Plot Summary:  Mickey Bolitar is not having a very good year.  His dad is dead, his mom is in rehab, and Mickey is forced to change schools and live with the uncle he doesn’t really know.   When his new girlfriend doesn’t show up to school one day, Mickey grows worried and with the help of his new friends decides to look for her.

Critical Analysis:  I am a fan of Harlan Coben’s Myron Bolitar series.  I think that he has a knack for combining quirky characters with real pathos and lots of dry wit added in for good measure.  When I heard there was going to be a young adult series about Myron and Win, I was interested but wondered how that would work, as they did not meet till college. and Win is, well, not a character you would think belongs in many teen books.  So I was glad when the series about Mickey was announced.

Mickey is actually introduced in the last Myron book, Live Wire.  The beginning of Shelter is the ending of Live Wire from Mickey’s point of view.  I have been disappointed lately in bestselling adult authors who have written young adult books just to capitalize on this growing market.  (I was going to name names, but decided most people would be able to think of at least one…)

So it is both a relief and a delight to report that this is a good beginning to what I hope will be a long running series.  (I was going to be mad at Coben if that weren’t the case.  There are not enough books in this genre being written for teens today but we don’t need poorly written ones either.)

Despite sharing a talent for playing basketball, wisecracking  and a deep love for family, Mickey is not Myron.  I bet Myron wishes he would have thought to yell “Homework” whenever his parents were giving him grief.  Perhaps it is because he is a teen, but Mickey feels things more deeply, and is trying to find the balance between being independent and taking help from others.  Mickey’s friends are great, moving beyond the stereotypes they represent as are the stereotypical jocks who have it in for him.  (Shades of Myron again who just can’t seem to keep his mouth shut around meatheads.)  The secondary storyline about the Bat Lady who says his father might still be alive is intriguing and appears to be a thread that will run through at least the first part of the series.

I hope teens find their way to Shelter, and perhaps to the Myron books as well which aside from a great deal of violence are teen friendly.

Review Excerpts: “Shelter begins one of the oddest—and most appealing spinoff series in recent years….[T]he youngster copes with some adult-sized problems, including his father’s death, his mother’s drug abuse problems, switching high schools, and his new living situation. Everything seems less pressing, however, than the mysteries surrounding the disappearance of a new girlfriend.”–Barnes and Noble

“Edgy and action-filled, the novel has interesting, likable characters, and it should fly off the shelves.”
—School Library Journal

“Crackerjack pace and multi-layered plotting…”—Kirkus Reviews

“Coben’s semi-noir style translates well to YA, and the supporting cast is thoroughly entertaining. It’s a strong start to the series.”—Publishers Weekly

“Quite satisfying and points to a good deal of potential for what might come next.”—Booklist

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.

Bibliography: Hart, Carolyn. (2009).  Merry, Merry Ghost.  New York: William Morrow.  ISBN: 978-0060874377 (hc) 978-0061962929 (pb)

Plot Summary:  The late Bailey Ruth Raeburn is chosen to return to her old stomping grounds, Adelaide, OK just in time for Christmas and to help four-year-old orphan Keith meet his grandmother Susan.  When Susan decides to change her will to leave everything to Keith, someone makes sure that she can’t.  Bailey Ruth must catch the murderer and protect Keith.

Critical Analysis:  I have long been a fan of Carolyn Hart, especially the Death on Demand series.  When I found out she was writing a new series, I decided to give it a try, even though I am so tired and so over anything paranormal.  Well, am I ever so glad I did!  Bailey Ruth and the heaven she inhabits and the Oklahoma she visits are delightful all around.  Bailey Ruth is as feisty in death as she must have been in life, but her heart is in the right place.  I love the details of the world that Hart has created–Bailey Ruth’s ability to imagine a new wardrobe, to appear and disappear and carry things (but the items remain visible).  She pretends to be a police officer and provides clues to the sheriff.  She breaks all the “precepts” and is worried that she won’t get sent on any more missions.  In this series entry, lots of Christmas details and cerebration, a very dysfunctional family, and a very funny scene where Bailey Ruth and the ghost of the murder victim are pulled over while driving a car.  Well, and a murder.  Delightful and cozy and I recommend it highly (along with the others in the series.)  If you can get the audio version, even better, as the reader is excellent.

Review Excerpts: “When murder and mayhem ensue, Hart’s ghostly detective gets on the track of a clever killer. Bailey Ruth’s pleasure in her earthly wardrobe, her keen observations of the other characters and her unorthodox but expert sleuthing will engage readers from start to finish.”–Publisher’s Weekly

“A cute and cozy mystery.”–Library Journal

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

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.

