Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

The hilarious yet heartbreaking Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is such a gem of teen fiction that I was a little bit afraid to read something else by her that might disappoint me. Thankfully, I was not disappointed.

Like Speak, Wintergirls plumbs the depths of despair of a high school student with extreme darkness, poignancy, and acidic wit. It starts out a bit slow, but gains momentum and gets you deeply engaged, and also becomes more identifiable with Speak as it goes on. It is different, but has many similar beloved traits. Anderson uses language to satirize modern consumer/suburban life in a way that nobody else does. That incredible emotional intensity and ability to make us feel for the main character is a driving force. Her words often have startling clarity. It has a gritty feel, and the signature dark portrayal of the painful side of teen life, but has an undertone thrumming throughout of empowerment, warmth, and love.

What I like about Anderson is that she deals with volatile subject matter and never takes the easy or conventional route. Even when it seems like there is a “breakthrough” for the main character and things will start to look up, it doesn’t turn into the cheerful typical pattern of resolution. There is no neatly tied-up happy ending because it rarely happens that way in real life.

One of my favorite things about the book are the recurring surreal, inverted-fairytale descriptions about the main character and her recently-dead best friend which represent Lia’s concept of the “wintergirls.” The imagery in these parts is dreamlike, creepy, thorny, and wintry, gracefully weaving Lia’s pain and guilt about Cassie into haunting scenes. These passages are poetic, imaginative, eerie, and resonant. The book rings dead true, with piercing deadpan wit, and raw, emotional, near-visceral power. It should become a classic of teen fiction. I think it would also be relevant for adults.

If you loved Speak, you will probably also love Wintergirls.

A beautifully written novel about pain, dysfunction, and healing.

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Speak (February 23, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 014241557X

Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourne

“To say that I met Nicholas Brisbane over my husband’s dead body is not entirely accurate. Edward, it should be noted, was still twitching upon the floor.”

Now if that isn’t the BEST opening line for a book, I don’t know what is.  I was browsing in the bookstore, picked up Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn because I liked the cover (yes, I do pick out my books by the cover…bad habit), read the first sentence and was hooked.

Lady Julia Grey (whose afore mentioned twitching husband) slowly comes to realize that her husband’s death – attributed to his ailing health – may, in fact, be murder.  Her debut novel, Raybourn fleshed out the tale with lively characters, sly humor, an engaging plot, and a wonderful sparking chemistry between Lady Julia & Nicholas Brisbane, the enigmatic doctor who helps Julia find the pieces to the puzzle.

Two more Lady Julia Gray mysteries follow Silent in the Grave, Silent on the Moor & Silent in the Sanctuary – which, I have to admit, are still sitting on my to read pile;  partly because I get easily sidetracked (new Elizabeth Moon book out!!) and partly because I loved Silent in the Grave so much, I’m still savoring the experience.

Book to be savored, yet devoured in one sitting.

• Mass Market Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Mira (December 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778325245

Rockstar’s Rainbow by Kevin Glavin

A reporter for The Interloper – a sensational Enquirer-like tabloid – was thrown out of a plane over Los Angeles coincidentally close to the time he was completing a book about the personal life of legendary rock star Rook Heisenberg.

Luckily, according to the forward, the novel-in-progress was saved and published.

Rock star’s Rainbow by Kevin Glavin is a more prolific novel than I thought it would be when first picking it up.  The book begins with the story of a depressed rock icon that has a new girl every night (sometimes more than one), and he’s growing tired of the superficial nature of his sex life.  After tracking his high school sweetheart to Amsterdam, he makes an impulse decision and flies there to meet with her.

Once in Amsterdam Rook the Rock star learns that his old girlfriend is not only a prostitute in a high-class brothel, but is also the mother of his child.  A child that has been shipped to India by the brothel owner.

It’s almost as if Glavin had three book ideas, and smashed them all into one.  I could have easily read and enjoyed a book about a depressed rock star that rekindles things with his high school sweetheart.  I would have also enjoyed a book about a man who finds out he has a daughter that has been sold by a brothel owner.  And I can also see a book being made of the rat-race from Amsterdam to India to Amsterdam that takes place in the last 150 pages of Rock star’s Rainbow.  But when it’s all squished together, it’s tough to savor the distinct flavor of each of these stories.

This book is long – 500 pages – but the ending still felt rushed and contrived.  There was a lot of story that Glavin had to end, and he quickly created surprises to help tie up some of the complicated plot lines.  Parts of this book are unbelievable and absurd, but it was still a good read.

Three pretty good books smooshed together into one mediocre book.

• Hardcover: 500 pages
• Publisher: Kevin Glavin Publishing (December 21, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0982546629

Dark Visions by L.J. Smith

In Dark Visions by L.J. Smith, Kaitlyn is an outsider and nicknamed “witch.” Even as a child she could predict who was dying or paint pictures of where dead bodies were.

