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Holiday Reading: Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

December 20, 2011 No comments

Bibliography: Cohn, Rachel and David Levithan. (2010). Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares.  New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers.  IBSN: 978-0375866593 (hc) 978-0375859557 (pb)

Plot Summary:  On his own in New York for the Christmas holidays, Dash finds a red moleskine notebook in the J.D. Salinger section of the Strand bookstore.  The notebook contains a challenge from the mysterious Lily.  Are Dash and Lily destined to meet in real life?  Or do they only live in the notebook they pass back and forth?

Critical Analysis:  One of my dreams is to visit New York City during the Christmas season.  With this book, I felt like I was there.  I really liked the clever collaboration, and I will need to go back and read their other  joint novels (Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Naomi & ely’s No Kiss List) to see what other fun I missed.  The dares were fun, Lily’s crazy family who assisted her and Dash’s diverse group of friends just added to the story.  Lots of humor and wit along with holiday details and a New York back drop make this an excellent holiday read for teens and adults.

Review Excerpts: “Cohn and Levithan use a familiar but fun formula for this holiday-themed collaboration–think Saint Nick & Norah–mixing an enticing premise with offbeat characters and some introspective soul searching….there are more than enough amusing turns of phrase and zigzag plot twists to keep their attention”–Publisher’s Weekly

“The spirit of the season amplifies Dash and Lily’s loneliness and heightens the connection between them, in another surefire hit from the creators of Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (2006).”–Booklist

“As they did in Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist (Knopf, 2006), the authors combine their talents to write an appealing book. It makes readers long to buy a notebook, begin filling its pages, and find a friend who might turn out to be more. This book will spend as much time off the shelf as Lily’s notebook.”–School Library Journal

Reviewed from public library e-book copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

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Holiday Reading: Gingerbread Cookie Murder by Joanna Fluke, Laura Levine and Leslie Meier

December 12, 2011 No comments

Bibliography: Fluke, Joanne; Laura Levine and Leslie Meier. (2010). Gingerbread Cookie Murder. New York: Kensington.  ISBN: 978-0758234957 (hc) 978-0758234957 (pb)

Plot Summary:  Three wonderful holiday whodunuits.  In “Gingerbread Cookie Murder” by Joanne Fluke, Hannah Swensen just wants neighbor Ernie to turn down the music on his over the top Christmas display.  When she finally goes to his condo to confront him, she finds him sprawled on the floor with her gingerbread cookies scattered around him.  In “The Danger of Gingerbread Cookies” by Laura Levine, Jaine Austen is visiting her parents at their retirement complex in Florida where she has to suffer through an awful amateur holiday play.  It may be bad, but she didn’t wish for the “accidental” death of one of the actors.  In “Gingerbread Cookies and Gunshots” by Leslie Meier, intrepid local reporter Lucy Stone knows that there is more than meets the eye to the disappearance of a little boy from the back of his parents’ car.  Between her own holiday preparations, she races to track down the boy.

Critical Analysis:  These shorter novellas are perfect for holiday reading.  They are little treats to fans of the respective authors’ mystery series, and serve as introductions or light diversions for readers who may be less familiar.  I am a long time reader of Fluke and Meier, and also read 2007′s Candy Cane Murder, featuring three stories from the same authors.  (Which reminds me to seek out Levine’s series as well.)  I continue to read Fluke, although I have found the last couple of entries in her series to be uneven.  I actually love her shorter stories because the mystery and action are so tight.   I think the short story and novella are under-utilized forms these days, and look forward to more of these collections.  Plus I am a sucker for holiday stories and Fluke’s recipes.

Review Excerpts:  ”Fluke, Levine, and Meier each offer a yuletide whodunit treat in this entertaining follow-up to 2007′s Candy Cane Murder.”–Publisher’s Weekly

Reviewed from personal copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

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Holiday Reading: Duck & Goose: It’s Time for Christmas by Tad Hills

December 5, 2011 No comments

Bibliography: Hills, Tad. (2011).  Duck & Goose: It’s Time for Christmas. New York: Schwartz and Wade. ISBN: 978-0375871122

Plot Summary:  Goose is ready for all things winter: snowflakes, sledding, snow angels, snowballs, snowmen (geese), skating and snow forts.  Duck doesn’t have time for these activities, he knows what time it really is.

Critical Analysis:  So much packed into this little book.  The text is simple and repetitive but the pictures are delightful.  Lots of color, expression and personality.  Goose throws himself into each activity while Duck stands off watching, looking at times worried and at others reproachful.  It all works out in the end when Goose helps Duck decorate the Christmas tree.  Perfect for little ones as both a read aloud and to explore on their own.  There is a whole series featuring Duck and Goose.

Review Excerpts: “A cute story with nice repetition of the phrase “It is not time for…” makes this a child pleaser. The expressions on Duck and Goose’s faces add to the story’s charm.”–Children’s Literature

“It seems a little sad that Duck is such a killjoy, stopping Goose from enjoying his winter fun, but that’s a minor quibble. And the cover glitters! Cheery holiday fare for pre-readers.”–School Library Journal

Reviewed from public library e-book copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

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Holiday Reading: The Christmas Clock by Kat Martin

December 1, 2011 No comments

Bibliography: Martin, Kat. (2009).  The Christmas Clock. New York: Vanguard Press. ISBN: 978-1593155476

Plot Summary:  Sylvia left Dreyerville and her fiance, Joe,  8 years ago to deal with a health scare.  Joe never got over it, or her, and now that she is back, he’s angry and hurt.  Sylvia rents a room from the Culvers, an old married couple who have let the years put distance between them.  They all come together and rally around next door neighbor Lottie and her grandson Teddy when Lottie’s Alzheimer’s worsens.

Critical Analysis:  There are no miracles here, but lots of love and small town charm.  I thought this quick delightful read was just what someone might want to fill in an evening while getting in the Christmas spirit.  Martin does an excellent job of moving the story forward with vignettes and snippets of peoples’ lives that show glimpses into their hearts.  A true romance that will appeal to anyone with the holiday spirit.

Review Excerpts: “Charming and romantic….A must read….”–Library Journal

“It’s standard-issue sentimental holiday fare, peopled with wholesome and one-dimensional caricatures, though, notably, there’s no late-book miracle. It has plenty of competition with other seasonal titles, and there’s little to distinguish this from the others.”–Publisher’s Weekly

Reviewed from public library e-book copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

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Review: Wicked Autumn by G.M. Malliet

November 30, 2011 No comments

Bibliography: Malliet, G.M. (2011). Wicked Autumn. New York: St. Martin’s Press. ISBN: 978- 0312646974

Plot Summary:  Former MI5 agent, current Episcopal parish priest, Max Tudor finds the gossip and goings on of Nether Monkslip to be just his speed.  But when the brash president of the Woman’s Institute turns up dead during the village Haverst Fayre, Max’s intuition tells him it was no accident.  He cannot believe that anyone in the idyllic village could be to blame but almost everyone admits to disliking the victim.  But who hated her the most?

Critical Analysis:  Malliet has another winning cozy mystery series on her hands ( see Death of a Lit Chick and Death of a Cozy Writer).  I would love to know more about her reading history, as she seems to know just how much of a twist to apply to genre formulas to create a cast of characters, a place, and a murder mystery that are both so typical and yet fresh and funny and utterly readable.  Max Tudor (could his name be more British?) is as much an interest for being a very eligible bachelor as a former intelligence agent.  Malliet gives him a back story  which she uncovers a little at a time (I am hopeful that future installments will reveal more.)  But more than just Max, we have the wonderful cast of village characters, including the buxom older blonde, the mousy owner of a farm, the blustery Major, the antique shop owner, the elderly school teacher who sees all, and the new age shop owner.  All are far more nuanced and subtle then one might expect, and all are welcome to return in the next in the series.

Readalikes:  At the same time I was reading Wicked Autumn, I had downloaded the audio of 12 Drummers Drumming.  (The first of the new Father Christmas series–not, as I had thought, a mystery series starring Santa Claus.)  Rather, Father Christmas is the new vicar of a small village…the book opens at the village May Fayre…has a wonderful cast of characters…it was so similar I had to set it aside to listen to later to focus on the Malliet.

Review Excerpts:   ”Malliet has mastered the delights of the cozy mystery so completely that she seems to be channeling Agatha Christie.. . [with] ironic humor that contribute[s ] a little spice to the village charm, making the story even more delicious. Religion, espionage, tea, and crumpets: a winning menu.” — Booklist

“Agatha Award–winning author Malliet ( Death of a Cozy Writer ) debuts a superb new series. .. You’ ll marvel at the author’s low-key humor and crystal-clear depictions of small-town life… Malliet, like Louise Penny, brings a contemporary freshness to the traditional mystery.”– Library Journal

Reviewed from publisher provided advanced copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

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