Tahleen reviews: Ana of California by Andi Teran

Title: Ana of California
Author: Andi Teran
Publisher: Penguin Books

Rating: 5+ stars

Ana has been through the foster care system in Los Angeles, getting kicked out of one home after another for being a "problem" or "not what they were expecting." As a last effort, she has accepted a position as a farmhand over the summer at a farm in northern California. If things go well, she might be able to stay through the first semester of the school year. She just has to make sure she doesn't screw it all up again; trouble seems to follow her like a curse.

Abbie and Emmett Garber, a brother-sister duo, are struggling to keep their farm up and running as work increases as well as costs. Abbie has the idea to become a temporary guardian to a foster child in exchange for having her help around the farm. Emmett reluctantly agrees, expecting a boy, but is surprised to discover a girl by the name of Cortez waiting for him at the airport.

Can Ana overcome her self-doubt and Emmett's reluctance, as well as prove herself, to finally find a place where she belongs?

I love this book. So much. I was excited to hear about it in the first place: a retelling of Anne of Green Gables set on a farm in northern California? Sign me up. Ana of California exceeded my expectations and has earned a permanent spot on my bookshelf.

Andi Teran did an excellent job of bringing the original story into present day. Ana, a gifted artist, is so sweet and caring, and has a poetic way with words as the original Anne does. There are all these little details throughout the book that are a nod to the source material, incidents (like the hair dye disaster) that are retold, and characters reimagined. Really, I loved every single scene in this book, just like I loved every single scene in Anne of Green Gables. If you have any fondness at all for Anne Shirley, you'll love reading about Ana Cortez. Please do yourself a favor and go out and get this book right now. Library, bookstore, friend who owns it, whatever. You'll be happy you did.

Disclosure: I won a copy of this book through another blogger, Cassi Steenblok at My Thoughts Literally, who hosted a giveaway through Penguin. Thanks Cassi, I loved it!

Tahleen reviews about 3/4 of The Martian by Andy Weir

Title: The Martian
Author: Andy Weir
Publisher: Brilliance Audio, 2014 (print edition available from Crown)
Narrator: R.C. Bray

How can you not want to keep reading a book with this as a first line: "So I'm pretty much f***ed."

This is the story of Mark Watney, one of the astronauts on the Ares 3 mission on Mars. Through a series of very unfortunate events, Mark ends up left alone on Mars, stranded, with the entire world thinking he's dead. He must depend on his wits, engineering skills, and botanist background to keep himself alive.

I am enjoying this book VERY much. It's a great audiobook; R.C. Bray is a great reader. But what I'm really enjoying is how funny it is. I never expected to laugh so much while listening to a book about the dire situation of a guy stranded on Mars. But it is extremely entertaining.

There is a lot of technical stuff going on, but I think that's part of the reason why I like it so much too. I'm not a technically minded person; I don't know much about engineering or space exploration or Mars. But Weir does a great job explaining it, especially to lay readers. I think it's because I can actually believe this stuff could happen. I don't really have to suspend my disbelief much. And from other reviews I've read, it sounds like most of the science is pretty solid.

I also like the writing technique of using log entries. It makes sense, considering he is utterly alone and there would be no conversation, so his goofy personality comes out and it's great. But even though it is very funny, it's also a thriller. So far Mark has almost died a BUNCH of times. So sometimes I'm in my car laughing, or sometimes I'm white-knuckled, gripping my steering wheel.

Bonus: This is going to be a movie soon starring Matt Damon. So there's that. This book would definitely translate well to film. Not to mention it won an Alex Award, which are given to adult books with teen appeal.

I don't yet know how the story of Mark Watney ends, but I'm definitely looking forward to finding out! I highly recommend this audiobook, for science buffs, nerds, or anyone who enjoys a great story.

Disclosure: I got a copy of this audiobook from my local library.

