Not Quite A Review: Murder is Bad Manners

This year, for me, reading- and other-wise, has not been great. Is it time for us to light 2016 on fire and wave goodbye just yet? No? Okay. A few more weeks.

Well. In the midst of this year where I read a whole ten books, oh my god, try to hold back your applause for that ASTOUNDING NUMBER (yeah, sorry, the sarcasm is heavy tonight) -- anyway. In the midst of this year, I did discover a little beauty. A gem in the middle of all this madness.

Murder is Bad Manners, the first in a middle grade cosy mystery series by Robin Stevens. On a whim I found and bought this and the second book in the series earlier this year. Now, as with so many wonderful books, these seem to be originally published overseas, which means I don't know if I can actually find the remaining however-many in the series here in the United States. (If anyone knows, LET ME KNOW, although I'm sure finding out online shouldn't be too goshdarn difficult.)

Anyway, back to the book. It's cute. It's charming. It's slightly-creepy. It's murderous. It's lovable. Set in a British boarding school, I wish I could leap RIGHT INTO this book. Yes, even with that nasty business about the murder happening. The second in the series (Poison is Not Polite) is sitting on my shelf right now, just waiting for the perfect moment to be read. I'm thinking later in the winter, during a snowstorm hopefully.

Debut Review: The Lonely Hearts Club

THE LONELY HEARTS CLUB
Elizabeth Eulberg

This book was quite win. After the boy she's loved since forever breaks her heart, Penny Lane Bloom (named for the song) decides that all guys are jerks and vows not to date. At least, not until she's done with high school. She starts a Lonely Hearts Club with herself as the sole member. However, when her recently dumped ex-best-friend wants to join, the club and its mission of female empowerment becomes bigger than just Penny Lane. Soon other girls, either broken-hearted or just disillusioned by the  less-than-stellar guys around them, join the club. And Penny Lane finds that she's started a revolution. But of course, swearing off love is more difficult than it seems, especially when Penny Lane finds a guy who genuinely seems to like her and reminds her that not all guys are jerks.

Penny Lane is a stubborn and determined heroine, convinced that every guy is The Enemy. Her harsh attitude would get old quickly, but it soon mellows out and we're reminded that she's angry because she's hurt, because her fairytale came crashing down around her. The way that this particular part of the book is written felt spot-on and was a place of genuine sadness and regret in an otherwise fun and cute story. The characters here were fun and relateable, but, with a few exceptions, not especially original, and there's a large cast of girls in The Lonely Hearts Club that we never get the chance to know. However the book's real triumph is in its relationships. More specifically, the friendship shared by the members of Penny Lane's Lonely Hearts Club. Though there are a lot of characters we don't know much about, the friendship between the three  main girls is positive and realistic while the club as a whole has a very supportive and upbeat atmosphere. These girls are in different grades, have different interests and previously existed in separate social circles, but thanks to the club they come together as friends and learn to support each other even while having differing opinions. Honestly this is one of the best depictions of friendship that I've come across lately and I definitely wanted to jump into the book so that I could be a part of the fabulous Lonely Hearts Club.

The romance aspect lacked spark; the boy (whose name I won't spoil for you) was nice, normal, and sometimes funny, but seemed boring at times. I wanted the feisty Penny Lane to end up with someone more spectacular and it's a good thing the love story here plays second-fiddle to the larger, more important story of the girls' friendship and self-discovery. While the setting is fairly standard - a nondescript high school - Penny Lane's love for and obsession with The Beatles carries over into the rest of the book. From the title and cover to quotes inside the book and many, many Beatles references, the mood of this book perfectly matches that of the British invasion music. Though the ending of this book felt a little too perfect for me, the story is adorable, Penny Lane is a cheer-worthy protagonist, and the many musical references made me want to hug this adorable, wonderful book.

Top 10: Contemporary Middle Grade Novels

A while back I listed my Top 10 contemporary YA novels, which in addition to being incredibly fun and giving me the chance to think about a few of my all-time favorites, got me thinking about other favorites. Specifically the books I had to leave off of that list because they're middle grade. There are some truly incredible middle grade novels, and here's my list. Of course, I had to leave out series, which just gives me an excuse to make more lists. (So, yes, you can look forward to more Top 10s from me.)

1. ALL ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE, by Lynne Rae Perkins. As far as sad and heartbreaking reality, this book has it covered. From the very first chapter, when the main character tells us that Maureen used to be her best friend, this story tugs at the heartstrings. One of the most difficult topics to find good, honest stories about is the breakdown of a friendship, and Perkins tackles it perfectly here. There's no great tragedy or harrowing, emotional scene, yet this book has touched my heart like no other and every time I read it I have the same wonderful, complex reaction all over again.
2. BLOOMABILITY, by Sharon Creech. My goodness. If you haven't read Sharon Creech, you haven't really read anything. This book is simple and complex all at once, with vivid characters, and incredible setting, and a story that's impossible to describe. It's about possibility, it's about the here and now, it's about being completely and absolutely alive. And it's wonderful.
3. FLIPPED, by Wendelin Van Draanan. This is the sweetest, simplest, most beautifully-crafted young love story. From the very beginning, when Julianne crashes in with her muddy shoes and socks, disrupting Bryce's perfect life, to the ending that feels so perfect after so many years, this is one story that's so great and so sweet I just wanted to hug the book after I finished it. This was, quite honestly, maybe the only novel me and my best friend could agree on when I was younger, and for that reason alone it was special.
4. HEARTBEAT, by Sharon Creech. There's so much about Creech's writing that's so perfect. This novel-in-verse paints incredibly vivid pictures of the people and things populating the main character's life. Her sick grandfather, pregnant mother, and the best friend who's confusing when he never used to be. The book takes one brief glimpse into the life of a twelve-year-old girl and, like no book I've seen before, makes it profound and confusing and beautiful and relatable.
5. THE VIEW FROM SATURDAY, by E.L. Konigsburg. This was one of those books that didn't look like much. The cover had a strange color, the story wasn't altogether clear, the four character's timelines came together and apart and sometimes confused me. But then everything came together in these surreal, that-would-never-happen moments that were so acutely real it didn't matter how unbelievable they were. I learned about calligraphy, tea, sea turtles, and the answers we give when we don't know the real answer.
6. CRISS CROSS, by Lynne Rae Perkins. There's no way to describe this book. There's really not. Incredible comes pretty close though.
7. THE EGYPT GAME, by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. We learned about ancient Egypt in middle school and I was obsessed. The mummies! The pyramids! Everything was so weird and strange and out of the norm. And then I read this book. And there were these kids who were also obsessed with Egypt, and suddenly it was like the coolest thing ever. The best story, the most awesome setting. Just everything about this book had me hooked.
8. THE GIRLS, by Amy Goldman Koss. Mean girls for pre teens, this book wove a story I felt I knew intimately. The cold shoulder, the knowing you did something wrong even though you don't know what, the blank, seeing-through-you stares of girls who you used to think were your friends. Like ALL ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE, this was a story I knew inside and out, and to see it written there on the page was nothing short of amazing.
9. THE MOFFATS, by Eleanor Estes. To be honest, I read this ages ago. I found it in the dusty old stack of the library I practically grew up inside of. I don't remember the story, but I remember the family and I remember feeling like it was the most incredible, enchanting thing ever. I read the book, returned it, and I've never seen a copy of it since, but it remains one of the best books I've ever read.
10. SNAP!, by Alison McGhee. This book made me cry so much. It's such a... well, such a story. It's the type of book that, for me, there's just no words for. It's like the ink, the pages themselves, are made of sadness. And yet, for all that, there's a feeling at the end like I was better for having read it. Like it was hopeful, if get-me-the-tissues sad.

So, what books are on your list? Have you read any of mine? (If you do decide to make your own list -- and I hope you do! -- link me to it so I can check it out.)

Tween Tuesday: Mary Anne Saves the Day (A Graphic Novel)

Since my blog focuses mainly on YA, though I do read a few MG books and would love to talk about them also, I'm going to be participating in GreenBeanTeenQueen's Tween Tuesday whenever I have a Middle Grade novel I want to talk about.

For my first Tween Tuesday post, I'll be talking about MARY ANNE SAVES THE DAY: A GRAPHIC NOVEL. This is the updated, graphic novel version of one of the first books in the Baby-Sitters Club series. And since it doesn't fit into my normal review system so well (one of the negatives of having such a strict reviewing system I suppose) I'm going to do something a little different this time and not stick to the typical rubric.

This book is a short, cute read. The main conflict here is the four members of the Baby-Sitters Club getting in a huge fight that causes them to avoid each other in school and take turns answering the phone at club meetings so that they don't all have to attend. While separated from her friends, shy Mary Anne meets Dawn Schafer, a new girl in school who just moved from California. The girls form a fast friendship and discover their parents actually knew each other in high school. Though the original story of this book is decades old, I'm still loathe to give anything away to readers who maybe haven't read it and want to read the graphic novel adaption. But suffice to say, Mary Anne is put in some sticky situations and forced to make some mature decisions without the help of her friends and at the same time makes a new friend for possibly the first time in her life.

The pictures in this book are absolutely adorable and the essence of the girls (especially Mary Anne, with her hair in two braids) seems to be captured very well. I did find myself wishing that Claudia's outfits were a bit wilder, but it's possible that she was still relatively tame in those early books. The technology has also been updated, with Mary Anne surprised that Dawn has a DVD player in her room (as opposed to the VCR player that it was in the original book). While these changes jarred me a little as an original reader of the series, they do make sense for an updated story and obviously it wouldn't bother younger readers.

One of the best things about this adaption is that the whole "chapter 2" is skipped. Chapter 2, for anyone who doesn't know, was the chapter in BSC novels set aside for introducing, in completely formulaic fashion and generally with nearly the exact same wordage for each book, the club and its members. Losing that was wonderful and it makes the story move so much quicker and smoother.

I definitely recommend this for pre-teen and young teen girls, especially reluctant readers or others who might be captured by the comic-book format. Also older readers might want to flip through this one; it's a nice, fresh update of the books we love so much and I found myself wishing more of the books (instead of just the first four) were going to be adapted into graphic novels.

Blog Hop: Sept 3-6 (Cover Judgements)

This week's Blog Hop question (hosted by Jennifer, of Crazy for Books) is about covers:

Do you judge a book by its cover?

Absolutely. I'm such a sucker for a pretty cover (and especially pretty fonts). This really comes into play whenever I go to a bookstore, especially a used bookstore where a lot of the book are in not-great condition. I love the ones that have nice, modern-looking covers. One thing that really annoys me with book covers (and yes, I realize this is done for a reason) is when the author's name is bigger than the title of the book. It happens a lot with big-time authors and even sometimes in YA, especially with some of Sarah Dessen's books and, most notably, the paperback version of AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES, by John

Green. This has always bothered me and though I know the author has nothing to do with it and it probably is very good advertisement, especially if the author is well-known, I'm more likely to buy a book where the title is the focus, not the author's name.

As for what I do like in book covers?

• Color. (example: THE EXTRAORDINARY SECRETS OF APRIL, MAY, AND JUNE)
• Fonts. Pretty fonts, that is. I like Helvetica (dear Helvetica, I love you.) and fonts that look hand-written especially. (example: THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY)
• Simple, conceptual designs. There are many I can think of for this one, but I like the unobtrusive, eye-catching pictures that give a hint to what the book is about. (examples: SCRAMBLED EGGS AT MIDNIGHT and THE UNWRITTEN RULE)
• Matte finish. Hey, I like a shiny book cover as much as the next person, but not if "shiny" means "every fingerprint is going to show." That's just annoying.

To be completely honest, and just to show how much I love pretty covers, I own a few books that I don't even like but I constantly find myself wanting to reread them just because of how beautiful the cover is. So yeah, I judge the covers. It doesn't come into play when considering what I think of the story and writing, but in choosing what to buy it definitely does.

What about you? Do you choose what to buy based on covers? What do you love (or hate) in covers?

Review: So Many Boys

Review in Short: The second in the Naughty List catches up with Tessa Crimson after she's hung up her cheerleading skirt, disbanded the vigilante SOS, and broken up with her all-but-perfect boyfriend, Aiden. Now, however, she's stuck in this in-between place, not quite as secure in her friendships as she was the year before, hooking up with her ex-boyfriend (but not dating him), and trying to work on herself without the added stress and pep of cheering. When a copy-Kitten starts her own vengeful brand of SOS, the Smitten Kittens call on Tessa to help them catch her and as the copy-Kitten gets more and more devious, Tessa's life falls further and further apart though she's frantically trying to piece it back together. This is a worthy successor to THE NAUGHTY LIST and sets up a third book quite well, but all is not perfect. A few of the relationships seem disingenuous and the ending falls apart, souring my opinion of this sweet book. 83/100 = B

Premise: 9. After her split from both the Smitten Kittens (the cheering and spying aspects) and boyfriend Aiden, Tessa's working on herself. This means hanging the skirt up, yoga, beauticians, and being in an "un-relationship" with the boy she's still in love with. But when the now-defunct SOS is brought back to life by a copy-Kitten, the squad needs Tessa's cheer more than ever.

Plot: 8. As in the first book, the movement and pace of the plot was close to flawless. Though this isn't a "shock and awe" sort of book, there were definitely some surprising moments and just enough uncertainty to keep you on your toes. However, I was at times a bit annoyed with the choices the characters made and felt as if certain plots were dragging on unnecessarily.

Characters: 8. There were a few characters I just loved in this book (Joel and Leona, most notably), others I couldn't stand, and then some... some that I just wanted to slap. Unfortunately, Tess fell into the third category. Between the time she breaks up with Aiden and leaves the squad and SOS, her trademark confidence and pep seriously plummets. It makes for an interesting and relatable character, but also for one that I got frustrated with more often than not. There were some decisions she made (especially in the end of the book) that just didn't ring true to her honest, caring, and lovable personality, which irked me. Also: Aiden. In the first book I wasn't sure what I thought about him or how I felt, but it didn't take long into SO MANY BOYS for me to realize I definitely don't like him.

Relationships: 8. Tessa's relationships in this book are all a little rocky, a little undefined. She's no longer the leader of the Smitten Kittens and because of this her friendships with the other girls (especially Captain Kira) are strained. Additionally, her undefined relationship with Aiden is stressing her out, and the founder of SOS seems out to get her. While most of the relationships in this novel were very well written and, if not all sparkles and sunshine, very interesting and fitting for the story, there were some that bothered me. The way a few of her relationships worked out in the end seemed disingenuous to me, and I got tired of the back-and-forth with Aiden. Still, there was definitely more good than bad here and I loved her relationships with Leona, Joel, and even Mary.

Setting: 10. The setting here is less setting and more the general atmosphere surrounding Tessa. In a short amount of time she's lost (or at least half-lost) all the things that mattered most, that made her who she was, and because of this there's a definite sense of confusion in the novel. The fact that her parents are rarely around helps add to this feeling of unease.

Themes: 9. Friendship, love, self, and loyalty. These themes are explored subtly, as this definitely isn't an issues-focused novel, but very well, especially as the novel nears its conclusion.

Voice: 9. I missed Tessa's incessant pep and sugar-coated swears in this book. They were there still, but much less. However, this was fitting with the whole atmosphere of the novel and I don't think it would have worked any other way.

Ending: 6. Sadly, this ending really fell flat for me and really soured the way I feel about the rest of the novel. Though I appreciate the set up of the third book in the series, many of Tessa's actions seemed out-of-character and I felt that the copy-Kitten got off way too easy considering all that she'd put her so-called friends through. The ending between Aiden and Tessa also seemed a bit tacked-on and, though not out of character for them, irritating for me as a reader. That said, this is still very much a winning series and I can't wait for the next installment.

Recommendability: 8.

Fangirly: 8. It would be more if not for the ending. It would be less if not for the first book and the promise of a third.

This book gets 83 out of 100, a B.

For fans of the first NAUGHTY LIST novel and anyone who wants a sweet, light read about relationships and espionage.

Review: The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June

Review in Short: This is an adorable, well-written story about three sisters with superpowers. It's told from multiple viewpoints (all three sisters) and the characters have a depth to them that comes from getting more than one person's perspective. The theme of sisterhood is the driving force of this novel and it certainly doesn't hurt that the characters, relationships, voice, and plot are so wonderful. Though the ending seemed to drag on too long, I completely fell in love with this book. 89/100 = B

Premise: 8. Not long after their parents divorce sisters April, May, and June (re)discover powers that have been hidden since childhood. April can see the future, middle-child May literally disappears, and June can read minds. Though I don't encounter this much in the contemporary books I read, I know the discovery of powers is a pretty common theme and premise in fantasy and paranormal fiction.

Plot: 9. The storyline here revolves around the sisters dealing with having superhero-style powers and the aftermath of their parents divorce. New friends, love interests, and their complicated relationships with each other and their parents are a huge part of this plot and not to give anything away, but it's really interesting how the stories and characters intersect.

Characters: 10. I loved the characters in this novel. The sisters were so different and the depth of their thoughts and personalities were shown so well, especially with the multiple-POV narration letting you see certain events from different viewpoints. The dialogue between the sisters (and in general) was hilarious and spot-on. I loved it.

Relationships: 9. First of all, I could not have loved the relationships between April, May, and June more. It's just not possible. They laughed and fought and talked like sisters actually do and as the story goes on their relationships develop and deepen. Another relationship I really loved was the one between April and Julian -- their conversations were hysterical and heart-warming. Really, the only slight problem I had with the relationships in this book was how suddenly the May-and-Henry dynamic seemed to change.

Setting: 8. A new school and new house are the settings for this novel but they both seem to be overshadowed by so much else. Which, quite honestly, works for this book. I didn't even notice until I set out to write my review.

Themes: 9. Friendship and family dynamics, but mostly sisterhood. This book was completely wonderful as far as the dynamic of sisters was portrayed and this, more than the divorce or superpowers, was what carried the story. Superlove.

Voice: 10.

Ending: 7. Okay, here's the one place I had issues with this book. The ending dragged on too long and I felt like the book easily could have ended before the last couple of chapters and been better for it.

Recommendability: 9.

Fangirly: 10. Okay, I wasn't expecting much from this book. Unlike so many others, I wasn't a big fan of Robin Benway's debut novel (AUDREY, WAIT!) and I so rarely read anything with a fantastical twist to it. But this is more contemporary than anything else and the relationships and characters are nearly perfect. I fell in love.

This book gets 89 out of 100, a B.

For readers looking for a sweet story of sisters and superpowers, anyone who liked Robin Benway's first novel, as well as fans of Maureen Johnson. Or, you know, just anyone looking for an incredibly awesome book.

Review: The Mother-Daughter Book Club

Review in Short: When a Mother-Daughter book club pushes four sixth grade girls together, they have to learn to put aside their differences (and maybe even become friends?) while reading the classic book, LITTLE WOMEN, together with their mothers. This is an adorable middle grade book for girls and their mothers. The characters didn't ring as true as I wanted them too, but I think every mother or daughter will be able to relate to one of the relationships in the book. 77/100 = C

Premise: 9. A mother-daughter book club reading LITTLE WOMEN. Seriously, what girl doesn't find that premise adorable? I know I do, and not just because LITTLE WOMEN is one of my favorite books ever.

Plot: 8. The four 6th grade girls in the book club start out as classmates with a variety of ties between them. Two are best friends, two used to be friends but are now enemies, and one is the new girl who hardly knows anybody and is teased because of her un-girly interests. As the book progresses, of course, these girls are forced to actually come together and understand each other as well as deal with the trials of middle school and family life. There's actually a lot in the plot of this book, especially because each girl has her own story, and I can't sum it all up but let's just say: separated parents, dead parents, mothers who don't understand, bullies, and crushes are at the crux of this book.

Characters: 7. I liked all four girls (popular Megan, tomboy Cassidy, farm-girl Jess, and sensitive Emma) as well as the secondary characters (especially Emma's brother, Darcy), but I did feel like the girls were less fleshed out and more stereotypes of girls we all encounter in middle school. I understand this and I still loved them all, but I did wish they were more dimensional. (However, since this is the start of a series, it's possible the characters become more fleshed out as you spend more time with them.)

Relationships: 8. SO MANY RELATIONSHIPS IN THIS BOOK. With family, friends, not-friends, and boys. I loved the girls relationships with their mothers and I'm pretty sure any daughter or mother would be able to find a relationship here to relate to. However, there were just so many relationships that it was hard to really explore them much in such a short book.

Setting: 8. Concord, Massachusetts. I loved that this book was set in such a historical town and that, at times, this aspect of it was played up.

Themes: 8. Family, mothers and daughters, friendship. Like with so much in this book there was just so much here that while it was all good there wasn't enough room for any of it to stand out as GREAT.

Voice: 7.

Ending: 7. To be honest, the book felt like it went from this very grounded, realistic middle grade novel to, in the last couple of chapters, a BSC Super Special. (Not that I don't entirely love BSC Super Specials, but it just didn't work here.) I won't ruin the ending, but you'll see what I mean when you get there. All of the sudden it just becomes all a bit too unbelievable.

Recommendability: 8, especially for middle school girls.

Fangirly: 7.

So this book gets 77 out of 100, a C.

For girls, especially middle school girls, and their mothers. Seriously, this is very much a girls-and-their-moms book. It's adorable.