Summer Reading 2021

All aboard the good ship Arabella (named for the ship in Rafael Sabatini's adventure story, Captain Blood).  Today, I want to talk about my Summer Reading theme for the year: A Summer at Sea. 

So, I know what you're thinking.  Yeah, yeah, this is one of Emmy's summer reading posts that never amounts to anything.  And, yes.  You're probably right.  But, this year, I'm really going to try.  I'm going to actually have a theme and stick with it.  And it's going to be awesome!

So, as I said, this year's theme is A Summer at Sea.  Not to be confused with any of my previous Summer Reading themes:

• 2010: Gothic Novels
• 2011: Scary Stories and Mythical Monsters
• 2012: A Summer in Middle Earth
• 2013: Summer School
• 2014: It's a Mystery!
• 2015: To Read or Not to Read
• 2016: Professional Fan-Fiction
• 2017: [Skipped this year]
• 2018: Monster Mash
• 2019: [Skipped this year]
• 2020: [Skipped this year]
• 2021: A Summer at Sea

As I've attempted in previous years, I'll provide lists of the books I'm reading as well as reviews.  If you want to see EVERYTHING I read, you can check out my Goodreads account here.

So, toss on your rain slickers, hoist the mainsail, and raise the anchor, because we're going out to sea!

Telephone Book Club and the Death of Sherlock Holmes

The other day, my grandpa and I finished reading Favorite Sherlock Holmes Detective Stories.  It was a lot of fun.  I personally love the Sherlock Holmes stories, and he had been wanting to read some more mysteries.  It was a win-win for both of us.  Everything went fine for most of the book.  I'm pretty sure he dozed off during "Silver Blaze," although I didn't particularly mind, since that was never my favorite, and in general, good times were had by all.  But...then, we got to "The Final Problem".  You know the one.  Sherlock Holmes reveals that most of the biggest crimes in London were being orchestrated by one man, weaving his web in the shadows: Professor Moriarty.  And of course, Holmes is *this* close to capturing him and ending his reign of terror forever.

But, Moriarty is easily Holmes's equal in brainpower and deductive reasoning.  And he has figured out what Holmes is up to.  So, what soon follows is a game of cat and mouse that culminates at Reichenbach Falls.  Watson gets pulled away on a fool's errand only to return once the final fight has ended.  Holmes and Moriarty have gone over the falls.

It was an incredibly emotional story, and reading it out loud made me realize just how intense it really was.  Reading to someone is so much more than just reciting something.  It's a performance.  You need inflection, and sometimes voices.  You get really invested in the story.  I found myself reading slowly, with lots of feeling and emotion.  It was probably my best reading yet.  

And I closed the book, and announced, as I do after every short story, "...and that's the end of 'The Final Problem'."  He was quiet on the other end, and for a moment, I wondered if he had fallen asleep.  Finally, he said, "So...Sherlock Holmes and this Moriarty fella.  Did he die?"

Of course I knew that this was not the end.  I've read all the Sherlock Holmes stories, and I knew that Conan Doyle killed off the detective because he wanted the freedom to write something else.  So, I told him with a smile in my voice what really happened.  That this was supposed to be the end, but after a huge public outcry, he had to bring the detective back. 

"Well, then," he said, "There's one more story in the book.  Is that the one about how he comes back?"

It wasn't, and I told him so.  But, I told him that I could totally get it for him and read it in a few days.  He was surprised, but delighted.  And when we finally did read it, it was awesome.

Uncle Dynamite

If you were to ask me who my favorite author is, I couldn't answer you.  Choosing one favorite author is like choosing your favorite child.  There are just too many excellent writers out there, and I love each one for something different.  But, if I was going to pick one, Wodehouse would certainly be in the running for the best.

I very rarely "laugh out loud" when I'm reading a book.  I might smirk or even chuckle, but I don't laugh out loud.  Wodehouse makes me laugh, though.  Sometimes, I'll laugh until I cry.  When I need a good pick-me-up, I pick up a Wodehouse book.  There's nothing like one of his gut-busters when you're feeling sour.

I've not been feeling sour, per se, but I've been feeling cooped up.  So, when my dear friend  Shay said that she was reading one of the books I'd given her last year (I had passed along a couple of my precious Wodehouse titles when shelving got a bit too tight), I thought it might be worth checking out one myself.  And since she was reading Uncle Dynamite, I thought that I would, too.  The problem is that of course, I had given my copy to her.

But, remember how I talked about Hoopla and other ebook systems in one of my last posts?  Well, Hoopla had Wodehouse on audiobook.  And I remembered that as a lonely teenager, I would spend hours pouring over Wodehouse's books, and I discovered the brilliant Jonathan Cecil's narrations.  Even though I didn't particularly like audiobooks, I liked him, so I started to listen to anything that the library had to offer.  And wouldn't you know it, years later, I found that Hoopla had 30+ Wodehouse books read by none other!

So, of course, I downloaded Uncle Dynamite.  And goodness gracious!  I was not disappointed.  The magic had not been lost.  I had a delightful time.  It was so much fun!  The voices, the pacing...Cecil even includes little vocal cues, like braying laughs, or someone choking on a muffin!