Daisy Does an Early Spotlight on The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon

Title/Author: The Mime Order (The Bone Season #2) by Samantha Shannon
Publisher/Date published: Bloomsbury, January 27th 2015
How I got this book: borrowed it from my friend Debby, as she was lucky enough to get an ARC!

Goodreads summary: Paige Mahoney has escaped the brutal penal colony of Sheol I, but her problems have only just begun: many of the fugitives are still missing and she is the most wanted person in London.

As Scion turns its all-seeing eye on Paige, the mime-lords and mime-queens of the city’s gangs are invited to a rare meeting of the Unnatural Assembly. Jaxon Hall and his Seven Seals prepare to take center stage, but there are bitter fault lines running through the clairvoyant community and dark secrets around every corner.

Then the Rephaim begin crawling out from the shadows. But where is Warden? Paige must keep moving, from Seven Dials to Grub Street to the secret catacombs of Camden, until the fate of the underworld can be decided. Will Paige know who to trust? The hunt for the dreamwalker is on.

Ok, first off: have you read The Bone Season? If not, why not? Cause you should. You should probably stop what you're doing right now, including reading this post and go read it. Just go. Go and be blown away by the awesomeness of Samantha Shannon's writing.

So now that we've got that established. Let's move onto me telling you exactly why you should be hovering around your mailbox on January 27th or stalking your bookstore or whatever method you decide on to get your hands on The Mime Order:

-While The Bone Season had a whole lot of info-dump in it (which I was ok with, because hello amazing worldbuilding!), The Mime Order doesn't and it just builds and expands on this knowledge we've gathered in The Bone Season and it was AWESOME. I love re-immersing myself in this world and the characters and just gloriously revelling in Samantha Shannon's beautiful words.

-Paige grows and grows as a character and she's just this strong, badass person who isn't afraid to make hard choices and fights for what she believes in and actually has a LOT of common sense and just, I love her ok?

-WARDEN! I can go all caps on him because he's AMAZING and just LOVE! We read The Bone Season with our book club and all three of us who were there to discuss the book just went *sigh* after someone mentioned him. He's very swoonworthy and he becomes even more so in The Mime Order. Also, the chemistry he and Paige have is just wow. It is SO good.

-THAT ENDING!!! Basically I have ALL THE FEELS and I had some serious book hangover after finishing this and even though I slightly saw it coming I was still like WHATTTT??

So go forth and covet this book. I'm DYING for the next one!

My rating: 5 stars

Tahleen reviews: "Sabriel" by Garth Nix, narrated by Tim Curry

Title: Sabriel
Author: Garth Nix
Publisher: HarperTeen, 1997 (first published 1995 in Australia)
Narrator: Tim Curry

Rating: 5 stars

Sabriel has been around for 17 years at this point, and I read it back when I was in 8th or 9th grade for this first time. Recently I discovered a prequel is coming out in October of this year, and to prepare I decided to reread the three books in the series.

Sabriel is 18, and gets excellent marks at Wyverly College, where she has been a student since age 5. Her father, Abhorsen, visits every once in a while, either in the flesh or via the spirit world, as his work requires he be in the Old Kingdom across the wall. He is Abhorsen, necromancer and sorcerer who lays the dead to final rest, when they might walk the earth instead of staying in death. But when Sabriel receives her father's sword and his bandolier that holds the bells which control and banish the dead, she knows something is wrong and sets out to find her father, whom she suspects is trapped in death. Little does she know what kind of journey she will be undertaking; there is much more than her father's life at stake, and it is up to her to bring the Old Kingdom back from the chaos that has taken hold.

Garth Nix is a master. The world he has created is incredibly lush, dark, and complex, one that stuck with me long after I finished reading the books. And Sabriel is one admirable and amazing heroine. I remember wishing I were brave like her, comparing some of my discomforts with what she has to go through in this book and thinking my life wasn't so bad. Plus, the magic (both free and Charter) and dead creatures that walk in life are thrilling and chilling. I don't think I realized this is kind of a zombie book when I first read it; I loved it just as much upon rereading it, and zombies usually freak me out. So high fives to Nix for creating world with all kinds of zombies that is creepy, but won't give me nightmares. There is too much beauty and excitement in the Old Kingdom to keep me from reading about it.

