book review: Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

I am perhaps one of the last readers who has never read The Time Travelers Wife. I keep meaning to, but it never finds its way to the top of my pile. Earlier this year, I read and enjoyed both of Audrey Niffenegger's illustrated novels: The Three Incestuous Sisters and The Adventuress. Still, going into Her Fearful Symmetry, I'd read several rave reviews and a few mixed reviews. I didn't know what to expect, and although I had high hopes, I kept my expectations a little lower.

Her Fearful Symmetry is essentially the story of two sets of twins: Elspeth and Edie; and Edie's daughters Julie and Valentina. The story begins with Elspeth's death in London. The details are vague, both for the characters and the reader, as to what exactly happened to these sisters that they don't speak. Elspeth leaves her London flat, which overlooks Highland Cemetary, to Julie and Valentina on two conditions. First, the girls must live there for one year before they sell it. Second, their parents may never enter it. Third, the girls must wait until they turn twenty-one to move in. The apartment has a motley crew of characters: Robert, who was Elspeth's long-time lover and companion, but they always kept separate apartments; and Martin, an OCD crossword writer whose wife, Marijke, has just left him and moved to Amsterdam.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. The story was set up well, and I was eager to see where it went. (Side note: the library had a horror genre sticker on the book, which I think I added to my expectation of creepiness. The creepiness never fully materialized for me despite the presence of ghosts.) Niffenegger's writing is lovely and beautiful. This novel is incredibly well written, but unfortunately, it isn't really that good. There were some wonderful scenes and moments. My jaw dropped to the floor once, but my eyes also rolled a few times. As a reader, I was far more interested in the stories behind the scenes: Edie and Elspeth's, Edie and her husband, Elspeth and Robert, and Martin and Marijke. I found the younger twins rather annoying at times. The annoyance is perhaps a reflection on their age, but I wanted to shake some sense into them more than once. Their foolishness was dull rather than understandable. Their wasn't enough of the story apart from the twins. The other characters in the building soon were too wrapped up in the twins' world for my taste.

There's a lot of good in Her Fearful Symmetry, both thematically and with Niffenegger's graceful prose, but at the end of the book, I simply didn't like it very much. I'm certainly glad I read it, but the promise of the book's half was not only unfulfilled, it was in contrast to the second half. The book went from thoughtful and subtly creepy to unnecessary far too quickly. In the end, it's a beautifully written tale, and I will eagerly await Audrey Niffenegger's next novel. In the meantime, I still have The Time Traveler's Wife to read.

Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Pages: 416
Publication: September 29, 2009
Source: my local public library

reading challenge: Christy Awards!

Yes, I swore off challenges because I don't like feeling pressured about what I read, but I have decided to sign up for The Christy Awards Challenge. The Christy Awards are a Christian book award that started in 2000. I've had the desire to start reading Christian fiction, but I wasn't quite sure where to start. I know there is good Christian fiction out there, but I'm sure there's some that would not work for me (as there is with almost any genre). The Christy Awards feature nine categories. To get a broad sampling of what kinds of Christian fiction are out there, I'm joining the challenge at Tier 4, where you mix and match winners. My challenge will be to read 7-9 winning books from any year. I plan to mostly read books from 2009, but I'm somewhat limited by what books my library has. If the library doesn't have the book, or if it really doesn't appeal to me, I'll try to find a book from another year in the same category.

The challenge started November 1, but it continues through December 1, 2010. With eight levels of participation to choose from, everyone can experience a little Christian fiction. There is also a perpetual challenge to read all nominated and winning books ever (and continuing with your lifetime) for the truly dedicated.

sunday salon: week in review

Currently reading: Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris. It's the fourth book in the Sookie Stackhouse series. It's also the first one I've read since starting to watch True Blood on dvd, so I'm curious to see if the reading experience changes. Club Dead was my least favorite in the series, and so far, Sookie is getting on my nerves like she did in that book. I'm hoping the action picks up soon!

Finished this week:

I had a fantastic week of reading. I read nine books this week, but one was a children's graphic novel and five were easy readers. I posted the five easy reader reviews as part of my 2008 Cybils Easy Reader feature. Look for reviews of these four books this week:

• Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
• Earthly Pleasures by Karen Neches
• Empowered by Sheryl Ellinwood
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid #2: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney

Book Received for Review this week:

• The Postmistress by Sarah Blake 

Watching on tv:
I finally started watching Brick City, the 5-part Sundance documentary that aired in September. For one year, cameras followed Newark mayor Cory Booker, as well as the Newark Chief of Police, and a former Blood and a Crip who are now a couple. The first hour was mesmerizing and emotional. I was moved to tears and felt goosebumps at the possibility of real change. It's beautiful to see the community come together, but it's also heart-wrenching to watch the failures. It's not necessarily a feel good documentary, but it is inspiring. I'll post a full review when I watch the next four hours. It's coming out on dvd in December. 

Coolest effect of having a book blog:
This email from my father, a United Methodist pastor: "Just for your information, Kari and Lucas make an appearance at First Church in my sermon today.  Thanks for alerting me to their adventures and, more pertinent to the sermon, their friendship." I loved The Mystery of the Third Lucretia by Susan Runholt, and my parents both read it after reading my review. It's pretty cool to see the impact of a children's mystery on adults.