But, what is Uncle Dynamite about?  Anyone who has read a Wodehouse book knows that there are always multiple intertwining subplots that make it hard to answer this question.  So, instead, I'll give you a short list of some of the things you can look forward to in such a book.    You'll find love triangles, American girls, Brazilian explorers, mistaken identity, smuggled jewels, and plots to punch policeman.  There are impoverished publishers, scheming uncles, and bonny baby contests.  In short, it's a lot of fun!  While this one didn't have me in tears, it certainly had me in stitches the way that only Wodehouse can do.  I learned about halfway through the book, it was #2 in the Uncle Fred series (for some reason, I thought this was book 1), but as with any Wodehouse tale, you can generally jump right into the series wherever you want.  You'll still be able to follow along just fine.

What I'm Reading

What are YOU reading?  During this time of social distancing (or as my boss put it, physical distancing), many of us are locked up at home, looking for something to do.  What a great time to bust out your To-Read list!

Not actually me.  Sorry to disappoint!

As for me, I'm relying on a few different resources, including my own personal book collection, titles I grabbed from the library before we closed, and lots of ebooks.  I know I've been staunchly anti-ebook, but since getting a smartphone (welcome to the 21st century, Emmy!) I've started to appreciate the convenience of an expanded digital library.

My library (along with many libraries across the country) offers access to ebooks through several ebook systems.  I like to use Hoopla and Libby (by Overdrive).  I can check out books, audiobooks, movies, music, and comics through these resources!  And if you're interested in ebooks but don't want to use the library, I have two apps to suggest.

The first is Free Books.  And just as the title suggests, it's free books.  Most of them are classics or out-of-print, but MAN!  You can find some really cool stuff on here!  The best part is that you can download everything onto your device for reading offline, and its yours to keep.  I recommend starting with The Abandoned Room by Charles Wadsworth Camp.  It's a chilling story of murder, ghosts, and missing time.

The second is sort of a combo.  Project Gutenberg has an amazing collection of excellent Classics available to read for free on their website.  But, their app leaves a lot to be desired.  So, what I do is download the books I want from Project Gutenberg onto my phone, and open them with this app: ReadEra.  I've played around with a few different eReader apps, and this is my favorite.

Of course, I still prefer the feeling of paper pages between my fingers.  And I'm still reading physical books.  As I teased in the title of this post, I'm reading a lot right now.  If you want to see all the sweet details, follow me on Goodreads.  But, I'll share my Currently Reading list with you right now.

In an effort to find something a little more fun and happy, I picked up a few Wodehouse titles.  Got Mike at Wrykyn by PG Wodehouse sitting on the desk next to me as I write.  I'm also listening to the audiobook for another Wodehouse title: Uncle Dynamite.  The narrator is Jonathan Cecil, who's my favorite audiobook reader.  I was super excited to see that there are 30+ Wodehouse books narrated by him on Hoopla, so if you're interested, be sure to check him out!

And finally, I have one ebook in the works-- The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  I read it as a kid, but that was years (and many books) ago, so I don't remember much.  It's been fun getting to relive the experience.

REVIEW: Wise Blood (Flannery O'Connor)

Please note: this review has been plucked directly from my Goodreads account.  There are some slight differences in formatting, but essentially everything else is going to be the same.  Since I can't do a "Spoiler" tag in the HTML here (which would have been AWESOME), I'm going to just tell you right off the bat that there are spoilers in this post.  I spoil the ending of Wise Blood, so if you don't want to know how it ends (and it's a shocker!) then please don't read any further.

Thanks!

-Emmy

*****

Wow...Um, okay....So, I have a lot of thoughts about this book.

For the first bit, I really didn't like it.  I must have read the first three to five pages again and again and again, because I just couldn't get into it.  But then, I started listening to it on audio.  The narrator, Bronson Pinchot, is not my favorite.  (I tried listening to his reading of The Alchemaster's Apprentice and it just sounded all wrong to my ears).  He was much better in this book--I really liked the voices he gave to Hazel, Encoh, and Onnie Jay Holy--but there were still a handful of times when I thought that he missed the author's intentions, or that the characterization was off.  For example, for some reason, even when she was supposed to be yelling and screaming, Sabbath's voice never seemed to rise above a whisper.

But, enough about the audio.  In terms of the book itself...well, I still have issues.  I'll admit, I was incredibly invested.  I found Hazel Motes to be a fascinating character.  And even though Enoch had his fair share of issues, I found that I really liked him, too.  Perhaps that's why the ending bothered me so much.

As I'm given to understand, Enoch's story ends with him stealing a gorilla suit and running off to his new life...as an ape?  Does he intend to travel around pretending to be Gonga?  Does he just want to live freely?  Will being a hand-shaking ape allow him to make more friends?  Is this his way of making the human connections that he was lacking?  I don't entirely understand.

But, it wasn't Enoch's end that bothered me.  It was Haze's.  First, there was that shockingly brutal scene where he murders the True Prophet.  I know he was scared that Shoats was replacing him, and that seeing his double freaked him out, but he straight up murders the man by driving over him a couple of times with his car!  The scene was so simple, so matter of fact that you have to remind yourself that something horrible has just happened.  That it's meant to shock, to horrify.