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 752 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse; Original edition (September 8, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416989560

Sadie (7yo) copies books.

I just came across this on Angry Chicken and thought that it was just beautiful.  Seven-year-old Sadie has copied books for a couple of years now and according to Amy they are getting more and more detailed and taking more and more hours to complete.

I love that she adds characters and changes the genders of the existing characters.  Amy posted these pictures of Keats’ Snowy Day.  Love it!!

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

Sophie Kinsella follows her tried and true formula for Chic-Lit with a fresh novel, called Twenties Girl. this book tells the story of Lara Lington, who finds herself suddenly haunted by a little known great-aunt, Sadie, who recently passed away.

Great-Aunt Sadie’s ghost acts as both guardian angel and tormentor to Lara, helping her to launch her sinking business career, get over her deadbeat ex-boyfriend, and hooking her up with a shiny new (and unsurprisingly perfect) man.

Great Aunt Sadie goes on to help solve some previously unsuspected family mysteries. In the end this previously overlooked and often ignored dead relative manages to touch everyone in the family posthumously.

This book was comforting in its predictability. No surprises, no shocking plot twists, just straight up chic-lit.

Formulaic chick-lit, high twenties influenced romantic mystery ghost story

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Dial Press Trade Paperback; Signed edition (March 9, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385342039

Bite Me by Christopher Moore

Kayso, I figured since this book was officially released Tuesday, I would review Christopher Moore’s Bite Me. I was lucky enough to get an Advanced Readers Copy, and I DEVOURED it like you wouldn’t believe. If you’re a fan of Christopher Moore, than you know what I’m talking about. If not, then what the hell are you doing on this website? Go buy Lamb, A Dirty Job, and You Suck! And don’t leave your house until you’ve finished.

Bite Me is the third in Christopher Moore’s series about vampire duo Jody and Tommy who have like, totally undying love for each other and stuff. You don’t have to necessarily have to read Bloodsucking Fiends and You Suck to appreciate this book, but it definitely helps, because this one picks up right where You Suck leaves off.

One thing I really appreciate about this book (but may give some readers a headache) is that it focuses a lot on Abby Normal, a teenage goth girl who is the self-proclaimed “emergency backup mistress of the Greater Bay Area” and the most realistic teenage goth girl I have ever met in a piece of fiction. In the first chapter, she gives you a crash course in everything that happened in the first two books. You should pay attention to this, since there will be a test.

Kayso, basically be ready for some serious awesomeness, an enormous shaved vampire cat, stoner vampire hunters reminiscent of Scooby Doo, and just a little bit of Were-rat erotica. Be ready to actually laugh out loud, and start your paragraphs with “Kayso” for at least a month after reading this book.

OMGWTFBBQ Giant vampire cat + Christopher Moore = Crazy Awesome Sexy Cool.

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1 edition (March 23, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061779725
• ISBN-13: 978-0061779725

Sunshine by Robin McKinley

Two years before the madness of the Twilight Phenomena, Robin McKinley wrote a gem of a tale entitled Sunshine.  My all-time favorite vampire story, this is FAR less angsty, much more entertaining, and an amazingly better read than any of the Twilight series (AUGGH…hear me out before you start pitching those tomatoes!).

Don’t get me wrong – I enjoyed the Twilight series, and yes, I have each title in hardback, picked up the day of distribution at my local bookstore. (Much to the confusion and dismay of my husband). They are fun reads – but they have nothing on the edgy urban fantasy McKinley creates in Sunshine.

Unfortunately, there’s no real way to describe this book – but here are a few ways to decide if Sunshine is right for you:

• If you loved Twilight, this is a perfect next step
• If you hated Twilight, this book offers redemption
• If you’re an avid Buffy fan (please, please, let me be not the only one left…)
• If you like romantic tension – here you go…very tasty
• If you like Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series
• If you like Charles DeLint’s Newford series
• If you, like me, adored Emma Bull’s War for the Oaks…Bravissimo!

Give it a try!!  And let me know what you think…

The best vampire story ever. Hands down. The best.

• Amazon Link
• Paperback: 405 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (October 7, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425224015

What should I read next?

If you’re having trouble figuring out what book you should read next, go to WhatShouldIReadNext.com.  All you do is type in the name of a book you like, and their database will find a book that is similar to your suggestion.

It’s pretty impressive.

Reading Rainbow to return?

The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) could see a revamp of an old favorite.  Reading Rainbow, the children’s television program about books, could have a new life…at least according to the Twitter feed of the actor and host of the original series LeVar Burton.

On Twitter over the weekend, Burton had this to say:

You heard it here first… Reading Rainbow 2.0 is in th works! Stay tuned for more info. But, you don’t have to…

This isn’t the first rumored return of The Rainbow.  In 2009 Burton talked about putting together a Reading Rainbow-like show for adults.