2008 Cybils Easy Readers Wrap-Up

I had so much fun reading the five finalists from the 2008 Cybils Easy Readers category. There were clear favorites (two five star reviews) and a clear least favorite (the lone three star review). It was quite difficult for me to choose a winner. I truly loved both I Will Surprise My Friend! and Mercy Watson Thinks Like a Pig. It's hard to compare and contrast because they're at wildly different reading levels to be considered in the same category. According to School Library Journal, I Will Surprise My Friend! is appropriate for kindergartners through second graders, and Mercy Watson is appropriate for grades 2-4. Perhaps I only hang out with advanced readers, but both of those ranges seem a little high to me. While elementary students may well enjoy I Will Surprise My Friend!, it seems to me to be more of a preschool and kindergarten book. I understand most children may not learn to read before first grade, and thus the easy reader definition for the Cybils works. Regardless, if the reader is the child, and the level is easy, these books are still rather disparate in reading level.

I'm glad I wasn't a voter for this round in the real Cybils (although I would love to serve on a future panel!), but if I were, I would have voted for I Will Surprise My Friend! by Mo Willems. The panel selected I Love My New Toy! by Mo Willems. We clearly agree on the talent of Mo Willems. Congratulations Mo!

children's book review: I Love My New Toy! by Mo Willems

Welcome to day five of my assessment of the 2008 Easy Readers Cybils awards. Today features I Love My New Toy! by Mo Willems, which one the award. Tomorrow I'll present my wrap-up and vote for my winner.

I documented my love for Mo Willems in Monday's review of I Will Surprise My Friend!, so I won't repeat myself. I love the Elephant and Piggie books, and despite being hilarious and clever, they don't need to be read in any particular order.

In I Love My New Toy!, Piggie has a new toy. Elephant, of course, wants to play with Piggie's toy. He promptly breaks it. Squirrel pops up to diffuse the situation in his own blissfully ignorant way. Once again, the characters are simple and complex; most importantly, they're nuances but true to their attributes. The focus is humor, and the "lesson" is secondary and tongue-in-cheek. As always, Mo Willems' drawings mimic his story: they're remarkable simple yet nuanced and complex.

Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
Pages: 57
Publication date: 2008
Source: my local public library

children's book review: Houndsley and Catina and the Quiet Time

It's day four of my week-long look at the 2008 Cybil Award Easy Reader finalists. Tomorrow I'll review the winning book, and Saturday I'll wrap-up my thoughts on the easy reader category and name my own winner.

Houndsley and Catina are a continuing set of characters. It's the first book I've read, so I can't say if one should read them in order or not. Houndsley, a dog, and Catina, a cat, appear to be roommates and best friends, although there may well be a romance or familial relation. It's the first snow of the winter, and Houndsley is thrilled. He loves to be snowed in an imagines their home to be like an island. Catina is not thrilled because she is very much looking forward to the concert tonight. She's been practicing for months. Slowly, Houndsley convinces her to join him on the island and think of all the fun things they can do without leaving home.

Houndsley and Catina are cute, and they both manage to have a mix of childlike and grown-up sensibilities. I appreciate that the story is mostly devoid of gendered behavior. Most importantly, Houndsley and Catina build snow creatures! I laughed out loud a few times, and it was an enjoyable book. It reminds me very much of the Frog and Toad books I loved when I was young. If Elephant and Piggie books are what your young, hip aunt buys for you, then Houndsley and Catina books are what your sweet grandmother buys for you. It was a nice book, but it does lack a little bit of the fun factor.

Like Mercy Watson, it is also a wonderful transition to chapter books. The pictures would not be out of place in a picture book. Marie-Louise Gay does a fantastic job illustrating. Houndsley and Catina would be a good choice for early chapter book readers and for reading aloud. It's divided into three chapters, but quick readers will finish it in one sitting.

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Pages: 42
Publication: 2008
Source: my local public library

children's book review: Mercy Watson Thinks Like a Pig by Kate DiCamillo

Welcome to day three of my reviews of the 2008 Cybil Award finalists in the Easy Reader category.

Mercy Watson Thinks Like a Pig is the fifth book in the Mercy Watson series. I confess Chris Van Dusen's illustrations captured my attention first, but the combination of the story and the illustrations was perfect. The book itself is exactly what early chapter books should be: a combination of the familiar picture book and the soon-to-be familiar chapter book. The illustrations and font size are consistent with a picture book, but the page size and length are consistent with chapter books. Most importantly, the story and illustrations are delightful.

Mercy Watson is adorably precocious and utterly porcine. While Mercy is enjoying some fresh lemonade with her owners/parents, she smells fresh pansies and promptly wanders next door to eat them because they taste as good as they smell. Naturally, the neighbors are not pleased and call animal control. Hijinks ensue. DiCamillo mostly tells the story through simple words and phrases, but she also slips in more complex words, such as porcine, subtly. She deftly uses them in context that makes them clear to young readers. While these books are the perfect transition book from picture books to chapter books, they would also make excellent read aloud books for younger children.

