Random Musings of a Bibliophile

ETA: There is a more general post that doesn't address  the  current controversy, but  the  just  the  basic problem I was trying to get at here at Bookshelves of Doom. Worth checking out.  I didn't really want to write a whole post on the Andrew Smith drama playing out on Twitter and various other media outlets right now. I'm one tiny little voice on one tiny little blog with absolutely no power, but this kept me awake most of the night. Because what went down yesterday is indicative of a massive problem within the wider children's and young adult literature community just as Smith's comments are indicative of a bigger problem than one statement in one interview. For those of you who might not be aware of the situation, Andrew Smith, author of Grasshopper Jungle , The Marbury Lens,  and several other critically acclaimed books, did an interview with Vice  in which he was asked about his his books in relation to females. The quest...

The Penderwicks is not just one of my favorite ongoing series; it is one of my favorite series of all time. I'm always astounded by the depth of emotion and diverse, realistic relationship dynamics Birdsall is able to capture with these characters. The Penderwicks in Spring  surpassed my expectations even though they were astronomically high already. It is now my favorite, having edged out  The Penderwicks on Gardam Street . Minor spoilers for first three book are in this review. If you haven't read this series, get started: The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy  The Penderwicks on Gardam Street The Penderwicks at Point Mouette   Spring is coming to Gardam Street and Batty and Ben Penderwick couldn't be more excited. The season is bringing with it anticipation and new opportunities. Nick Geiger, the Penderwicks' neighbor, is returning home on leave from the Army after being at war. Both Skye and Ba...

Top Ten Tuesday  is a Meme hosted by  The Broke and the Bookish This week's topic: Books for Readers Who Like________ (I chose banter because banter is the most fun to read.)   Do you enjoy good banter? What are some of your favorite books with banter?

I've heard a lot of good things about Nova Ren Suma's books. When the opportunity to read an ARC of her latest, The Walls Around Us , came up, I decided it was the perfect time to try her writing. I can see why so many have sung her praises, but sadly this book didn't work for me personally. There are several good aspects to it, but as a whole it was just not a Brandy book. Violet is a star ballerina headed to Julliard and ready to leave behind her past. Part of the past she's escaping is the horrible memory of her best friend Ori and what happened in the tunnel of trees behind their ballet theater. The incident that sent Ori to prison and handed Violet all of her dreams. Amber was serving a sentence in the youth detention facility Ori was sent to. Amber was found guilty of murdering her step-father. Amber knows she has no future beyond the life she lives in the facility. Both girls tell their stories and, through them, Ori's story is told. Combined, the three gir...

I may never have known  Audacity by Melanie Crowder existed if it weren't for Book Riot's post on feminist YA books of 2015 . Thank you, Kelly Jensen, for writing that article. I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere else, and that is a shame. This is a brilliant and moving book. And I may need to officially revise my stance on verse novels. Audacity is the story of Clara Lemlich. It begins when she is a teenager living in her shtetl in Russia. After a series of harsh pogroms agains the Jews, Clara and her family immigrate to America. The book chronicles their stay in a poor house in London, the steerage passage to the US, and their entrance through Ellis. Then it changes pace as Clara gets a job in a sweat shop and begins her fight for unions and justice in the garment industry. Told in beautiful first person perspective verse, Audacity is the story of a girl who had a fire burning inside her too bright for anyone to put out, and how she used it to warm and change the wor...

Top Ten Tuesday  is a Meme hosted by  The Broke and the Bookish This week's topic:  Top Ten Books from Last Three Years (I'm using 2012-2014) That was HARD. But I do like challenging myself to be ruthless and keep these at 10. What are some of your favorites from the last three years?

The Imaginary  by A.F. Harrold is a delightful yet creepy tale for any reader with a big imagination and bigger heart. Rudger is an imaginary friend, dreamed into existence and kept going by the imagination of Amanda, a little girl who can dream up anything and loves adventure. Amanda and Rudger are going about their happy lives playing together, exploring the world, and saving it from all sorts of nasty creatures when their struggle becomes all too real. Mr. Bunting shows up at the house. Mr. Bunting is an adult with an imaginary. But there's something creepy and not at all comfortable about this pair and they are stalking Amanda and Rudger. When a tragic accident brought on by Mr. Bunting attacking Rudger greatly injures Amanda, Rudger begins to fade. How can an imaginary live without someone to imagine him? Fortunately Rudger discovers a place where Imaginaries can live on, finding new children. He isn't interested in a new child though. He only wants Amanda so he embarks ...