One little note: I did listen to the audiobook the second time around, and as it's narrated by Tim Curry, it was pretty great. I did find myself having to rewind a lot though, as Curry's voice is pretty soothing and I found myself zoning out. But, I recommend it.

Disclosure: I got this audiobook from my local library.

Tahleen reviews: "The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches" by Alan Bradley

Title: The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches
Author: Alan Bradley
Publisher: Delacourte Press, due out January 14, 2014

Rating: 4.5 stars

Well, I said the last book ended on a cliffhanger, and I'm happy to say this next installment delivers with the answers to all the questions, or at least, all the questions left unanswered in the previous book.

**SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THE PREVIOUS FLAVIA DE LUCE NOVEL**

Harriet has finally returned to Buckshaw, to be put to rest. Obviously things are not normal for Flavia at home, as things are finally being brought to a close. Buckshaw has become a place of renewed mourning, with villagers coming for viewings and the de Luce family staying up to watch guard over Harriet. To add to the chaos, some estranged cousins show up at their doorstep on the day it all begins, a Lena de Luce and her daughter. To cap it off, a man falls under the train at Harriet's arrival under mysterious circumstances after giving Flavia a cryptic message. More is at stake than ever for Flavia and her family as she begins to uncover the circumstances leading to her mother's death.

Alan Bradley, you are awesome. I am so happy I got to read this book sooner rather than later, as I've been waiting for it to come out since I finished Speaking from Among the Bones last year. This didn't disappoint. Flavia, through chemistry, luck, and ingenuity, works through long-hidden clues to find out what exactly happened to her mother all those years ago. The answer is buried deep, with plenty of intrigue and espionage going on.

I'm looking forward to where we'll meet Flavia next, as Bradley seems to have decided to move the series in a different direction, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I am hoping for exciting things for Flavia, and I hope I'm right.

Disclosure: I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley.

Tahleen reviews: "The Whale Rider" by Witi Ihimaera

Title: The Whale Rider
Author: Witi Ihimaera
Publisher: Bolinda Audio, 2005 (Originally published in 1987, American release 2003 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Narrator: Jay Laga'aia

Rating: 5 stars

Many of you may remember the movie The Whale Rider, which was released in 2002, and that Keisha Castle-Hughes got an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress at the age of 12. This movie was based on a book originally published in 1987, and it is a beautiful work that I highly recommend, both to teens and adults.

The Whale Rider is narrated by 24-year-old Rawiri, the uncle of young Kahu. From the day she is born, she has disappointed her great-grandfather, Koro Apirana, because she is not a boy. She is the eldest child in this generation, and he was counting on a boy to be his heir, the next Chief of their Maori clan. She is adored by Koro's wife and her great-grandmother, Nanny Flowers, and her uncles, but as she grows, it's clear that she loves Koro deeply and continually seeks his approval.

The story here is linear, but we skip a lot of time in between. It begins with Kahu's birth, then Rawiri tells us about a few summers Kahu spends with her father's family (her mother's family raises her after her mother dies). Yet despite it's episodic nature, it is a very smooth narrative that doesn't seem choppy in the least. We also follow Rawiri as he spends time in Australia and Papua New Guinea, looking for excitement in his life and to quell the wanderlust he feels, with mixed results.

Really, I can't even sum this book up, even though it's less than 100 pages in print and only 3 hours and 40 minutes on audio. There is a lot of depth to this story; in terms of character, social practices, race relations, gender norms, and plot. There is magical realism and Maori lore. We learn about the family dynamics and relationships between members of Kahu's family. Some scenes are tough to read and/or listen to because of their graphic nature, and some scenes will warm your heart. Listening to this book was just a beautiful experience, and I'm grateful Sync Audio gave me a chance to listen to this.