Rating: 5 stars (out of 5 stars)
Pages: 72
Publication date: 2008
Source: my local public library

Waiting on Wednesday: Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier

Waiting on Wednesday is a new feature at nomadreader. Jill at Breaking the Spine hosts this weekly event encouraging book bloggers take Wednesdays to feature an upcoming book they're excited about.

Title: Remarkable Creatures
Author: Tracy Chevalier
What else has she written: Girl with a Pearl Earring (the basis for the film of the same name with Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson), Falling Angels, Burning Bright, The Lady and the Unicorn, and The Virgin Blue.
Pages: 320
Publication date: January 5, 2010

I am a huge fan of Tracy Chevalier. I first read Girl with a Pearl Earring because I love art history and novels about art history. Falling Angels is my favorite Chevalier book. It's a fictionalization of Emmaline Pankhurst and the British women's suffrage movement. I also loved The Lady and the Unicorn, another take on a famous work of art. I had the privilege to see the panels in Paris, and they truly came to life in new ways because of Chevalier's novel.

Remarkable Creatures is a fictionalized story of Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot who were fossil collectors in the 19th Century. I know very little about them, and I'll wait until I read this novel to do more research into what is true and what comes from Chevalier's fascinating imagination.

The book was released in the UK earlier this year, and I've already read several great reviews. I can only hope one day soon Tracy Chevalier reaches the necessary status for simultaneous publication in the U.S. and the UK.

children's book review: Maybelle Goes to Tea by Katie Speck

Welcome to day two of 2008 Cybils Easy Readers Week at nomadreader! Yesterday, I reviews I Will Surprise My Friend! by Mo Willems.

Maybelle Goes to Tea is the story of Maybelle, a cockroach so feminine and allegedly cute she wears a pink bow and pearls; Henry the flea, who lives with Maybelle at the Peabody's house; and Maurice the fly who sometimes meanders inside. The Peabodys, of course, do not know these critters live in their house. At the first sight of them, bug bombs and exterminators appear. In this installment, Mrs. Peabody is hosting a lady's tea. Maybelle cannot follow her rules, "when it's light, stay out of sight; if you're spied, better hide; and never meet with human feet," with Mrs. Peabody baking chocolate surprise cookies.

I like the idea behind the story. It could be comforting to kids to have a cute face put on household pests. After living in the South for years, I believe cleanliness does not equal buglessness, and it is inevitable for children to come across the pests. I don't understand why Maybelle needs a pink ribbon and pearls to be a girl, but I can overlook it. The big problem for me as an adult reader of this book is the way Speck dances between reality and fantasy. The reality of bugs in homes is offset with the fantasy of a roach, fly and flea as friends. The reality of the cat chasing these critters is set off with the fantasy of human antics. Maybelle Goes to Tea is part allegory, part fun and part serious. For me, it's not enough of any of those to be great. That being said, it's a fine, entertaining read for early readers. In many ways, it reminded me of the crazy antics of Amelia Bedelia, whose antics I loved to read about when I was a child. If you like Maybelle Goes to Tea, then be sure to check out Katie Speck's first Maybelle book, Maybelle in the Soup.

Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Pages: 60
Publication date: 2008
Source: my local public library 

children's book review: I Will Surprise My Friend! by Mo Willems

Welcome to the first day of 2008 Cybils Finalists: Easy Readers at nomadreader! The Cybils are children's and young adult literary awards awarded by book bloggers. The 2009 nomination period has passed, and the panel is busy reading all of the nominations. The finalists will be announced on January 1, 2010. I'd love to serve on a future Cybils panel, so I'm reading all of the finalists from 2008 and making my case for which book should win. This week, I'm looking at the 2008 Easy Reader finalists. Each day I'll review on of the five finalists, and I'll bring you my verdict on Saturday.

It's no secret I adore Mo Willems. Knuffle Bunny is one of my favorite children's books, and Knuffle Bunny Too is perhaps my favorite children's picture book. I thoroughly enjoy his blog as well.  The Elephant and Piggie series consistently manages to delight young children and adults. Although I can't speak from experience, these are books I would not tire of reading to my children, yet they're simple enough to captivate and enchant children as young as two. I don't know how he does it, but I'm so glad he has the talent.

I Will Surprise My Friend! is hilarious. Elephant and Piggie are out for a walk and come across a squirrel hiding to surprise his friend. As both squirrels loved the surprise, they quickly decide to it again. Naturally, Elephant and Piggie decide it is a good idea to surprise each other too. The joy of Elephant and Piggie books, of course, is not necessarily the plot. Telling the story is never as entertaining as reading it. Willems displays a multitude of emotions with his simple drawings, and the chemistry between Elephant and Piggie is fantastic. If you haven't read the Elephant and Piggie books, plop down at a bookstore or library and read a few. I bet you'll find yourself laughing and trying to figure out what friends and family members have children of appropriate ages to give these books.

Cybils Easy Reader week is off to an excellent start. There is another Elephant and Piggie book in contention too!

Rating: 5 stars (out of 5 stars)
Pages: 57
Publication date: 2008
Source: my local public library