Dark Mirror

Dark Mirror by M.J. Putney

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I was SO excited for this book to come out because I love Mary Jo Putney's books, and I enjoy YA fiction, but this book was really a watered down version of her Guardians series, and I was quite disappointed. Everything felt too easy, too glib. Putney is known for the depth of her characters and character development, and most of that was lacking this time. The premise of the story was interesting--members of the British aristocracy discovered to have magical talents are sent to a prison-like school to be "cured," but a group of rebel students work to develop their talents instead and end up traveling through time to save England--and sometimes got exciting, but much of the time I found myself rolling my eyes and/or gritting my teeth. These teenagers adjusted to "modern conveniences," inventions, and socio-political changes WAY too easily to be believable. The pace was a little too fast. The romance seemed shallow. The book wasn't precisely bad...just lacking in depth and nuance.

On the other hand, I might be judging harshly because my expectations were so high to begin with. And I probably will read the sequel.

For readers' advisors: story doorway, with setting secondary (Regency & WWII)



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Who Makes the Bed When the Honeymoon Is Over

Who Makes the Bed When the Honeymoon Is Over:100 Ways to Make Housework Quick, Easy & Fair! by Mary Ellen Pinkham

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I picked this up because of the title, which seems particularly relevant to me as I try to figure out how I ended up doing about 85% of the housework. *grrr!* I had high hopes that this short little book would give me some tips on negotiating a more fair and balanced housekeeping relationship. However, all I really learned was to remember to include non-cleaning-related tasks when making a list of chores to divvy up--i.e. don't leave out bill paying & lawn mowing, etc. I did enjoy the funny quotes, particularly the one from Dave Barry on p. 17: "The obvious and fair solution to the housework problem is to let men do the housework for, say, the next six thousand years, to even things up."

Much of the book is taken up with basic instructions on how to clean things, dividing everything into categories: daily, weekly, monthly, twice a year, special occasions. I didn't really need the instructions for most of them, and I would have preferred she suggest less toxic options for some of them, although she does do that for a few. The author has her own line of cleansers, which she consistently recommends, so it feels a little self-serving.

This may be a good book to recommend to newlyweds who are in their early twenties and new to housekeeping in general.



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Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void

Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Mary Roach's writing style makes me laugh out loud. She is one of the main reasons I began branching out into reading nonfiction. Her research is incredibly thorough. I don't think I'd go to the lengths she does to get her facts straight. I'd happily, joyfully experience weightlessness in the C-9 airplane that flies parabolas! But I seriously doubt I'd try treating & drinking my own urine. I'm with her husband on that one--UGH.

What I especially love about this book is that she focuses not on the history of the development of the technology (rockets & bolts and such) of space flight but rather on the human aspects of it--eating, sleeping, vomiting, interpersonal conflicts & psychology, sex, gravity & G-forces, hygiene, "waste elimination," etc. All the stuff you were curious to know but which rarely, if ever, gets explained. So fascinating! My one regret, however, is that I read this book almost entirely during my lunch breaks...which not only slowed me down but also sometimes made it difficult to eat. Particularly true of the vomit and poop chapters. :( My husband was not so foolish, thankfully, and read it on evenings, weekends, and our mini-vacation.

For readers' advisors: character doorway because Roach's personality infuses her books like she's cracking jokes and telling stories just for YOU. Story doorway is a distant second because it is fascinating, albeit non-linear, history she's telling.



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The Peach Keeper

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The Peach Keeper is a delightful story of friendship and finding yourself. Living your best life, as Oprah would say. Seventy-five years ago a secret was buried at the edge of a cliff, but secrets do not stay buried forever, and this one is shaken loose when Paxton and Colin restore the town's original grand home to its former glory. Willa, Paxton, Sebastian, and Colin grew up in the same North Carolina town but worlds apart. The labels they bore in high school--Joker, Princess, Freak, and Stick Man--still haunt them twelve years later. They are about to learn that none of them is quite what people thought.

Sarah Addison Allen infuses her books with magic. Not the spells and incantations sort, but the delicious kind--bells and scents and objects that appear and disappear, protective birds, earthquakes, and so on. I read this book pretty much in one sitting and wished I could dive into it and meet these people in real life. I also loved the cameo appearance by Claire and Bay from Garden Spells.

For readers' advisors: character doorway primarily but also story doorway



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More Bears!

More Bears! by Kenn Nesbitt

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


You know it's going to be a good day when a picture book arrives in the mail unannounced and apparently free of charge! More Bears is a very cute book about an author who is "forced" to add more bears to his story until there are too many. This is great for having little kids yell, "More Bears!" with every turn of the page. Fun for a read-aloud.



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The Kitchen Daughter

The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


Ginny Selvaggio could not be more different than I am. She loves to cook and uses cooking to soothe herself. I am making myself learn to cook some basic things and would really rather my husband do all the cooking. She has Asperger's Syndrome, which means eye contact is painful for her, she has difficulty interpreting social cues, she's very literal, and loud noises and physical contact by everyone except a select few send her into a panic. I am very social, love hugs, have a sarcastic sense of humor, and prefer to speak face-to-face because of the eye contact. (OK, I'm with her on the loud noises thing--I hate that, too.) But Jael McHenry's new book The Kitchen Daughter let me experience what it is like inside Ginny's head, to see the world from her perspective.

The book begins with the funeral of Ginny's parents and tells the story of Ginny's struggle to cope with grief and with her younger sister who doesn't understand her at all. Ginny's parents have sheltered her all her life, and Amanda believes it's now her responsibility to take care of Ginny, while Ginny wants to stay where she is and live on her own. The day of the funeral, Ginny retreats to the kitchen to cook her grandmother's recipe for ribollita and inadvertently summons her grandmother's ghost, who has a message for her, "Do no let her." But the unwelcome intrusion of a little-known aunt into the kitchen dissipates Nonna before a frightened Ginny can ask what she means. The rest is a story of courage, communication, and personal growth.

For readers' advisors: character doorway, with story a secondary doorway thanks to some unexpected plot twists. I'd especially suggest this book to anyone who has a friend or family member with Asperger's, anyone who enjoys Sarah Addison Allen's books, and foodies who will appreciate the sensuous descriptions of food and cooking.



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The Monster at the End of this Book

The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This was one of my all-time favorite books when I was a kid. Especially if it's read with a dramatic "Grover voice." :) My mom used to read it to me, and then I used to take it with me in my "babysitting kit" when I was a teenager, and I read it to my babysitting charges. Over and over and over.

The premise of the book is that Grover has heard that there is a MONSTER at the end of the book, and he desperately tries to prevent you, the reader, from reaching the end of the book and the scary monster. He devises all sorts of ways to nail the pages shut, brick them up, etc., but of course that doesn't work. I won't spoil the ending for you, but it's pretty hilarious and can lead to teachable moments about fear.



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