Speaking of listening, Jay Laga'aia was perfect as narrator. Native to South Auckland, New Zealand, he has that lovely accent. I also found it extremely helpful to hear the Maori language instead of reading it. His melodious voice made my reading experience even better than if I had read the story in print, though I'm not by any means discouraging you to take that route.

One word of warning though. I listened to this while I went on my morning runs, and I found myself getting emotional while I was running. Not the best time for that.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this audiobook from Sync Audio during their free YA audiobook summer promotions. Visit Sync Audio to see this summer's selections.

Super Pop! Blog Tour + Giveaway

Title: Super Pop!: Pop Culture Top Ten Lists to Help You Win at Trivia, Survive in the Wild, and Make It Through the Holidays
Author: Daniel Harmon
Publisher: Zest Books, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Tahleen here! Here at The Broke and the Bookish, you know we like top ten lists. This book fits right in with our penchant for listing, and adds a large dollop of humor at that. Well, more than a dollop I guess. It was pretty hilarious all the way through.

Daniel Harmon goes through five parts in his compendium, which include "Be More Interesting," "Get Smart(er), "Stop Doing It Wrong," "Find Happiness," and "Survive the Holidays." In each section he has a wealth of pop culture information in the form of lists, all listed in no particular order. He goes really into detail too, with very specific lists like "Sleep With the Fishes: The Ten Best Places to Find Your Spirit Animal" and "Drink the Kool-Aid: Touchstones for Quirky, Like-Minded People." Harmon proves himself to be a pretty quirky and incredibly knowledgeable guy himself, though he admits in the intro that he hasn't seen/read/listened to/etc all of the items he talks about.

What really impressed me was how carefully he chose which form of a story to place on each list, be it in its original novel form, its movie form, or television form. He has concrete reasons for each item he chooses.

On the other hand, I'm not really sure this is a great book for teens, just because there is so much on that list that they might not have seen yet. Granted, I work with tweens mostly, so what do I know, but I personally didn't know many of the items because they were before my time—I can imagine it would be the same for those younger than me. Ultimately I would say this is probably a fantastic book for 20-somethings, and a pretty good choice for some, but not all, teens. Thankfully, there are many recent items as well as throwbacks, so it balances out pretty well in the end. Plus, he talks about some YA books! (Though I disagreed with his observations of 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher—calling a book about morals made me want to gag a little, even if it's kind of true.)

I think the best thing about this book is you can leave it anywhere in your house and someone will probably pick it up and read it when they're bored. It's got pretty much everything. Great for the coffee table! (Or bathroom, but I didn't say it.)

In the spirit of Super Pop!, I've created my own top ten list!

Top Ten Movies for Kids Who Grew Up in the '90s

1. Heavyweights, because it is hilarious and is so incredibly quotable. Plus, Judd Apatow was a writer.

2. Troop Beverly Hills, though this was made in the late '80s and I am probably one of the few people who actually own a DVD copy of this today.

3. Beethoven, because who doesn't love a giant, slobbery St. Bernard with a heart of gold?

4. Mrs. Doubtfire, during Robin Williams' golden years. Oh hey, Matthew Lawrence, didn't think I'd see you here.

5. The Sandlot, FOR-EV-VER. The best baseball movie ever. Maybe. Definitely.

6. The Little Giants, since we're talking about sports movies. Don't tell me Devon Sawa wasn't adorable, and Becky the Icebox could totally kick your ass. Who doesn't love an underdog story?

7. Jurassic Park, because this was like the first PG-13 movie I saw and it was SCARY. And AWESOME. And it's still awesome today, 20 years later. I just showed this to my tweens at the library and they loved it. Dinosaurs, man.

8. Any Adam Sandler movie, even though we were probably not really allowed to watch it. I'm pretty sure every one I saw in the '90s was at a friends house or while my parents weren't paying close enough attention. Like, Billy Madison was definitely something my mom probably would never have let me watch. (Thanks Joanne and Joanne's mom!)

