Hana's Suitcase
Monday, February 28, 2011
Hana's Suitcase - Such a Moving Story
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Dystopian YA Fiction Reviews
Wikipedia defines Dystopian fiction as a society characterized by poverty, squalor, or oppression. My personal definition also involves an unknown leadership group who oppress to make the society more perfect in their eyes. Usually, the YA fiction focuses on a main character who discovers the charade, and escapes the walls of the society to see what else is out there.
My first experience with Dystopian fiction reading Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four
in high school. I don't even think I really read it very well, because I wasn't very good at required reading then. I was much more about completing the papers as quickly as I could. Then, in 1997, I read Lois Lowry's The Giver
as an assignment for my Master's in Education. Not only was it one of my first YA books that I had read as an adult, but also it was the very best book I read that year. I loved the open-endedness of the story as well as all of the questions it brought up regarding what societies need versus what they want. What makes a perfect society? Why do the "sheep" need protecting? Who gets to pick whether you are a sheep, sheep dog, or a wolf?
Some of the other Dystopian books that I have enjoyed are
I really like it when an author takes an idea and follows it to its logical conclusion. What would happen if everyone had to get a surgery at age 16 to become "Pretty?" Would everyone want it? What would it be like? What about the kids who didn't want it? Westerfeld explored each avenue in a fast-paced series appropriate for middle-schoolers. Discussion for this book would definitely include the question of what is pretty? Why does pretty matter? Does it matter? What about being the same? What are some positives about sameness? Individuality?
I also liked City of Ember. This novel really held closer to the Wikipedia definition, where in a post-apocolyptic world, most of the people are poor and supplies are limited. One of my favorite parts of this book was when the main character gets a blue colored pencil. I love the rich imagery that DuPrau draws for us. I recommend the book over the movie (as usual), but don't look for any giant insects or some of the other strange additions from Hollywood.
This was a book recommended by a great friend for a book group a few years ago. This book is set in post-apocalyptic Australia (or something like Australia) and this book also has a main character who discovers that Oz is not all it is purported to be. This whole series is quite good, but book 1 was my favorite of them.
This book was one that made me keep thinking about it long after I had finished reading it. Set in a society that no longer has abortions, but instead, between the ages of 13-18, your parents or guardians can choose to have you unwound if you are not meeting your potential. Being unwound involves donating your body and all of its parts to society for them to use for those needing organ donations. Every part is used, so the party line is that you don't really die, you become more useful. There are also people who have had a lot of children, who choose to tithe a child as a way of giving back to society. This book was AMAZING! Shusterman takes us through three different character's journeys through the Unwind system. I loved how deeply this issue was explored. I would really recommend this book for an adult or YA book club.
Life as We Knew It takes you through the apocalypse itself. I found this book to be quite frightening. You will find yourself buying more and more canned goods while reading this book. Our church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) recommends having a year supply of food. This book gives you a realistic situation in which that would be necessary. You will really find yourself attracted to the survival section at Borders after reading this book. The book is written in diary style and starts following a teenaged girl and her HS concerns until a meteor hits the moon, moving it much closer to Earth. This sets off tsunamis and earthquakes world-wide, electricity is knocked out everywhere, and since many volcanoes have erupted, the sun is blotted out by a dust cloud making plant growth impossible. WOW! Is this book heavy. It is not pleasure reading, but it follows one family and all of the choices that they make during this emergency. It too would make good discussion.
Maze Runner was more like Lord of the Flies than some of these other books. Only those boys of teenage years are found in this society and each day some of them need to go out an run the maze to discover clues to how to escape. This is until a new kid shows up and he has knowledge that they need. I really enjoyed seeing the primitive society that these boys set up including their policing and punishments. This was a really creative book with some neat twists.
One couldn't go through a list of YA dystopian fiction without mentioning the series that took us by storm the last few years...The Hunger Games trilogy (The Hunger Games
, Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games)
, and Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games)
) Thankfully a movie is coming out and the producer has actually read the book and sounds committed to keeping the core of the book in the movie script in his interviews. (Unlike the farce that was Lightning Thief). I found it really hard to recommend this book to people because when you find yourself saying it is about kids having to fight to the death in order to win their town food for the year, it really doesn't sound that appealing. Collins handles this VERY well, and it is not near as gruesome as it sounds. I think this was one of the best books I read in 2009. I laughed and cried during this book. At one point, it was embarrassing, boo hoo crying too. I mean, really. I think if you are into YA fiction and you haven't read this series, you are sorely missing a true piece of literature.
My most recent foray into the Dystopian fiction society was The Sky Inside by Clare Dunkle. I really enjoyed her The Hollow Kingdom: Book I -- The Hollow Kingdom Trilogy
which was about a girl going to a goblin kingdom. This book was nothing like that, but I liked the quick writing style and the cool world she created. This world is "perfect." The stork brings the genetically engineered babies to the people who don't need to work because the bots do it for them. So, they are paid and encouraged to watch a lot of television and buy things that are advertised. They even sing commercial jingles at school to occupy the children because they are the "lucky ones." Then, our hero does a little digging and finds out (per usual) that all is not right with his world. This book ends with a WIDE opening for a sequel. I recommend this to middle-school aged kids and up.
Lastly, is a book I haven't yet read. (I'm still waiting on my library copy to become available). My old book club is going to be reading in a few months. This book follows a girl who is a professional gladiator where their blood sport is televised for the masses. The premise reminds me a little of Running Man meets Hunger Games. I'll do a more thorough review when I've actually read it, but Goodreads gives it a pretty low average of 3.08. That's a little worrisome, but we'll see.
Girl in the Arena
My first experience with Dystopian fiction reading Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four
in high school. I don't even think I really read it very well, because I wasn't very good at required reading then. I was much more about completing the papers as quickly as I could. Then, in 1997, I read Lois Lowry's The Giver as an assignment for my Master's in Education. Not only was it one of my first YA books that I had read as an adult, but also it was the very best book I read that year. I loved the open-endedness of the story as well as all of the questions it brought up regarding what societies need versus what they want. What makes a perfect society? Why do the "sheep" need protecting? Who gets to pick whether you are a sheep, sheep dog, or a wolf?Some of the other Dystopian books that I have enjoyed are
I really like it when an author takes an idea and follows it to its logical conclusion. What would happen if everyone had to get a surgery at age 16 to become "Pretty?" Would everyone want it? What would it be like? What about the kids who didn't want it? Westerfeld explored each avenue in a fast-paced series appropriate for middle-schoolers. Discussion for this book would definitely include the question of what is pretty? Why does pretty matter? Does it matter? What about being the same? What are some positives about sameness? Individuality?
by Scott Westerfeld. I also liked City of Ember. This novel really held closer to the Wikipedia definition, where in a post-apocolyptic world, most of the people are poor and supplies are limited. One of my favorite parts of this book was when the main character gets a blue colored pencil. I love the rich imagery that DuPrau draws for us. I recommend the book over the movie (as usual), but don't look for any giant insects or some of the other strange additions from Hollywood.
by Jeanne DuPrau
by Isobelle CarmodyThis was a book recommended by a great friend for a book group a few years ago. This book is set in post-apocalyptic Australia (or something like Australia) and this book also has a main character who discovers that Oz is not all it is purported to be. This whole series is quite good, but book 1 was my favorite of them.
This book was one that made me keep thinking about it long after I had finished reading it. Set in a society that no longer has abortions, but instead, between the ages of 13-18, your parents or guardians can choose to have you unwound if you are not meeting your potential. Being unwound involves donating your body and all of its parts to society for them to use for those needing organ donations. Every part is used, so the party line is that you don't really die, you become more useful. There are also people who have had a lot of children, who choose to tithe a child as a way of giving back to society. This book was AMAZING! Shusterman takes us through three different character's journeys through the Unwind system. I loved how deeply this issue was explored. I would really recommend this book for an adult or YA book club.
by Neal ShustermanLife as We Knew It takes you through the apocalypse itself. I found this book to be quite frightening. You will find yourself buying more and more canned goods while reading this book. Our church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) recommends having a year supply of food. This book gives you a realistic situation in which that would be necessary. You will really find yourself attracted to the survival section at Borders after reading this book. The book is written in diary style and starts following a teenaged girl and her HS concerns until a meteor hits the moon, moving it much closer to Earth. This sets off tsunamis and earthquakes world-wide, electricity is knocked out everywhere, and since many volcanoes have erupted, the sun is blotted out by a dust cloud making plant growth impossible. WOW! Is this book heavy. It is not pleasure reading, but it follows one family and all of the choices that they make during this emergency. It too would make good discussion.
by Susan Beth PfefferMaze Runner was more like Lord of the Flies than some of these other books. Only those boys of teenage years are found in this society and each day some of them need to go out an run the maze to discover clues to how to escape. This is until a new kid shows up and he has knowledge that they need. I really enjoyed seeing the primitive society that these boys set up including their policing and punishments. This was a really creative book with some neat twists.
by James DashnerOne couldn't go through a list of YA dystopian fiction without mentioning the series that took us by storm the last few years...The Hunger Games trilogy (The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games), and Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games)) Thankfully a movie is coming out and the producer has actually read the book and sounds committed to keeping the core of the book in the movie script in his interviews. (Unlike the farce that was Lightning Thief). I found it really hard to recommend this book to people because when you find yourself saying it is about kids having to fight to the death in order to win their town food for the year, it really doesn't sound that appealing. Collins handles this VERY well, and it is not near as gruesome as it sounds. I think this was one of the best books I read in 2009. I laughed and cried during this book. At one point, it was embarrassing, boo hoo crying too. I mean, really. I think if you are into YA fiction and you haven't read this series, you are sorely missing a true piece of literature.My most recent foray into the Dystopian fiction society was The Sky Inside by Clare Dunkle. I really enjoyed her The Hollow Kingdom: Book I -- The Hollow Kingdom Trilogy
by Clare B. Dunkle which was about a girl going to a goblin kingdom. This book was nothing like that, but I liked the quick writing style and the cool world she created. This world is "perfect." The stork brings the genetically engineered babies to the people who don't need to work because the bots do it for them. So, they are paid and encouraged to watch a lot of television and buy things that are advertised. They even sing commercial jingles at school to occupy the children because they are the "lucky ones." Then, our hero does a little digging and finds out (per usual) that all is not right with his world. This book ends with a WIDE opening for a sequel. I recommend this to middle-school aged kids and up.Lastly, is a book I haven't yet read. (I'm still waiting on my library copy to become available). My old book club is going to be reading in a few months. This book follows a girl who is a professional gladiator where their blood sport is televised for the masses. The premise reminds me a little of Running Man meets Hunger Games. I'll do a more thorough review when I've actually read it, but Goodreads gives it a pretty low average of 3.08. That's a little worrisome, but we'll see.
by Lise HainesGirl in the Arena
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Soulless was a Steam-punk Treat.
Soulless
was recommended to me by a good friend whose taste in books I have always enjoyed. I started this on while we were cruising through the Caribbean on Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas. I loved this book. I found it funny, romantic and the enjoyed the vampire/werewolf meets Victorian England twist. It actually made me laugh aloud a few times.
"Without a morsel of exaggeration, its publisher describes this debut novel as "a comedy of manners set in Victorian London full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking." At the center of Soulless's "parasol protectorate" is Miss Alexia Tarabotti, a young woman who lacks not only a suitor but also a soul. And those are not her only problems: When she accidentally kills a vampire, it begins a series of events that she must set out to resolve without the help of any proper authorities. A charming mass market original (Goodreads.com)."
All-in-all, I found the book to be delightful. It was a nice change from the other books I had been reading and it was a very quick read. There were a few too many pseudo-sex scenes for me to let my daughters read it, but they were easy to skip over. I loved the author's obsession with tea-time. Thank goodness I was on a cruise ship while reading this. I drank a lot of mint tea and ate scones with cream and jam every afternoon while finishing this book. I highly recommend baking prior to sitting down with this one. I am about to start the second book featuring Miss Alexia Tarabotti, Changeless (The Parasol Protectorate)
was recommended to me by a good friend whose taste in books I have always enjoyed. I started this on while we were cruising through the Caribbean on Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas. I loved this book. I found it funny, romantic and the enjoyed the vampire/werewolf meets Victorian England twist. It actually made me laugh aloud a few times. "Without a morsel of exaggeration, its publisher describes this debut novel as "a comedy of manners set in Victorian London full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking." At the center of Soulless's "parasol protectorate" is Miss Alexia Tarabotti, a young woman who lacks not only a suitor but also a soul. And those are not her only problems: When she accidentally kills a vampire, it begins a series of events that she must set out to resolve without the help of any proper authorities. A charming mass market original (Goodreads.com)."
All-in-all, I found the book to be delightful. It was a nice change from the other books I had been reading and it was a very quick read. There were a few too many pseudo-sex scenes for me to let my daughters read it, but they were easy to skip over. I loved the author's obsession with tea-time. Thank goodness I was on a cruise ship while reading this. I drank a lot of mint tea and ate scones with cream and jam every afternoon while finishing this book. I highly recommend baking prior to sitting down with this one. I am about to start the second book featuring Miss Alexia Tarabotti, Changeless (The Parasol Protectorate)
Suspicions of Mr. Whicher Disappointing
I just finished The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective a non-fiction book that was supposed to read like fiction. Well, whoever wrote that quote, obviously does not read a lot of fiction. The book is a retelling of an actual murder that took place in England where a three-year-old was taken from his bed and killed. This book walks you through EVERYTHING that the author was able to find regarding this case, one which rocked Britain at the time. I love the Victorian time period and I love mysteries, so I thought this one would be right up my alley, but I was mistaken.
OMGosh was this SLOW! I had just finished Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
which I thought was the slowest book ever, but I was wrong. This is why I don'’t read non-fiction books. I think if the author had written this more like a novel supported by her copious research, it would have been so much more readable. Instead, it reads like a well-researched Master'’s thesis on this murder case. I did find some of the etymology of sleuth vocabulary interesting, but as a whole, it fell flat. I didn'’t care about any of the characters, not even the poor detective. I'’ve never read any of the turn of the century mysteries that she refers to and she didn'’t really spark any desire in me to do so. For now, I’ll stick with fiction.
OMGosh was this SLOW! I had just finished Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
which I thought was the slowest book ever, but I was wrong. This is why I don'’t read non-fiction books. I think if the author had written this more like a novel supported by her copious research, it would have been so much more readable. Instead, it reads like a well-researched Master'’s thesis on this murder case. I did find some of the etymology of sleuth vocabulary interesting, but as a whole, it fell flat. I didn'’t care about any of the characters, not even the poor detective. I'’ve never read any of the turn of the century mysteries that she refers to and she didn'’t really spark any desire in me to do so. For now, I’ll stick with fiction.Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Progressive Dinner
There is going to be a Progressive Dinner this Friday night for 35 people. I am supposed to bring appetizers to serve 24. I found a cheese ring recipe that sounds really good. I will take photos when I actually finish it. I'll also let you know the buzz on how it actually tasted.
Cheese Ring with Strawberry Preserves
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese - Grated
1 cup toasted and chopped pecans
1 cup (or a little more) mayonnaise
1 small grated onion
Salt/Pepper/Tobasco sauce (to taste)
Strawberry preserves.
1. Toast pecans in oven and then chop
2. Grate cheese and onion in cuisinart
3. Mix cheese, mayonnaise, onion and salt/pepper/Tobasco
4. Form into a ring and then press chopped pecans all around it.
5. When you serve it, put a small dish of strawberry preserves in a bowl in the center. The sweetness and cheddar really complement each other.
Cheese Ring with Strawberry Preserves
1 lb sharp cheddar cheese - Grated
1 cup toasted and chopped pecans
1 cup (or a little more) mayonnaise
1 small grated onion
Salt/Pepper/Tobasco sauce (to taste)
Strawberry preserves.
1. Toast pecans in oven and then chop
2. Grate cheese and onion in cuisinart
3. Mix cheese, mayonnaise, onion and salt/pepper/Tobasco
4. Form into a ring and then press chopped pecans all around it.
5. When you serve it, put a small dish of strawberry preserves in a bowl in the center. The sweetness and cheddar really complement each other.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Brown Bear Quilt - So Precious!
I am going to make my sister-in-law this sweet Brown Bear quilt inspired by Eric Carle's Beloved tale. The fabric is 50% off this week at ABC's of Quilting (http://www.abcsofquilting.com/) They are offering 50% off a lot of different fabrics for their Valentine' specials. Here's what the finished quilt will look like:
They also offer a kit of it at fatquartershop.com ($54.99 + backing) but the 50% off price is cheaper if you can get it on sale. Usually this fabric runs $9.99/yard. The finished quilt will be 44 3/4" x 55".
The Debbie Taylor "What do you see?" pattern above is available as a free download from Andover and the fat quarter shop. The link can be found at Free Pattern and includes all fabrics needed, measurements and cutting and piecing instructions. I can't wait until mine is done. I am not the best at doing the quilting itself, but feel like a small baby quilt like this will be good to practice my free-motion quilting.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Red Rock Threads is a GREAT store!
| Rose of Sharon Aurifil Thread |
Recently, I was looking for a specific thread to accompany my Rose of Sharon quilt that I'm going to be making. I looked and looked and found a few in the $90 range. Then I came across Red Rock Threads http://www.redrockthreads.com/ and not only were their prices AMAZING, but their shipping was only $4.00, even to Puerto Rico. I can't stand it when people try and charge us International shipping here when we use the USPS and I have a regular zip code. I think charging extra for Alaska and Hawaii is silly too. But, I found this company to be SUPER FAST, COURTEOUS and they had GREAT PRICES!
Here's the Aurifil thread I bought. The colors are rich, the thread is smooth and I can't wait to start.
Bright Young Things a Total Bust - SPOILER ALERT
** spoiler alert ** This book was ridiculous. I remember starting the Luxe stories, but stopped because they too were silly. Firstly, we start off the book where one of the characters is getting married and then immediately decides to leave for NY. I mean, why get married at all? Could she be more selfish? Then we have the two girls, alone in NYC for the first time, and they not only find housing, a job/a father, but nothing really goes wrong. (and one of the girls didn't even bring any money with her?) From stories of actresses who move each day to NYC, we see that it is never this easy. Thirdly, an estranged daughter presents herself to her gangster father and all is well? He didn't seem like a very savvy businessman to have accepted her at face value. This book was more like the author wanting to try on some characters in the 20s. It was an indulgence with little plot to back it up. They come into the book as Ohio girls who don't drink or smoke, but do have sex (at least one of them) and then all of a sudden are total lushes? The author also really glamorizes both smoking and drinking which isn't the message I want sent to any young adults that I know.
Adopting a greyhound? What?? If you're worried about your next meal, you aren't getting a dog. (Especially when you are living with roommates). Also, coming from a farm in Ohio, I doubt the character would have been all that concerned with animals. When animals cease to be utile, they are killed. The author evidentally watched some Charlie Chaplin films and read a bit about the era, but totally neglected the political situation of the country at the time. I mean they are three months from the stock-market crash in this book. Also, having all of the story take place over a three week period is simply crazy. I can't really recommend this book to anyone.
Adopting a greyhound? What?? If you're worried about your next meal, you aren't getting a dog. (Especially when you are living with roommates). Also, coming from a farm in Ohio, I doubt the character would have been all that concerned with animals. When animals cease to be utile, they are killed. The author evidentally watched some Charlie Chaplin films and read a bit about the era, but totally neglected the political situation of the country at the time. I mean they are three months from the stock-market crash in this book. Also, having all of the story take place over a three week period is simply crazy. I can't really recommend this book to anyone.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Loving Megan Whalen Turner!
The Thief (The Queen's Thief, Book 1)
The current series I am currently reading is Megan Whalen Turner's Thief of Attolia series. The first book was the Thief, the second The Queen of Attolia The Queen of Attolia (The Queen's Thief, Book 2)
and I'm reading the third installation The King of Attolia. The King of Attolia (The Queen's Thief, Book 3)
The books are set in a fantasy, medieval-esque setting. The main character is Eugenides who is found in a dank prison awaiting the king's punishment. The first book follows Eugenides on a quest for the King using his skills as a thief. The author weaves classical mythology with her own flavor to really leave us with something original. The fourth book will be released in spring, 2011.A Conspiracy of Kings
The current series I am currently reading is Megan Whalen Turner's Thief of Attolia series. The first book was the Thief, the second The Queen of Attolia The Queen of Attolia (The Queen's Thief, Book 2)and I'm reading the third installation The King of Attolia. The King of Attolia (The Queen's Thief, Book 3) The books are set in a fantasy, medieval-esque setting. The main character is Eugenides who is found in a dank prison awaiting the king's punishment. The first book follows Eugenides on a quest for the King using his skills as a thief. The author weaves classical mythology with her own flavor to really leave us with something original. The fourth book will be released in spring, 2011.A Conspiracy of Kings
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