Thursday, November 26, 2009

The Sound of Music


A Classic Collectible Pop-Up: The Sound of Music. By Rodgers & Hammerstein and Lindsay & Crouse. Adapted by Bert Fink. Illustrated by Dan Andreasen. Paper Engineering by Bruce Foster. 2009. Simon & Schuster. October 2009. 14 pages.

If you love the Sound of Music, then this really is a must-have. I love, love, love the Sound of Music. So this book made me giddy. Very, very giddy. In the must-show-to-all-my-friends way. This book brings all your favorite movie scenes to life. Each scene pops-up to reveal in wonderful detail the oh-so-magical story of Maria. (It would be hard to pick a favorite spread. Though the twirling Maria from the opening spread is a wonderful representation of how right this one is.) The story has been adapted and is told within the book--very cleverly in my opinion--in the mini-pop-ups/flaps. All the lyrics are included as well. Which was very nice.



© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Black Angels (MG, YA)


Brown, Linda Beatrice. 2009. Black Angels. Penguin. 260 pages.

Luke took the key out of the sideboard drawer in the dining room, took a rifle and put the key back very carefully.

Luke is a slave contemplating running away. He hopes to join up with the Union army. He isn't quite sure where or how. But he's ready to go off on an adventure. When he sets out initially, he is hoping to meet up with others. He's heard a handful of other slaves arranging a meeting place and time. But either he's too early or too late. But he's not to be alone for long. No, he'll meet up with two children as different as can be--at least on the surface. A slave girl, Daylily, who is fleeing from the horror of war. (She witnessed several murders at the hands of soldiers. She knows that if her hiding place had been discovered, she'd be dead as well.) And a young white boy, Caswell, who is also lost and alone and afraid. Can these three seemingly unlikely friends find a way to survive. Can they discover they're more alike than different? Can Luke lead them all to safety? Will any of the three ever find a "home" again?

This book is about survival, war, and friendship. It spans roughly a decade (though it focuses on a few months of the war). It was so compelling. Hard to put down.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Bystander (MG)


Preller, James. 2009. Bystander. Feiwel and Friends. 226 pages.

The first time Eric Hayes ever saw him, David Hallenback was running, if you could call it that, running in a halting, choppy-stepped, stumpy-legged shamble, slowing down to look back over his shoulder, stumbling forward, pausing to catch his breath, then lurching forward again.

Bystander is a book about bullying. Eric, our narrator, fits strangely into his new school. New and slightly confused, he begins associating with the wrong crowd. Kids he knows to be bullies. Because--at least at first--he's not the target of the bullying, he accepts everything. There are a few instances here and there that make him squirm. But at the same time, it's easy to laugh along with the other kids, the other witnesses or bystanders. As long as the bullying isn't too much--then he's not willing to speak up about it. But there comes a time when it does get to be too much. When what he witnesses makes him so uncomfortable that he wakes up and gets a conscience. But now that he doesn't want to be all buddy-buddy with his former friends, will he become the next target? Will standing up for what he knows to be right lead to his own fall? And can he live with that if it is?

What's a boy to do when so many of the kids around him are bullies? True, not everyone bullies with kicks and punches, but there are so many different ways of bullying. Why does everyone have to be so mean in middle school?

This is more of a message-oriented novel.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Monday, November 23, 2009

Arabella


Heyer, Georgette. 1949/2009. Arabella. Sourcebooks. 312 pages.

The schoolroom in the parsonage at Heythram was not a large apartment, but on a bleak January day, in a household where the consumption of coals was a consideration, this was not felt by its occupants to be a disadvantage.

Arabella Tallant, a young country girl, has been invited by her godmother to London. She's to have her season, an unexpected surprise, in a way, though much hoped for. Her parents--especially her mother--hope she will find a husband during this season--since it will likely be her one and only season in town. Arabella wishes this as well. She's not wanting a magnificently wealthy husband or a titled husband.

When Arabella has an accidental encounter with a well-dressed stranger, well, her temper gets the best of her. And she declares herself to be fabulously wealthy. Before she knows it, everyone in town has heard the news. Arabella is quite an heiress! And she's become the town's new It girl. Everyone simply loves adoring her, making much of her. But can Arabella find a husband who will love her for who she really is?

Arabella is a very likable character. She's spirited and opinionated. And the man who's 'destined' to win her heart is quite nice as well!

I enjoyed spending time in this one! Yes, it's a bit formulaic in places. But I almost always enjoy the books anyway. There is just something comforting, satisfying, and happy-making about them. Most Heyer books feel like good friends.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Sunday, November 22, 2009

Sunday Salon: Reading, Read, To Read #47

Happy Sunday everyone! I can't believe it is almost Thanksgiving! Reading challenges have been popping up ALL over the place. Which is just TOO MUCH fun. I just love discovering new challenges and seeing if they fit into my reading for next year. To keep track of which challenges I'm joining, you might want to visit my challenge blog. Some months are definitely busier than others! I can imagine that November and December are going to be pretty busy over there though! I was very excited to finish Mary Barton. Not only did that mean I got to participate in the Classics Circuit blog tour of Elizabeth Gaskell, but it means I finished up the Guardian Reading Challenge! I'm also busy at work finishing up Nation as well. I hope to complete the Dewey Reading Challenge this week.

I'm really considering joining the Lord of the Rings Readalong. (January through April 2010)

What I read in a previous week, but reviewed this week:

Brushing Mom's Hair by Andrea Cheng. Wordsong. 60 pages
Mary Barton. Elizabeth Gaskell. 487 pages.
Colonel Brandon's Diary. Amanda Grange. 2008. 295 pages.
Touched by a Vampire: Discovering the Hidden Messages in the Twilight Saga by Beth Felker Jones. 2009. Multnomah. 180 pages.
Thirsty. Tracey Bateman. 2009. Waterbrook Press. 376 pages.

What I read this past week and reviewed:

Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas. 2009. Simon & Schuster.
Here Comes The Big, Mean Dust Bunny! by Jan Thomas. 2009. Simon & Schuster.
The Cat On The Mat Is Flat by Andy Griffiths. 2007. Feiwel and Friends. 167 pages.
Yummy: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales. Lucy Cousins. 2009. Candlewick Press. 128 pages.

What I read this past week and haven't reviewed yet:

Arabella by Georgette Heyer. 1949/2009. Sourcebooks. 312 pages.
Bystander by James Preller. 2009. Feiwel and Friends. 226 pages.
Black Angels by Linda Beatrice Brown. 2009. Penguin. 260 pages.

What I've read and really, really need to review: none this week!

What I'm currently reading:

Man and Wife. Wilkie Collins.
The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope.
Walking Backward by Catherine Austen.
Nation by Terry Pratchett.

What I'm just fooling around that I'm reading:

Searching for Pemberley by Mary Lydon Simonsen

What I've abandoned
:

The Silver Blade by Sally Gardner (just for now, I'll go back to it later)

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Guardian (1000 Novels) Challenge Completed

Biblio File's challenge.
February 1, 2009 through February 1, 2010

1. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes (Comedy)
2. Silas Marner by George Eliot (State of the Nation)
3. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (Love)
4. Maus I by Art Spiegelman; Maus II by Art Spiegelman (War and Travel)
5. The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick (Science Fiction)
6. Crime: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
7. Family and Self: Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell
8. Wild Card: (Love) Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence
9. Wild Card: (State of the Nation) Middlemarch by George Eliot
10. Wild Card: (Comedy) Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope


© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Saturday, November 21, 2009

Weekly Geeks 2009-43 (Top Ten of 2009)

This week's weekly geek is to list our top ten published in 2009.

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork. (YA Realistic Fiction)
The Ask and the Answer. Patrick Ness. (YA Science Fiction)
All the Broken Pieces. Ann E. Burg. (YA Historical Fiction, YA Verse Novel)
Lips Touch Three Times. Laini Taylor. (YA Romance/YA Fantasy)
The King's Rose by Alisa M. Libby. (YA Historical Fiction/YA Romance)
The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams. (YA Realistic Fiction)
The Year The Swallows Came Early by Kathryn Fitzmaurice. (Middle Grade Realistic Fiction)
Umbrella Summer. Lisa Graff. (Middle Grade Realistic Fiction)
The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte. Syrie James. (Adult Historical Fiction)
Perfect Fifths by Megan McCafferty. (Adult Romance/Chick Lit)

I wanted to be a little diverse in including books for middle grade, young adult, and adult. I also wanted to make sure I covered books I read throughout the year--and not just in the past six weeks.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Celebrate the Author (2009) Completed

January: House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne, Now We Are Six by A.A. Milne, When We Were Very Young by A.A. Milne
February: Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck, The Wayward Bus by John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck, Burning Bright by John Steinbeck, Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
March: The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson
April: The Warden by Anthony Trollope, Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope
May: Three Men In A Boat by Jerome K. Jerome, Three Men On A Bummel by Jerome K. Jerome
June: Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen, Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
July: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
August: Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer, Frederica by Georgette Heyer, Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer, The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer, The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer
September: Mary Barton and Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
October: Casebook for Victor Frankenstein. Peter Ackroyd.
November: Middlemarch by George Eliot and Silas Marner by George Eliot
December: The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Friday, November 20, 2009

Elizabeth Gaskell: Mary Barton

Gaskell, Elizabeth. 1848. Mary Barton. Penguin English Library. 488 pages.

