not the book I wanted, and part of that was a giant marketing failure, which I'll talk about later.

X-7 is dead. Soresh needs to eliminate Luke, and to replace his assassin. Could he break Luke and remold him as the new X-7? Vader wants Luke alive. Vader wants to deal with him personally, but Soresh isn't afraid of Vader...

Ok, so the fact that Soresh isn't afraid of Vader? That should tell you something right away about how stupid he is. I'm pretty sure this is the end of the series (given that the epilogue is really the opening scenes of The Empire Strikes Back. That, and there's a pretty high body count. Who dies and who lives is pretty easily answered by "Hmmm... who does and does not appear in Empire Strikes Back?"

Part of what I was expecting of this book based on the previous books never materialized-- we get some Vader action in this one, but I was hoping for a lot more. Also, we never did discover why the Rebels left Yavin 4 for Hoth. Ah well.

Pretty good on the action front, but I'll admit that what I liked best about the earlier books in this series was the politics and personal relationships. This is more action. (And these preferences shouldn't surprise long-time readers. I mean, that's why I prefer Catching Fire to The Hunger Games.)

Anyway, part of my initial confusion was because this book was very madly mismarketed. Amazon and Scholastic both gave this as the plot description:

Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewbacca have been sent to the planet Tessacor, a long-time Rebel sympathizer. In need of some help on that side of the galaxy, Luke is looking forward to a mission that doesn't involve risking his neck.

That is, until they show up and find that a group of teenage Imperials has staged a coup, overthrowing the capital city's government and taking control, enacting the Empire's protocols and ruthlessly suppressing dissent.

Caught off-guard, our heroes must persuade the young leaders to join their cause . . . or find themselves at the mercy of the Empire once more.

Which has absolutely NOTHING to do with the book I read. I emailed Scholastic to point out the error and to ask if the book described above would come out, because I'd like to read it. I never heard back from them, but I have noticed that their website copy now matches what's on the back of the book and accurately describes the plot as much as the back of the book ever does.

Also, the original plot description sounds much more like an "Uprising." The title of this book made no sense! I really want to read the other one (and let's face it, I really enjoyed this series, so I'm just holding out all small hopes that there will be more) but given how this book ended, I don't really think it's going to happen.

Le Sigh

Book Provided by... my wallet

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

Star Wars Rebel Force

Star Wars Rebel Force: Firefight Alex Wheeler

There will be spoilers for previous books in this series. Sorry! It can't be helped!

X-7 is still looking for Luke. He won't return to his Master until he sees the job done. He hires the best pilots in the galaxy to do what he couldn't. But when Luke, Han, Chewbacca, and the assassins crash-land on a pilot that hides horrors the Empire has been unable to contain, alliances have to be made...

Exciting! I've talked before how much I like this series and why. Another great installment.

Book Provided by... my local library

Star Wars Rebel Force: Trapped Alex Wheeler

X-7 is looking for the answers of his past and the Rebels have laid the clues for him, to use him as the Empire has used him, but this time for their gain. Old feelings and grudges have to be set aside in order for the plan to work, but it might not be possible. And, it might just all go sour anyway when Vader shows up.

I'm really excited for the next installment, because this book wraps up the X-7 storyline, but it looks like Vader's going to be more personally involved. I wonder how much, if any, truth will come out about Ferus and Div to the Rebels and to Luke. I don't know how long this series will be, but I'm looking forward to the big show-down that will force the Rebels to move from Yavin 4 to Hoth. It's weird reading this, knowing that Luke and Leia and Han and Chewbacca aren't going to die, knowing that Luke will find the Force eventually, knowing what's going to happen, but not knowing how we're going to get from here to there.

Star Wars fans sick of all this Clone Wars tie-in lately should seek out this series. (Although there are some characters I don't know that I'm fairly sure come from the Clone Wars part of the story. It's not hindering my enjoyment.)

Book Provided by... my local library

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Silver Phoenix

Silver Phoenix: Beyond the Kingdom of Xia Cindy Pon

When disgusting Master Huang claims that Ai Ling's father owes him money, but will forgive the debt if she becomes his fourth wife, she knows he's lying. She's started being able to read other people's minds. But, there's no way to prove it. The only person who can help is Ai Ling's father, but he went to the Emporer's palace six months ago and hasn't been heard from since. In order to escape Master Huang, Ai Ling steals away to find her father and bring him home.

Her journey is immediately beset by disaster as evil spirits and demons track her down and try to stop her. But then she meets Chen Yong, a young man of half Xian, half foreign descent who is looking for his birth parents. Together with Chen Yong's brother, they seek their answers, all the while fighting beings that they never thought actually existed outside of the books they've read.

Ok, I know this got some blogger love when it first came out but why hasn't it taken off in the same way Graceling has? This most reminded me of Graceling, but I liked it so much better! I don't know why. Not just because the worlds they explore are more Chinese than Western. (They're all Pon's own creation, but have a definite Chinese feel.)

Ai Ling's exploration of her powers, her feelings on the Immortals and seeing what she never fully believed in, the strength she finds in herself... I could not put this book down. So awesome. So very super awesome and fun. And exciting! Actually, with all the action and battles with things from the underworld, this would make an awesome movie.

And OMG the very, very ending. So wonderful but man am I glad to hear that there is a sequel coming. I need to know what happens next! Not a cliffhanger (don't worry) but real life doesn't wrap up nicely in the last twenty pages, and it doesn't here, either.


Book Provided by... my local library

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Just Ella

Just Ella Margaret Peterson Haddix

When happily ever after isn't all it's cracked up to be...

Ella thought her life was made the day the prince came and slipped that glass slipper on her foot. She was leaving her Step-Evil's house forever, no longer an abused servant.

But life in the castle is confining. She's not allowed to see the sun, or hear unpleasant things. She has to be mean to the servants because "that's what they're there for." She can't even properly talk to her fiance. And everyone would rather believe that she has magical powers, or a fairy godmother, than the truth about how she got to the ball in the first place.

She took control of her life once, but she's not sure if she can do it again.

A really interesting and fun look at what might have happened next. The royal life isn't as magical once you're on the inside, when you know what lies just outside the castle walls. I also really liked the twist on the original story.

The writing and characterization didn't blow me away, but I did really like the plot and ideas on what happily ever after might actually look like.

A great book for fans of fairy tale things and of girls saving themselves.

Book Provided by... my local library

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China Challenge: May Reviews

(picture from d'n'c's photostream on flickr, used under a Creative Commons license.)

Leave your May Reviews for the China Challenge below: