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Volume 4 #3

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All books reviewed here are recommended. Please, always keep in mind that the only books that appear on this page are ones that I liked enough to write about. For every book reviewed here I have usually read two that I would not want to inflict on anyone.

Young Adult
Keeping the Moon
Sarah Dessen
Viking 0670885495

Dessen writes like she is living the teen life herself. She hits teen angst and hopes so squarely on the head that one feels fifteen again. Colie Sparks goes to a small town to stay with her eccentric Aunt Mira while her mother, aerobics queen and fitness guru, Kiki Sparks embarks on a European tour. The summer starts off as a great getaway for her because no one knows that she was formerly fat and that at her school in the city she has no friends and is called a golf-course slut. As she starts a job and becomes friends with her co-waitresses and a very unique young man she begins to come out of her shell and then... her nemesis from school appears.

Dessen's last book, Someone Like You, made both ALA's Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers and Best Books for Young Adults lists, but personally, I like Keeping the Moon better. A winner!

Young Adult/Contemporary/Problem
If You Loved Me
Reynolds, Marilyn
Morning Glory Press 0885356552

Reynolds again delivers a realistic teen problem novel peopled with believable characters and true-to-life situations. Lauren believes that if her parents had loved her they would not have been involved in drugs. Having made a vow to eschew drugs and sex she finds herself in conflict with her boyfriend who thinks that if she really loved him she would have sex with him.

General Fiction
Pretzel Logic
Lisa Rogak
Williams Hill Publishing 0965250245

Reading more like a memoir than a novel this tale of the loss of love starts off as a delightful romance but evolves into an adult problem novel as Emily Spencer, small town newspaper publisher, learns that her partner and husband is gay. It may have appeal for those with an interest in the subject or those who enjoy literary fiction.

Young Adult/Mystery/Poetry
Foreign Exchange.
Glenn, Mel
Morrrow Junior Books. 0688164722

Glenn again delivers a compelling read in the form of poems telling the story of a murder from several viewpoints. A beautiful blond girl from the small town high school that is hosting an exchange program with a city high school was last seen in the company of an African-American boy before being found dead in the lake.

Young Adult/Short Stories
Gone From Home
Angela Johnson
DK Publishing 0789424991

Not generally a fan of short stories I was surprised to find that I couldn't put this down. Johnson's is adept at conveying real understanding of characters and situations in a powerfully succinct manner. I was in such a hurry to pass this on to my incarcerated teen friends that I failed to make note of individual story titles but the one featuring the character named Sweetness (perhaps the title of the story, too) is unforgettable.

Young Adult/Coming of Age
HateYou
Graham McNamee
Delacorte 0385325932

Her voice permanently ruined by her father's abuse, seventeen year old Alice Silvers grudgingly comes to the realization that her life and aspirations as a songwriter are not ruined. Told in a believable voice McNamee is a new author to keep an eye on.

Fantasy/Magic
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Rowling, J.K.
Scholastic 0439064864

The second Harry Potter is just as good (some say better) than the first. This lighthearted magical series is a must read. Harry is having a perfectly terrible summer vacation from Hogwarts when he is rescued by his friends in a flying car. In his second year at Hogwarts, surrounded by a close-knit group of friends, he attempts to find the mysterious "chamber of secrets" and faces down a terrifying time travelling foe.

Literary Fiction/Fantasy/Magic Realism/Uncommon Common Animals
Timbuktu
Auster, Paul
Henry Holt 0805054073

Even though this is literary fiction and a little short on action and plot, Timbuktu is fascinating because of the characters. The narrator is Mr. Bones, the mongrel dog companion of homeless Willy G. Christmas. Through flashbacks and dreams the story of Willy and Mr. Bones is told and then Mr. Bones' story continues as he tries to find a home. One of the fascinations with this book is that Auster really tries to convey what the world could look like from a canine perspective. Mr. Bones is a rather philosophical dog who wonders why Willy never taught him how to read and reminisces over the symphonies of smell that Willy used to create for him. The Timbuktu of the title refers to where people and dogs go when they die. A dog thinking of heaven reminds me so much of the way my grandfather comforted me when my first dog died and I was told that dogs did not go to heaven by asking me if I would be happy in a world without dogs. Because one is happy in heaven dogs would have to be there too. What Timbuktu does so well is evoke emotion in the reader.

Wayne Smith's exciting novel Thor, that sadly has gone out-of-print, also captures the essence of seeing through a dog's eyes.

Crime/Detection/Amateur Sleuth
Shiveree: An Eclaire Mystery
Dunbar, Sophie
Intrigue Press 1890768111

This delightful romp of a mystery features full blown menus and a cast of delightful characters. I'll never look at an Aunt Sally's Praline box again the same way. As Claire and Dan Claiborne's best friends Charlotte and Foley prepare for their wedding, the guests start invading New Orleans including eccentric aunts and both sides of a feuding family. Foley's ex-wife also shows up with her current pet artist in tow. The biggest mystery in this novel is when the crime is going to be committed. In an unusual twist on the standard plot, Dunbar introduces all the suspects as well as the victim and then leaves the reader hurriedly turning pages to get to the crime.

Science Fiction/Aliens/Post-Apocalyptic/Satire
After the Blue
Like, Russel
Brunswick Galaxy Press 0966103904

In the future the population of the world was decimated when the Gruumsbaggians visited Earth leaving behind a plague. A century after "the Blue" a small band of survivors is living a pastoral existence in Jamesburg, New Jersey but the Gruumsbaggians, in an attempt to put Earth back like it was before they unwittingly caused the end of civilization as we know it, bring in pollution, smog machines and gridlock plans as they try to reintroduce the humans they have raised on their home planet. A charming romance develops between one of the newly arrived humans and one of the young men from Jamesburg allowing a skillfully interwoven tale of the history of this world to entwine with the story. A well told and entertaining tale making one think of Vonnegut and Swift. It is hoped that Russel Like will continue writing science fiction.

Horror/Psychological/Serial Killer
Hannibal
Harris, Thomas
Delacorte 038529929X

It seems that the question on everyone's lips this summer is what did you think about Hannibal? Harris is a master storyteller and Hannibal Lector is one of the most intriguing characters ever invented. Seven years after Hannibal escaped, Clarice Starling, her career sandbagged by those jealous of her triumph in Silence of the Lambs, is called in on a case involving Mason Verger, a monster who was also a victim of Hannibal's. It seems that Hannibal is resurfacing in face of threats to Clarice. Lots of interesting settings and characters including an Italian detective who almost figures it all out add interest to what is already an enthralling tale.As to what I thought...I don't see Clarice going that direction. (Those who've read it will know what I mean and it doesn't spoil it for those who haven't yet.)

Crime/Detection/Amateur Sleuth/Comedy
High Five
Evanovich, Janet
St. Martin's Press 0312203039

Stephanie Plum is facing lean times again as it seems not too many folks are jumping bail. It does give her plenty of time to go hunting for her cheapskate Uncle Fred who has gone missing and to do some jobs for the ultra-sexy Ranger, who provides her with two ill-fated cars. Of course Morelli is still around with lots of heat. Grandma Mazur is still hitting the funeral circuit and Lula acts as backup sometimes, especially when Stephanie goes to pick up a mean dwarf (oh sorry, Randy, little person) . Ramirez is out on parole and stalking Stephanie adding to her problems. As always Evanovich is laugh-out-loud hilarious. Don't drink milk while reading this or it may go out your nose as you convulse in guffaws.

Young Adult/Coming of Age
Tribute to Another Dead Rock Star
Powell, Randy
Farrar, Straus and Giroux 0374377480

Grady's grandma and her new hubby are off for a short vacation while he goes to Seattle to attend a metal concert tribute to his mother and visit his younger developmentally disabled brother. While staying with his brother's family, who has gotten religion in a big way, he ponders his future. Should he move in with them or go to Europe for a year. At fifteen it's hard to make these decisions but with a dad who died without even knowing he was on the way and a rock star mom who overdosed and died three years ago he has to decide for himself. Powell can really pack a punch but surround it with thoughtfulness and discovery.

As an avid skateboard fan I'm always on the lookout for books that include my favorite sport. Grady isn't a serious skater but he knows what he's about.

Recent Booklist Reviews

Click on the ISBN to read the Booklist Review at Amazon.com. If the reviews aren't there yet they will be soon.

Romance/Contemporary/Suspense
The Third Heiress
Joyce, Brenda
St. Martin's Press 031220387X

Romance/Historical/Regency Era
Golden Girl
Wolf, Joan
Warner Books 0446606936

Romance/Suspense
Key West
Cameron, Stella
Kensington 1575664542

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