There are some fields near Manchester, well known to the inhabitants as 'Green Heys Fields,' through which runs a public footpath to a little village about two miles distant. In spite of these fields being flat and low, nay, in spite of the want of wood (the great and usual recommendation of level tracts of land), there is a charm about them which strikes even the inhabitant of a mountainous district, who sees and feels the effect of contrast in these common-place but thoroughly rural fields, with the busy, bustling manufacturing town, he left but half an hour ago.

Jem Wilson has always only loved Mary Barton. He may not be rich. He may not live in a grand house. But his heart and soul have belonged to Mary Barton. And there's nothing he wouldn't do for the love of his life. Even if he feels that love is unrequited.

On the day he proposed, Mary Barton refused him thoroughly. And, to poor Jem, it seemed rather cruel, heartless, and final. He dramatically declares:

'And is this the end of all my hopes and fears? the end of my life, I may say, for it is the end of all worth living for!' His agitation rose and carried him into passion. 'Mary! you'll hear, may be, of me as a drunkard, and may be as a thief, and may be as a murderer. Remember! when all are speaking ill of me, you will have no right to blame me, for it's your cruelty that will have made me what I feel I shall become.' (175)
But even though he'll never have Mary as his wife, when Mary's aunt, Esther, asks him to watch out for her, to take care of her, he can't quite refuse. You see, Esther fears for Mary. Fears that Mary Barton is in love with a dangerous man, a rich man who is out to seduce her. His rival's name is Harry Carson. And he seems to have it all. But his luck is about to run out.

Mary Barton was Elizabeth Gaskell's first novel. And it's so much more than a suspenseful love story. (Despite my description, this one is told mainly through the eyes of Mary Barton. Though at times it is told from other perspectives. John Barton, Mary's father, plays a large role in this one.) It's a novel about social class and economics. Of the haves and the have-nots. The Bartons and the Wilsons and almost everyone else of note in the novel are living at the poverty level. Below it more like it. Death from starvation, death by disease, these are very real concerns. Life isn't easy or pretty. It's one hardship after another after another. (It's enough to get you down and keep you down.) John Barton takes these losses poorly. He becomes angry and bitter. He blames the rich for all his problems. Is his anger justified? You be the judge!

One of the strengths of the novel is characterization. We meet Mary Barton, her family, her friends, her community. We meet so many different characters. Characters that are so easy to care about. (For example, Job Legh, Margaret Jennings, and Will Wilson. I particularly enjoyed Job!) All her characters have depth and substance. It's a very human book. The novel is also rich in detail and is very atmospheric.

What I wasn't expecting--and you may not be expecting either--was how rich this one was spiritually. It has some definite spiritual tones and by the end especially its rich spiritual significance really stands out. Something you don't find in just any classic.

I'm happy to be a part of the Elizabeth Gaskell blog tour. To see the rest of the bloggers on tour, visit The Classics Circuit! This was not my first time reading Elizabeth Gaskell. I've also read and reviewed Wives and Daughters and Cranford.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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Brushing Mom's Hair (YA)


Cheng, Andrea. 2009. Brushing Mom's Hair. Wordsong. 60 pages.

Ann's mom has breast cancer, and this has changed everything. Just fourteen, Ann is worrying about so much, such heavy stuff, she wishes that life could be, would be okay again. Brushing Mom's Hair is a verse novel told from a young teen's perspective on how cancer changes her family.

This is the opening poem:

Ballet

We stretch,
thin arms
touching toes.
Linda says,
Can you believe
my mom's friend
had one of her breasts
cut off?
Becky covers her mouth
with her hand.
Really?
I look at them
in the mirror,
eyebrows raised,
eyes open
wide.
I bend
and touch my forehead
to my knee.
I don't say,
My mom
had both her breasts cut off
and now she has stitches
covered by bandages
where they were.

It's a quick read. An emotional story as you'd expect as each family member seeks to cope in their own way. Each finds a way to deal with their own emotions and at the same time to provide support for the one with cancer.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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I've switched backgrounds from dark to light. I know that there may be some posts with text in colors that won't show up. I just don't know which posts have text elements in specific colors. If you encounter a page with text such as this. Could you leave me a comment on that post and tell me it needs fixing? I'd be super-appreciative!
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