9. Home Alone, because everyone knew Macauly Culkin didn't like that aftershave but no one knew why. Also, now we know what to do if we have intruders in our home. (Obviously only wimps call the cops immediately.)

10. And because I like sports movies, I'm finishing off with The Mighty Ducks. quack. Quack. QUACK. QUACK! QUACK!! QUACK!!! Like I said, I like underdogs.

You should totally check out the other stops on the Super Pop! blog tour.

Want to win a signed copy for yourself or a friend? Enter here! 

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Tahleen reviews: "Wonder Show" by Hannah Barnaby

Title: Wonder Show
Author: Hannah Barnaby
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2012

Rating: 4 stars

This was one of the contenders for the Morris Award this year, given to the best debut young adult title (first book to be published by the author in any genre and for any audience). While I can see its merits, I can also understand why it didn't take the main prize.

Wonder Show follows the story of Portia Remini, who has been abandoned by her family and left at McGreavy's Home for Wayward Girls, under the "care" of someone everyone just calls "Mister." It's terrible there, but Portia has learned how to get from day to day, all while hoping to find her file and information about where her father might be. Until something so terrible happens that she knows she needs to get out.

This is how she eventually finds her way to Mosco's Traveling Wonder Show, a sideshow for circuses where "human oddities" are the main attraction. Portia is a "normal," someone who is useless for the show, but eventually finds herself as the apprentice for the ballyhoo, the storyteller that brings in the customers. As she learns to live and work with her new companions, she continues to look for her father, and wonders how long it will take Mister to finally catch up with her.

The way this story is told is not one I typically see in YA literature, but it was very effective. The chapters alternate viewpoints between third-person omniscient and first-person narration for each member of the Wonder Show. Almost every member of the Wonder Show gets a short chapter where they explain how they see the events and the world in general, and their views are not always what a reader might expect them to be. It was illuminating without giving too much of the story away; it was just enough to make us understand their world and their desires a little better.

Readers will also learn a lot about the American history of these sideshows, as well. In the end, the author's note talks about all the real people Barnaby based her characters on, including a pair of conjoined twins, a human pincushion, and giants. It is a fascinating world, one that is usually less than ideal for the so-called "freaks" who managed to make a living not only despite, but because of their physical differences during the Great Depression.

Despite its many merits, I'm not surprised this didn't win the Morris Award, only because it seemed like not enough to me. I wanted to know more about the characters, wanted to go deeper into their lives and further into their story. I also agree with the committee that Seraphina by Rachel Hartman, the winner, was indeed better.

I would definitely recommend this novel to readers who are looking for a darker, grittier realistic or historical fiction novel but isn't too graphic. I was often reminded of Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen while reading this, so I would also recommend this to people who enjoyed that book. It's a lighter story than that one, but delves into the dark life of the traveling circus during its heyday.

Disclosure: I checked out this e-book from my public library.

Tahleen takes on a challenge

Hi all. This is my first year as an official teen librarian, and I'm loving it so far. But sometimes I feel this pressure, whether real or imagined, to keep up with all the teen books that are popular and relevant. I would say I've got a pretty vast knowledge of teen books out there, but I by no means have read them all. It would be almost impossible to do so and still have a life.

That said, this year I've decided to take on The Hub Reading Challenge 2013. For those of you who aren't familiar with The Hub, it's the official blog of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the YA division of the American Library Association. (You know, we have those conferences and stuff.) The basics of the challenge are this: Read 25 books out of the 84 books that won a Youth Media Award this year. The list of eligible titles are on the blog post I linked to above, if you are interested in joining or are curious to see what books made it onto the lists/won awards.