]]> http://readspace.net/2011/12/holiday-reading-dash-lilys-book-of-dares-by-rachel-cohn-and-david-levithan/feed/ 0 http://readspace.net/2011/12/holiday-reading-gingerbread-cookie-murder-by-joanna-fluke-laura-levine-and-leslie-meier/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=holiday-reading-gingerbread-cookie-murder-by-joanna-fluke-laura-levine-and-leslie-meier http://readspace.net/2011/12/holiday-reading-gingerbread-cookie-murder-by-joanna-fluke-laura-levine-and-leslie-meier/#comments Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:45:33 +0000 Susan http://readspace.net/?p=1765

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.

Bibliography

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.

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.

Bibliography: Offill, Jenny and Nancy Carpenter. (2006).  17 Things I’m Not Allowed to Do Any More. New York: Schwartz and Wade.  ISBN: 9780375835964 (hc) 9780375866012 (pbk)

Plot Summary:  A mischievous little girl has a lot of seemingly good ideas but they all seem to get her in trouble.

Critical Analysis:  Books like this one make me miss being a children’s librarian and seeing new picture books and reading them at story time.  This one is so much fun, and such a marriage between the text and the artwork to tell the story, communicate the emotion to the reader.  The pictures, a combination of pen and ink drawings and digitally manipulated images on crumpled paper not only fill in some of the details, but also are the kind that children will want to examine even after the story is finished.  In addition, the text leaves room for the reader or listener to come up with their own ideas about what happens.  Or in my case, to think about other great ideas that might not turn out so well.  ”I had an idea…”

Review Excerpts:  ”Ingenious artwork–a flawless marriage of digital imagery and pen-and-ink–is indisputably the focus of this winning title….striking and subtle–real wood grain, blades of grass, the chrome-plated details on classroom furniture–all are seamlessly integrated around a winsome cast of well-drawn characters….just about picture-perfect”–School Library Journal

“The title is terrifically cheeky, and Carpenter…outdoes herself in these mixed-media illustrations….Kids will be intrigued by the pictures’ playful sense of composition as well as the heroine’s brazenness….”–Publisher’s Weekly

“Our mischievous but delightful heroine is the kind of kid who makes parents and teachers old before their time, but still makes us laugh….Carpenter combines a lively pen and ink black line with naturalistic colors and digital media….The mottled look of the paper is achieved by crumpling it and filing with an emery board; Adobe Photoshop is used to rescan and manipulate the type; bits of photo collage are added for a fresh visual look. The glue she is smilingly squeezing from the bottle on the jacket has an attractive three-dimensional quality.”–Children’s Literature

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

Edited to add:

Bibliography: Nayeri, Daniel.  (2011). Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow.  Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN: 9780763655266

Plot Summary:  Four novellas representing four different genres.  Toy Farm is a western unlike any other–a farm that grows living toys and a ranch the grows empty people.  Our Lady of Villains is science fiction, looking at how the near future morphs into the faraway future with the help of technology.  Wish Police is a police procedural about a team that locks up wishes that can’t or shouldn’t or won’t come true.  Doom with a View is a romance, if Death were in charge of the world.  So everyone dies in the end but love conquers all.

Critical Analysis:  Nayeri has written two previous books with his sister Dina, Another Faust and Another Pan.  Both were sort of retellings, or more re imaginings of classic tales and full of action, suspense and dread.  With these novellas. Nayeri wanted to do something a little different.  He decided to write stories that would appeal to boys and girls.  That would introduce readers to different kinds of stories that they didn’t realize they would enjoy.  According to his author’s note, he wrote all of them on his iPhone.

The sampler I have included the story Doom with a View.  I have to admit, it did take me a minute to get into the right frame of mind.  (The mention of The Princess Bride in the note should have been a clue.)  Nayeri has taken several age old tropes and turned them sideways.  Two families feuding but over the interior decorating world?  Two children destined to be together but they don’t even speak the same language?  One beautiful girl who Death takes by mistake is stuck in limbo, not waiting for the kiss of a prince, but for the paperwork and bureaucracy to clear up and return her to her life.  So so so funny!  I would have to say that this is unlike anything else being published for teens these days, and I only hope it is a sign that Nayeri has more in store, whether solo or with his sister.  I for one can’t wait.

There are some great commercials for the novels that I hope you will enjoy.

Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow – Our Lady of Villains Commercial from Candlewick Press on Vimeo.

Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow – Wish Police Commercial from Candlewick Press on Vimeo.

Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow – Doom With a View Commercial from Candlewick Press on Vimeo.

Straw House, Wood House, Brick House, Blow – Toy Farm Commercial from Candlewick Press on Vimeo.

Also, you can download Toy Farm (Straw House) for free from Amazon for your own sample of these novellas.  And last, but certainly not least, the good folks at Candlewick are providing a copy for me to giveaway.  Just leave a comment below and you’ll be entered to win!  Contest closes Saturday, October 29.

Review Excerpts: “[The] novellas riff on influences as varied as The Wizard of Oz, Mad Max, and the sardonic Death of Pratchett’s Discworld…Strong and assured, these stories seamlessly merge different styles, teasing out and playing with readers’ assumptions about how westerns, fantasy and fairy tales work…provocative and deeply satisfying.”–Kirkus Reviews

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.

Plot Summary:  Esme may be the only white Jewish lesbian teen in her Minneapolis suburb, but she has found her place with her 3 best friends performing in Sister Mischief, laying down hip hop beats and rhymes.  The girls decide to protest when the school sets a policy against any rap or associated clothing or paraphernalia.  When Esme realizes she has feelings for Rohini, part of her crew, she must come to realize that love, sex, coming out and culture can make matters of the heart complicated.

Critical Analysis:  It took me a few chapters to really get into this book, there is so much going on.  (Too much?)  It isn’t enough to have a white lesbian hip hop artist, let’s put her in Minnesota.  And make her Jewish.   And have her mom leave.  And give her a reason to protest her school administration.  And use texts and tweets and notes in a notebook to tell the story.  And then, somewhere around Sister Mischief’s first concert and meeting with the principal to protest the new policy against rap and hip hop culture, I fell for Esme and her crew.

I identified with them, I felt what it is like to be on the fringes, to be different and know it.  I felt the wonder of Esme and Rohini’s exploration of their feelings and of each other.  I felt both their pain when the romance ended.  I felt the empowerment behind their 4H meetings and their music.  I felt the love and unconditional acceptance that Esme and her dad shared.

It would be easy to say this is a good GLBTQ book for teens, which it is.  But more than that, this is a book for all teens who have ever felt like outsiders, like they were going against the stream to get to some other destination.  I just hope that those teens who need this story will wade through the beginning to settle into the rhythm that is Esme and her crew.

Review Excerpts:  ”Debut novelist Goode shows she’s as much of a “word nerd” as her characters….Goode knows her stuff. The girls have an encyclopedic knowledge and deep love of hip-hop, and Esme’s emotionally charged rhymes flow freely. If ever a book needed a soundtrack—or a beatbox—this is it”–Publisher’s Weekly

“[R]eaders will applaud heroine, Esme, and her band of friends. This debut novel is a funny and tender coming-of-age story. It reminds us to stand by our friends.”–VOYA

“Snappy dialogue, likable characters and an original concept make it hard to entirely dismiss this one, but the message overwhelms the good stuff.”–Kirkus Reviews

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.

Bibliography

Plot Summary:  Still torn between dentist Norman and detective Mike, Hannah Swensen manages to stumble over another body in between baking and serving cookies at The Cookie Jar.  The visiting minister winds up dead, and the only witness is a mynah bird squawking ”The Wages of Sin Are Death.”  Hannah, her sisters, and mother all get in the sleuthing act but when Hannah realizes who the murderer is, she almost doesn’t live to tell the others.

Critical Analysis:  I admitted in my last review to being a mystery junkie.  And now I am going to tell you that I don’t really read this series for the mysteries.    I read to see what is happening in Lake Eden and with Hannah and her family.  And I read for the fabulous and delicious recipes.  This entry was a little stronger plot-wise then the last couple that came before it, for which I am glad because I wasn’t sure how much more less than stellar mystery I could take to get my character development and recipe fix.

I think I like Hannah because she is such a normal person–she struggles a little with her weight (taste testing all those cookies!) and her hair (it can be on the frizzy side.)  She has a loving family and friends, and a small town that supports her.  I also think I enjoy the sort of romantic fantasy of what it must be like to have two very different guys be in love with you at the same time.  (I think that the Stephanie Plum series by Evanovich is similar in this way.)  I am sure there are some people who want her to make up her mind already.  (I did enjoy the third person added to the mix in Cherry Cheesecake Murder–Joanne Fluke, if you are reading this, please bring him back!)  And in this volume, I loved the whole mystery with Norman.  I felt it added to the continuing story, that everything was not going to continue as it had.

And the recipes–oh the recipes–all I can say is, even if you don’t read this series, you should look for Fluke’s Lake Eden Cookbook coming this fall–it seems like it would be perfect for holiday gifts.

Review Excerpts:  ”Bestseller Fluke’s fabulous 14th foodie mystery….Mouthwatering recipes include butterscotch bonanza bars and pineapple casserole.”–Publisher’s Weekly

“More baking, less sleuthing in this very gentle mystery. The mouthwatering recipes are winners.”–Library Journal

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