And then there's Hazel's fate.  When he takes the bucket of lime up to his room, I thought that he was going to chicken out like Hawkes did.  And when he doesn't, I just couldn't believe it.  But, it got worse.  He's got rocks and glass in his shoes, barbed wire wrapped around his waist, and he's literally dying in a ditch after his landlady tries to blackmail him into marrying her...and he's beaten to death by a cop!

I read those last few pages and then just sat there.  Just processing what I had read.  What was the point of all that?

I've been thinking about it for a couple of hours now, and I think I understand the meaning of the ending.  At least a little.  Haze spends the entire book trying to preach his "Church Without Christ", without success.  At the heart of it all, Hazel believes far more than he would like to admit.  And his vehement denial of Christ actually breaks him in the end.   The human heart is made to love and know God.  And O'Connor's deeply Catholic message here is that the denial of God, which is in turn a denial of the most deep and abiding human part of us, is ultimately self-destructive.  The rocks and barbed wire and punishments; Hazel is trying to repent for something he can't even bring himself to acknowledge as a sin.  But, in the end, it's too much for him and he dies under the wight of his own denial.

The more I think about this book, the more conflicted I get.  And perhaps that's the point.  Perhaps we're supposed to think about this story long after we finish.  And I know I have a lot to think about.  Hazel Motes will be lingering in my mind for a long time to come.

Wise Blood Update #1

In my last blog post, I wrote that I was hoping to talk about the books that I'm reading.  In my original blog posts, waaaay back when I started writing in college, I would talk about the books I was reading, both on their own, and in the context of my own life.  I'd like to get back into doing that.

To start with, I thought I'd look at the book I'm currently reading (actually, listening to on audio!), Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor.

Before I say too much, I want to preface this post by saying that I have NOT finished the book yet.  I've read most of it, but not all of it.  So, please refrain from spoilers in your comments (if you so choose to comment).

To ease us back into things, and since this book is so darn weird, I thought it might be best to just show y'all the trailer for the 1979 movie, and see what you think.  (As far as I can tell, it's pretty accurate).  I'm trying to figure out a lot of it, myself.  I've been told that Flannery O'Connor writes comedy.  Meaning, that this is supposed to be a funny book.  From my reading, I can see that it's dark and strange, and there's a ton going on.  Sure, I get a few chuckles now and the, but this is no belly-laughing Wodehouse tome.

Still, watch the trailer and let me know what you think.  I'll be posting more from our good friend Ms. Flannery real soon.

A Return to the Blog??

So....It's been a while since I've actually, really blogged on here.  And I'm not sure how many of you readers are still out there. But, on the off chance that some of you lovely people are still floating around (and you know who you are!), I thought I'd try to resurrect the old blog.

I've recently come to the conclusion that I need to read more of the classics.  Modern books just aren't doing it for me the way they used to, and I'm finding that I'm generally frustrated with weak plot twists, poorly written romance, and just general drivel.  Not saying that all contemporary writers are bad, but lately, I've been picking all the bad ones.

Those of you who follow me on Goodreads (I'm linking my account if you want to follow me) might know that I'm in a book group called "Catching up on Classics, where we read...the classics.  (I'm also linking that here).  We have four or five titles a month, and it's really a lot of fun.

When I first started this blog, I would write about the books I was reading for school (and for fun).  I miss doing that, so this is going to be my attempt at starting up again.  Ideally, I'll write about the books I'm reading, including supplementary information, like videos, articles, and other readers' reviews.  It should be a lot of fun!

I miss blogging, and I miss you all.   If you're still out there (and again, my most devoted blogging friends know who they are!) I would love to start up the conversation again!

31 Days of Halloween #4

So, I participate in a librarian group on Facebook.  And the best part about being a librarian group on Facebook is the book recommendations.  Everyone always has some cool suggestion for your next read, and it can be a lot of fun finding other readers who also happen to work in libraries.  Lately, the big post is regarding scary stuff.  Namely, what's the scariest book you ever read?

So, I thought for today, I would share a list of the scariest books that my fellow librarians have read.  And as you can imagine, these are pretty well-read folks, so I'm sure you'll find something to make your blood run cold.

• NOS4A2 (Joe Hill)
•  House of Leaves (Mark Z. Danielewski)
• It (Stephen King)
•  Dracula (Bram Stoker)
• Koko (Peter Straub)
• I Remember You (Yrsa Sigurðardóttir)
• Fangland (John Marks)
• Salem's Lot (Stephen King)
• Amityville Horror (Jay Anson)
• Sybil (Flora Rheta Schreiber)
• Uzumaki (Junji Ito)
• Ghost Story (Peter Straub)
• The Shining (Stephen King)
•  Three (Sarah Lotz)
• The Offering (S.J. Hill)
• Handmaid's Tale (Margaret Atwood)
• Silence of the Lambs (Thomas Harris)
• Communion (Whitley Strieber)
• Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series (Alvin Schwartz)*
•  Haunting of Hill House (Shirley Jackson)
• Through the Woods (Emily Carroll)

*I would like to add for this one, the scariness comes not just from the stories, which are creepy on their own, but from the nightmarish illustrations that accompany each tale.  Newer editions of the book have "sanitized" illustrations that do nothing to set the mood.  Either read them as Schwartz intended or don't read them at all!

100 CC #1: Tortilla Flat (John Steinbeck)

When I was in high school, John Steinbeck was my favorite writer.  Rereading Tortilla Flat after all these years has reminded me why.  When it comes to books, there are those that you read, those that you experience, and those that you climb into and live in for a while.  Steinbeck's short novels have always had that effect on me.  In particular, it is those novellas that focus on a group or a small town that really had the most profound effect, especially Cannery Row, Sweet Thursday, and of course Tortilla Flat.

This is the story of Danny and his friends, a group of paisanos, which Google tells me is a group of Spanish or Italian peasants.  Growing up, I always looked at them as poor Mexican/American immigrants, so I guess I was a bit close.  Basically, they are a group of poor ruffians who go on adventures, stealing wine and chasing women until they accidentally draft themselves into the war in a drunken fit of courage.  Upon returning, Danny, who becomes the leader, learns that his grandfather has died and left him an inheritance: two houses.  In a social circle where no one else has a house, let alone two, this is a huge boon for Danny, but his friends worry that it will make him distant and aloof.  But, instead, this newfound property draws to it a ragtag group of characters, including righteous Pilon, clever Pablo, and the humanitarian Jesus Maria.

Despite taking place in 1930s California, this story is a retelling of the exploits of Arthur and his knights.  Our heroes go on adventures, feed the hungry and shelter the homeless.  They give offerings to the saints and punish scoundrels and cheats.  It is a beautiful, romanticized story of a group of men just living out their lives.  I have two quotes which I think apply here.  One came from the back of my copy and is attributed to William Rose Benet: 

The extraordinary humors of these curiously childlike natives are presented with a masterly touch.  These silly bravos are always about to do something nice for each other, their hearts are soft and easily touched: and yet almost absentmindedly they live with atrocious disregard for scruple.

And this second comes not from Tortilla Flat, but from another Steinbeck favorite, Cannery Row:

Its inhabitants are, as the man once said, “whores, pimps, gamblers, and sons of bitches,” by which he meant Everybody. Had the man looked through another peephole he might have said, “Saints and angels and martyrs and holy men,” and he would have meant the same thing.

This is one of my favorite books, and for good reason.  It captures an essential glimpse of humanity, and romanticizes it so that each character becomes more than himself, larger than life.  It's hard to really capture the essence of Steinbeck in a review like this, not if you really experience him the way I do.  That's not meant to sound pretentious.  I'm just saying that my experience is hard to put into words ;)  If you're looking for something to read, and would like to try Steinbeck, this is a great place to start.  But, be warned: this is not a book that can be read fast.  It must first be experienced and savored, like a fine wine or a rich dessert.  Never rush Steinbeck.  You'll miss out on so much.

SR 2016: Romeo and/or Juliet (Ryan North)

Romeo and Juliet is one of those classic plays that most students have to read for a literature class at some point in their academic careers.  In my case, I've read it twice--once in junior high, and again as a freshman in high school.  It's a good play, of course, being Shakespeare, but if there was one thing I would say it was missing, that would be the opportunity to make your own decisions instead of being forced to watch two hormonal teenagers act out the tragic path that fate has in store for them.  So, of course, when I found out there was a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure equivalent of Romeo and Juliet, I jumped at the chance to read it.

*N.B. This book takes a really long time to read, since you have so many options to choose from, and so many endings to find.  With that in mind, I'm actually writing up this review before I complete the book, but I've found at least 10 different endings so far, so I think I'm qualified to start writing about it now.

Anyways, back to the review.  This is a hilarious book that really takes a classic tale and turns it on its head.  Whether you liked the Bard's original or not, this is a really funny book.  So, you know the story: two teens meet at a party and fall in love.  Even though their parents are enemies, the two get married, plan to tell everyone later, and then things go to hell in an handbasket and they both die.  What a lovely story!

Well, Ryan North's version is a little different.  In this tale, you can play as either Romeo or Juliet (as well as other unlockable characters) and try to live out your perfect love story.  Romeo is what you'd expect: he's a love-sick puppy who makes horrible choices and really loves brunch.  Juliet on the other hand, is a muscle-bound bodybuilder whose hobbies all involve boys and muscles.  So, pretty much what you would expect here, too.

So, basically, just like those choose your own adventures that we read as kids, you get to make choices for each character and try to find the most happy ending.  Some of the more interesting subplots involve Romeo's encounter with a creepy librarian, and Juliet's decision to kill or not kill the fiance her parents arranged for her.

And without giving away too much, some of the endings involve lions, getting chased by a naked man with 30 swords, and literally becoming a glove.  Some of the plotlines will make your laugh until you cry, and as for the others, well, the last thing you could call them is boring.

Oh, and did I mention the illustrations?  Yeah...those are amazing!  And each one is by a different artist :)

I'm be trying to finish this up over the next few days so I can post about it on Goodreads.  But, in the meantime, this is one down for my Summer Reading 2016 experience!

31 Days of Halloween #15

I love Frankenstein.  The book, the movies, the musical, the character....its a great story with a fascinating figure that really has become a part of popular culture now.  I mean, who doesn't know and love our favorite green-faced electrode-studded monstrosity?

Well, I can bet there is someone out there who loves him even more than you or me.  And that gentleman is Pierre Fournier, the author of another BlogSpot blog dedicated to all things Frankenstein.

Day 15: Frankensteinia: the Frankenstein Blog

This is a blog I've been following for years.  After all, what kind of classic horror fan wouldn't love year-round updates about one of the most enduring monsters in film and literature?

And this blog is awesome, because it includes EVERYTHING Frankenstein!  And I mean everything!  Fan art, movie stills, promotional photos and posters, video clips, toys, history, collectibles...everything you could ever want!  And if you're not a huge Frankenstein fan, but are looking for something fun for the holiday, then take a look at the site.  I'm sure you'll find something to tickle your fancy!

And when you're done there, be sure to check out this other Frankenstein blog.  Gris Grimly's Frankenstein is no longer being updated, but it is still super-cool.  This was the first time I was able to follow an author through the creative process, page by page until the end, and then I went and read the book (which is excellent, by the way!)  I would highly suggest starting from the beginning, and if you like what you see, check out the book.  It was one of the best graphic novel adaptations of a work of classic literature that I have ever seen.  Creepy, atmospheric, slightly reminiscent of Tim Burton, yet completely and wholly original, this is one you just have to check out!  For more information, go to Gris's personal website here.

31 Days of Halloween #10

I love documentaries. And honestly, I'll watch them about anything.  Monsters, aliens, mysterious disappearances, social taboos, wildlife, famous people....the list goes on and on.  Mostly, though...I love to watch ones about creepy stuff.  The funny thing is that the creepy stuff leaves me all creeped out.  I'm in a very bad relationship with creepy.  I love it, but I always feel on edge afterwards, like I'm about to jump out of my skin.  Still, like a crack junkie or a chocoholic, I just can't get enough.

A Toynbee Tile

Day 10: Creepy Documentaries

So, this is a list of some creepy documentaries.  Some of you might want to watch, while some might be just a little too creepy.  I feel ya.  I'm not sure if I'll be watching all of these myself, either.

When you're done checking out that list, here are a few more that weren't included that really should have been.  These are two of my favorite creepy documentaries.

This first video is just the trailer, but this is one of my favorite documentaries: Ressurect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles.  What are the Toynbee Tiles?  Well, there's a lot to say about them, so I'll be brief.  They're mysterious tiles that have been appearing in the pavement on roads and crosswalks.  They have haunting, unsettling messages about a plot to resurrect the dead on Jupiter.  It sounds crazy, but this documentary is legitimately unsettling and awesome.  Check it out!

This second one is not nearly as chilling, but still really interesting.  Its about a Bible called "The Devil's Bible" and legend says it was written by one monk in one night after he asked the Devil to save him from being executed.  Chilling, unusual, and interesting, I hope you enjoy this one as well!

The House With a Clock in Its Walls (John Bellairs)

This is a book that I've been meaning to read for about ten years now.  Back when I was in grade school, Sarah had suggested that I pick up this series she had been reading.  I was told to read anything by John Bellairs or Brad Strickland (the series was started by the former, and continued by the latter after his death).  I'm not entirely sure why I never actually read any of them.  But, I do know fantasy was not my thing at the time.  It is now.  I mean, I love fantasy.  And I know that Sarah enjoyed it as a kid.  But, at the time, it just seemed rather silly to me, and I just was not interested.

I had been thinking about the series on and off for years

though.  It was one of those things that I thought could actually have been really interesting if I had given it half a chance.  Since I started working at the library, I've read some children's literature (know your collection!) and I started thinking that if I'm reading Timmy Failure and Howl's Moving Castle, the least I could do was give John Bellairs a shot.

I should pause my review at this point to say that John Bellairs has written three different series.  And I just happened to pick the Lewis Barnavelt books because I could only remember the title of one book by Bellairs: The Beast Under the Wizard's Bridge, which according to Goodreads is Book #8 in the series.

But, of course all series must be read in order.  Book #1, The House With a Clock in Its Walls tells the story of Lewis, an orphan who is sent to live with his uncle Jonathan after his parents die in a car crash.  (On a side note, it has always interested me that these characters are perfectly peachy after the crushing death of a loved one if they meet a cool relative or make some good friends right afterwards).  Lewis finds himself fitting in perfectly with Uncle Jonathan and his friend Mrs. Zimmerman.  And to his great surprise, he learns that they are both wizards!  Not only that, but there is some crazy magic afoot.  In the silence of the night, you can hear a clock ticking away within the walls of the house.  And no matter where you are, you can hear it as though it were on the other side of the wall.  The clock serves a sinister purpose, but no one knows what it does.   Perhaps it has something to do with the previous inhabitants of the house: an evil warlock and his wife.

This is essentially your classic Gothic novel watered down for children.  Like a virgin margarita, this is a treat that can be enjoyed by both adults and children.  I certainly found it fun.  It was atmospheric, suspenseful, and like all good children's fiction, leaves the reader with the satisfaction that no matter what happens during the beginning and middle, all will be right in the end.  Of course, there are still signs that this was written for children.  Jonathan and Mrs. Zimmerman like to insult each other, and their nicknames border on the childish.  The story never gets too scary, either.  This is just right for a kid who wants to get into the more Gothic aspects of fantasy, without diving into The Phantom of the Opera or Jane Eyre.

Oh, and did I mention the illustrations are done by Edward Gorey?  Because they are--and that is AWESOME!

The rest of the series has awesome titles and covers.  Even this book has multiple covers and they all look great.  I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series, and books 2-3 are in my room right now.  So, stay tuned for more reviews!  And as always, happy reading :)

A Bookish Update and Summer Reading

Hello, all!

So, I'm not sure how many of you actually read my blog anymore (and that's okay--I haven't been the best about posting anyway...) but in case you are still reading, I wanted to talk a bit about books and my summer reading plans.  Every year since I started this blog, I've had some form of summer reading plan set up.  But, this year, I'm pretty stumped.  Usually, I can think of something clever and creative to read about, but right now, I have nothing.  Zip.  Nada.  Zilch.  So, I'm in a bit of a rut while I try to figure out what to read next.

So, if there is anyone still reading, I would really appreciate some suggestions for new books to read.  I mean, not so much new books as a new book topic.  Those of you who are my friends on Goodreads know just how many books I have on my to-read list!  So, how can I parcel these titles out?  Part of me is thinking that my summer reading theme should just be to read as much as I can off my Goodreads account, or from this little notebook I keep that has even more suggestions.  But, I'm not entirely sure yet.

As for the rest of this post, I wanted to say that I'll be making a real effort to start posting book reviews on here again.  I know most of my reviews have been on Goodreads, and that not all of you (if there are any of you) follow me on Goodreads.  So, I'll be trying to post them here instead, so that you can keep up with the good, the bad, and the ugly of the books I've been reading.

Summer is almost here.  I'm just struggling through one last class.  The sad part is that the class isn't even that hard.  I just have one paper left, and that's not even that hard.  But, I've been working on this freakishly easy paper for over two weeks now, and I just can't write anything.  My writer's block has been terrible.  I almost want to cry.  The saddest thing is that I've had ideas spouting out of my ears for every other writing assignment you could think of.  I've been jotting down ideas for a novel I've been wanting to write, and even if I do say so myself, these ideas are pretty good!  But, when it comes to writing for this stupid paper, I just sort of gape at it blankly, like a caveman who has just discovered television and can't figure out what to do about it.  So, I'll be muddling through that over the next few days.  It's due on Wednesday at noon, so I want to be done by tomorrow night.  Wish me luck.  Hope to write again soon.

4 Books Featuring Awesome Librarians

Librarians are awesome.  Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be one.  And even before that, I idolized them.  They were smart, had a huge knowledge of their collections, could give great suggestions, and just seemed like all-around badasses (not that I knew that word as a kid).  Even now, while I might not be a full-fledged librarian, I still love the profession and I love the work that I do.  And it appears that there are others who also agree that librarians are pretty much the coolest.  Check out this list of awesome books featuring even more awesome librarians!  In no particular order, less us begin!

1.) Library Wars: Love & War (Kiiro Yumi)  In the future, censorship has started to

take over, and books that are deemed unsuitable are banned or destroyed completely.  In order to fight back against government sanctioned censorship, the local libraries have created their own military: the Library Defense Force.  Among the ranks of soldiers is Iku Kasahara, who joined the Library Defense Force when a soldier saved her favorite book at a bookstore.  Moved by his bravery and act of kindness, she vows to protect the rights of everyone to read and express their thoughts without being silenced by the government.

This is simply an amazing manga series tallying up at so far 13 books.  Part drama, part love story, these books have the distinction for making super-unromantic Emmy go weak at the knees.  I love the characters and the plot line.  Plus, as I mentioned before, the romances are super, super cute (without being lovey-dovey).  This might be one for the girls, but if any guys read it, please tell me what you think!

2.) I Work at a Public Library (Gina Sheridan)  This book is perfect for librarians and library patrons alike.  No lie: librarians always have the best stories.  All kinds of crap goes down at the library ALL THE TIME.  Seriously!  So, read this to learn about some of the crazy things that patrons put us through, or see if your library stories really are the craziest ones out there!  Either way, it's a lot of fun for everyone.

3.) Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made (Stephen Pastis) For those of you not familiar with this hilarious children's series by Stephen Pastis (the guy who writes Pearls Before Swine), the Timmy Failure series follows the world's most inept child detective.  The stories are terribly funny, and Timmy certainly believes himself to be a genius, solving crimes with his lazy, unreliable polar bear friend Total (they call their detective agency Total Failure).  Best of all, the books are even enjoyable for adults.  They are well-written, clever, and as I have already said, terribly funny and full of Pastis's distinctive illustrations.  I always crack up!  So, why is this on my list?  Well, in book 1, we are introduced to Timmy's librarian friend, Flo.  I won't say anything more, so you'll have to read the books to find out.  But, Flo is probably one of my favorite characters in the series!

4.) Unshelved (Gene Ambaum and Bill Barnes)  Okay, so this is sort of a cheat.   See, the entire Unshelved series is originally posted online as a webcomic.  However, they have also started publishing them in book form, so you should totally check them out at your local library!  The series follows the misadventures of a group of librarians at a tiny public library.  And while many of the situations might seem ridiculous, believe me, many of them are actually sort of legit!  I know, I know, it sounds crazy.  But, trust me.  You ain't seen nothing until you've worked at the Reference desk during a peak time!  But, check out the comic.  It's funny.  I think you'll all enjoy it :)

Let me know what you think of my book selections.  I'm curious to get everyone's opinions.  Is there another list you'd like me to do?  I'll see if I can whip something up!  Also, with summer approaching, I should be coming up with a topic for summer reading.  Thoughts?  Thanks, guys!

New Start

Ah, the start of a new year.  New classes, new excitement at work, and of course, new books to be read.  I'll be honest, I'm rather glad classes have started again.  There's something really fun about new classes, getting all new assignments, learning new things....But, give me about five more weeks and I'll be ready for summer again.

I have a lot of good things planned for this year.  But, the big one for right now (since there's too much snow outside to really have any fun) is going to be reading.  Lots of reading.  I have a whole list of books stacked up to dive into, including several manga series that I've already started (One Piece, Death Note, Phoenix, and Black Jack, just to name a few).  For this first blog post of the new year, though, I'm going to touch upon something very near and dear to my heart: the library.

I have read a couple books so far this year (If you don't believe me, just check my Goodreads account!), two of which have focused on that funny little place called Customer Service.  I Work at a Public Library (Gina Sheridan) and Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops (Jen Campbell) provided me with many a much needed laugh.  As a library staff member myself (I'm not sure if I actually mentioned this here--I keep writing up posts and deleting them before they're published--but I was promoted in July to an Adult Services Associate Librarian, yay!  That means I work even more with the public, and my stories have gotten stranger and stranger.  The stories in these books alternately surprised me, horrified me, or left me shaking my head with a knowing chuckle: these are things I knew all to well.  If you've ever wanted to work in customer service, or if you already do, then you should definitely check out these books!  They will probably scare you away from getting into a customer service position, but if they don't, you'll see just how much fun is to be had while working!

Classes have started today, so I'm getting acquainted with all the fun stuff I'll be learning this semester.  First is Public Libraries, with Library Services for Adults starting in a few weeks.  I'll be sure to keep you posted on anything interesting I read or learn, and I'm hoping to be a more active blogger this semester than I have been in the past.  Until next time, Happy New Year!

Cabal is Coming!

So, I might have mentioned in a previous post (or two) that I'm super into the Johannes Cabal series by Jonathan L. Howard.  And I might have also mentioned that I have read all three books, and all six short stories.  And I might have even mentioned that there was a fourth book on the way.  Well, I know for a fact that I did NOT tell y'all that I have pre-ordered this book, and should be expecting it by the end of the month!!

I'm planning on reading it come December, with the brother, who also loves this series.  Since he won't be able to get his hands on a copy until then, I have to wait, too, in order to avoid spreading spoilers.  As anxious as I am to start, I thought it might be fun to revisit the rest of the series (novels AND short stories) before I read Book 4: The Brothers Cabal.  I think that, coupled with schoolwork and other books, should take me until December.  I hope, at least, since the last thing I want is to get into a Johannes Cabal marathon and have to stop short because I read the rest of the series too fast.

I really want to rant on here about how great this series is, but I'm sure you already know how I feel.  (If you don't, read some of my posts about this series!)  In the meantime, I'll be sure to keep you updated on what I'm reading and what I'm doing (I've been a bit bad about that recently).  For those of you who don't follow me on Goodreads, a short recap would say that I've been reading mostly manga, specifically Dragon Ball (NOT Dragon Ball Z) and Library Wars: Love & War...Oh!  And Osama Tezuka's Phoenix series.  Which, by the way, is amazing.  Apart from that, just my usual fare.  A bit of fantasy, some spooky stuff, some non-fiction, whatever floats my boat.

Until next time, my friends!

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag (Alan Bradley)

Summer mysteries are well under way.  I've officially finished the second Flavia de Luce book mere minutes before writing this.  This is a wonderful series.  I can't wait to get my hands on book 3 (A Red Herring Without Mustard).  But, for now, let's just focus on book 2: The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag.  First, I have to say Mr. Bradley has the most interesting titles for books!

• The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
• The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag
• Red Herring Without Mustard
• I am Half-Sick of Shadows
• Speaking from Among the Bones
• The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches
• As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust (Not yet published)

I thought this book was delightfully unsettling.  What I like about this series (from the two books I've read) is that while the deaths are certainly unsettling, they are never graphic or disturbing.  This is a classic cozy mystery, where you can close the book at any time and go right to sleep, instead of staring up at the ceiling thinking about the grisly details.  While in book 1, Flavia, our precocious 11-year old chemist, finds a dying man in the garden, this time he falls right onto the stage during a puppet show being put on in the parish hall.  And there is a whole delicious list of characters and suspects.  Who would have killed Rupert Porson, the puppeteer?  Could it have been his pregnant traveling companion, tired of his abuse or his wandering eye?  Or was it the mad woman who lives in the forest, who shouted that the devil was dead when Rupert came crashing down onto the stage?  Or perhaps the German POW who lives on one of the local farms and has a bit of shared history with him?

 

It was a fun book.  Sure, it was perhaps not as good as the first one, but I really enjoyed it.  I just love the main protagonist, Flavia.  She's clever, cute, and feels so original.  As a kid, I think this is the sort of person I would have loved to hang out with; she's smart and adventurous.  Plus, she's got a heart of gold (when she's not plotting revenge on her sisters, who can be rather cruel to her).

 

I feel like there is more that I should be saying about this book, but I'm afraid if I do, I'll be giving away plot points.  And besides, all my gushing about how wonderful Flavia is was taken care of in my previous post about this wonderful little detective.  As for my next read, I think I'll be deviating from the mysteries yet again.  I'm currently also reading the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett, and once I get a few more of those under my belt, I'll be writing up a post about the series (or at least a small portion of the series.  There are literally 40 books so far.  I've read 2.)

 

I've got a few other interesting books lined up.  Perhaps one of the most interesting is a little gift I received in the mail today from The Roomie, whom I have not been in contact with for months.  A book of library/librarian stories is pretty much the best thing ever to find sitting on the kitchen table after coming home from a particularly busy day at work.   I can't wait to start reading!  (Thanks, hun!)

The Bad, the Good, and the Down-Right Amazing

"Miss Emmy?"

"Yes, Watson?"

"What are all these books?"

"Well, those are books I just read."

"Yes, but, as far as I can tell, none of these are mysteries.  Isn't mystery your theme this summer?"

"That is correct, doctor.  That's what happens when you work in a library and new and interesting books are constantly falling into your lap.  You take them home and you read them."

"And what are you going to do now?"

"Elementary, my dear Watson!  I'm going to review them!"

*****

And, that's pretty much what happened.  I went to work, I found lots of books (mostly chemistry, but I haven't read those yet) and I sat down to start reading, even though many of them weren't mysteries (mostly because they were coming due).  What can I say?  I'm a sucker when it comes to books!

First in this motley lineup is David Sedaris's Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk.  I've heard some great things about this author, so I was really excited to check it out.  But, I'll be honest, I was terribly disappointed.  The stories were actually pretty depressing, and the characters were really full of themselves.  By the time I finished reading (it was a short book, so I managed to choke it down), I was feeling a bit bleak about stuff in general.  I'm sure his other stuff is funny, but I just wasn't feeling it with this book.  One positive, though: the illustrations were pretty fun.  (I mean, some of them were gross, but I did like the artist's style.)

The next book was far more enjoyable, and actually

should probably get it's own post, but I'm just not feeling up to it right now.  This was Vicious by Victoria Schwab, a twisted Sci-Fi novel about two friends, turned enemies, after their thesis studies on near-death experiences and super-human abilities goes horribly wrong.  It was a fast-paced read, and constantly kept my attention.  I really enjoyed reading it.  I think the best part is that for most of the book, you really don't know who to side with.  Clearly, both protagonists are nuts, but each presents a compelling reason that he is the correct one.  I have my thoughts on the matter, but I don't want to be the one to give any spoilers, so I'm going to just keep quiet about that.  But, I will say that it was a fast-paced, fascinating book, and one of those rare stories that actually left me completely unsure of what was going to happen until the very end.  Plus, I loved the characters for their depth, but only really "liked" a couple of them based on personality.  Some of them were just despicable but that's sort of what you want from your antagonist.

And finally, I did promise that this was to be a three-book post.  So, the final book of this trio is a wonderful manga graphic novel: Hetalia: Axis Powers, Vol. 1.  I recently started watching the anime, and I'm actually almost done with it.  So, while starting Season 4, I thought: Hey, isn't there a manga to this?  Yeah, let's go check it out.  For those of you unfamiliar with the anime or manga, Hetalia: Axis Powers is essentially a collection of stories about world history and politics (in this case, mostly WWII) where all the countries are depicted as attractive men.  The stories are clever and funny, and somehow manage to make sense, even though the countries are people instead of landmasses.  An example, when America decides to break free from England, he actually leaves England's house (he was living there along with other English territories.  Likewise, other countries in the same empires live together, like Austria and his girlfriend Hungary, who appears to be one of the only girls in this comic!).  It's a clever storyline, and makes me want to get interested in world history again.  I used to think history was fascinating, but after four years as an English major (during which time I decided to dump my History minor in favor of a Classical Studies one), I guess you can say that I got a bit sidetracked and my interests went elsewhere.  I've noticed that post-graduation Emmy is much more interested in reading about other things, like history  and science than she was before.  This is certainly a good thing.  And of course, I'm looking into reading more manga.  Hetalia is just the first on my list.