So far I've read the Big One, the Printz winner. I've only read a handful so far, but here is my progress:

In Darkness by Nick Lake, winner of the 2013 Michael L. Printz Award. This was an excellent and dark novel focusing on Shorty, a teenage gangster in Haiti buried under the rubble after the 2010 earthquake, and Toussaint L'Ouvreture, the man that led Haiti's slave revolt in the 1800s. Both stories are told in tandem, and are connected in surprising ways. What really made this book for me, though, were the characters. They might be killers and drug dealers, but they have loving and generous sides to them that are not apparent at first. I highly recommend this to anyone up for the challenging material.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple, winner of a 2013 Alex Award. The Alex Awards are given to books published for an adult audience that have teen appeal. I really had a lot of fun reading this one, since it's mostly told in e-mails, letters, notes, and official reports, along with the occasional narration of 15-year-old Bee, daughter of the title character. The premise is Bernadette Fox, a recluse in Seattle, goes missing, and Bee decides she's going to try to find her. It's really funny, and I never knew exactly where it was going, which made it all the better.

Sparks: The Epic, Completely True Blue, (Almost) Holy Quest of Debbie by S.J. Adams, winner of a 2013 Stonewall Honor. An irreverent and hilarious adventure in the wilds of Des Moines, Iowa, centering on Debbie's realization that needs to tell her super-Christian best friend Lisa that she's in love with her. In desperation, Debbie decides to listen when classmate Emma tells her about the Church of Blue, a made-up religion she and her friend Tim have created. So they give a holy quest for Debbie: Find Lisa and tell her how she feels, before her douchy boyfriend Norman does. Personally, I wish all the Christians portrayed in this novel weren't such jerks (and in fact would act like Christians), but I can see why it was necessary for the story Adams tells. In any case, I don't really think there's much to be insulted by here, and it was fun.

Right now I'm working on Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz, which won both the Stonewall Award and a Printz Honor this year. So far I like it very much, and again, what's winning me over are the characters, particularly Ari and his father. I'm guessing I'll finish it in the next day or so, since it's a really quick read despite its length (short chapters can be a blessing).

EDIT: I just finished Aristotle and Dante about 10 minutes ago and PLEASE go read it. It takes a lot for me to feel such a feeling of triumph and happiness at the end of a book, but this one did it. So far I'm thinking this year's Printz committee did a damn good job.

Have you read any of the award winners from this year? What challenges are you taking on right now?

Tahleen reviews: "Speaking From Among the Bones: A Flavia de Luce Novel" by Alan Bradley

Title: Speaking From Among the Bones: A Flavia de Luce Novel (#5)
Author: Alan Bradley
Publisher: Delacorte Press, 2013

Rating: 4.5 stars

In this fifth Flavia de Luce mystery, we are treated to another delightfully mixed up mystery in which we learn even more about the residents of Bishop's Lacey, both guilty and not guilty. This time around, the victim is church organist Mr. Collicutt, found in the tomb of the one and only St. Tancred, who is supposed to be exhumed for the 500th anniversary of his death. What follows is Flavia doing her own detective work, as usual, behind the back of the local law enforcement (and to their great annoyance and stress, of course).

During the solving mystery, which is convoluted in the best possible way (and very realistically, in my opinion), we meet new characters, some of whom are connected to Harriett, Flavia's mother. We also delve deeper into the histories of the vicar, his wife, and the de Luces themselves, understanding each a little bit more.

Bradley creates the best characters. Flavia is wonderfully clever, often ingenious, yet still has the curiosity and sulkiness a child of 11 should have. Her family also grows more sympathetic in this book, though of course Flavia and her sisters still tend to go at each other, and their father is still distant—yet they seem to grow closer here, which I loved to see. And the secondary characters continue to be developed, though the eyes of Flavia.

Have I mentioned the humor yet? Despite the fact that this is a murder mystery, Flavia recounts everything with her usual wit and wry observations. I already used this word in this review, but I'm going to use it again: delightful. This series is nothing short of delightful.

Also, if you have been following along with this series from the beginning as I have, the ending is HUGE. This is the first time I am looking for the next book in the series to see how the cliffhanger ending will be followed up with! (Just so you know, the next book in the series, titled The Dead In Their Vaulted Arches, will come out sometime early next year, and I can't wait.)

Disclaimer: I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley.