This is a great quote, and so true for me as a bibliophile. I've always found my people and myself at libraries and bookstores, wherever I was living.
Quotation of the
Day
'Bookstores Will
Forever Be a Safe Space'
"I think that
for a lot of us, [bookstores] remind us that everything
will be okay.
Growing up, I didn't have a lot of friends, so being
surrounded by
books was really comforting. It still is, honestly. After
the most recent
election, my first instinct was to walk down to Powell's
(this was before I
worked here) and to just sit there, because I knew
that I didn't want
to be alone, but I also didn't need to actually talk
to anyone. I just
needed to feel safe. Bookstores will forever be a safe
space."
Katherine M., in
a "Portrait of a Bookseller
Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer is an amazing, poignant YA novel about two teenagers with horrific and tragic deaths in their past,who come together under unusual circumstances.
I was not really expecting to like this book as much as I did, because the subject matter seemed too morbid and I assumed I'd be setting myself up for yet another YA novel where the female teenager was a complete mess and requires the hot, dangerous and male teenager to come to her rescue and steal her heart, just as she "tames" his. Ugh. I hate sexist tropes like that. Fortunately, Kemmerer manages to keep it real with her characters, and there are surprisingly few cliches or tropes to be found therein. Here's the blurb:
Juliet Young always writes letters to her mother, a world-traveling
photojournalist. Even after her mother's death, she leaves letters at
her grave. It's the only way Juliet can cope. Declan Murphy isn't the sort of guy you want to cross. In the midst of his court-ordered community service at the local cemetery, he's trying to escape the demons of his past.
When Declan reads a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can't resist writing back. Soon, he's opening up to a perfect stranger, and their connection is immediate. But neither Declan nor Juliet knows that they're not actually strangers. When life at school interferes with their secret life of letters, sparks will fly as Juliet and Declan discover truths that might tear them apart.
I found the prose to be clear and clean and forthright, and the plot had just enough twists and turns to keep things interesting. I also found the behavior and attitudes of the parents of both teenagers to be reprehensible. I can't imagine ever treating my child with such cruelty. Even Declan's best friend "Rev" is the product of horrific abuse by an insane and sadistic father who uses religion as a justification for nearly beating his child to death. I know that recently there has been a couple in the news who did actually starve and abuse their child to death in the name of their religion, and are shocked that they will have to face jail time for doing so. How utterly horrific. I fully believe that if Jesus were alive today, he'd be disgusted and horrified at the things people do to one another in his name. Anyway, I did like the fact that the foster parents and teachers helped the protagonists in this story by just listening and understanding the teenagers grief and guilt. I know that there were teachers in my life who were a great help to me growing up, and I hope that there are teachers out there today who still work to believe in their students and help them realize their potential as human beings. I'd give this novel an A, and recommend it to anyone who has had a tragic loss of a family member in their life that they were having trouble processing.
Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck was another YA novel that I was sure I was going to like, but unlike Letters to the Lost, this novel didn't ring true to the lives of teenagers at all. In fact, it had the stench of copy cat characters about it, as the female protagonist, Kelsey, seemed all too much like that dullard Bella from Twilight, lusting after a centuries old shapeshifter instead of a vampire, but still having the "strawberry scented hair" (which is apparently irresistible to males everywhere) and idiotic blushing self deprication that makes her out to be abominably stupid, someone who turns to jelly at the mere sight of a handsome boy. Ren, the part-time white tiger who is mesmerizingly handsome and seductive and powerful (just like Edward the Vampire from Twilight) is under an ancient Indian curse, and of course he needs the innocent virginal Kelsey to help him find the clues and get the curse removed. Here's the blurb: The last thing teenager Kelsey Hayes thought she'd be doing over the
summer was meeting Ren, a mysterious white tiger and cursed Indian
prince! When she learns she alone can break the Tiger's curse, Kelsey's
life is turned upside-down. The unlikely duo journeys halfway around the
world to piece together an Indian prophecy, find a way to free the man
trapped by a centuries-old spell, and discover the path to their true
destiny. School Library Journal:
Many years ago, two Indian princes fell in love with the same woman. Her sorcerer father took advantage of the brothers' rivalry to gain control of the magical amulets they possessed. The girl was killed, and the brothers were transformed into tigers. More than 300 years later, Kelsey, an American orphan who has just graduated from high school, takes a temporary job working with a circus. There, she develops an inexplicable bond with a white tiger named Ren, and she is asked to accompany him to a wildlife preserve in India. There he transforms into a handsome young man and reveals that only Kelsey can help break the curse he is under. She must embark upon a journey where she is in danger of losing her heart, her life, or both. Houck has clearly done a great deal of research on Indian culture, and she is adept at including details that allow readers to understand the story's setting. Unfortunately, that detail is too elaborate in many places and bogs down the Indiana Jones-esque action. Also, the characters are flat, with little nuanced behavior or dialogue; for example, Ren is a 300-year-old prince, and yet based on his behavior he is indistinguishable from a modern American teenager. Kelsey's redeeming character component is that she is self-aware and reluctant to succumb completely to Ren's eager romantic advances. Twilight (Little, Brown, 2005) fans will appreciate the supernatural, star-crossed romance.—Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO
Many years ago, two Indian princes fell in love with the same woman. Her sorcerer father took advantage of the brothers' rivalry to gain control of the magical amulets they possessed. The girl was killed, and the brothers were transformed into tigers. More than 300 years later, Kelsey, an American orphan who has just graduated from high school, takes a temporary job working with a circus. There, she develops an inexplicable bond with a white tiger named Ren, and she is asked to accompany him to a wildlife preserve in India. There he transforms into a handsome young man and reveals that only Kelsey can help break the curse he is under. She must embark upon a journey where she is in danger of losing her heart, her life, or both. Houck has clearly done a great deal of research on Indian culture, and she is adept at including details that allow readers to understand the story's setting. Unfortunately, that detail is too elaborate in many places and bogs down the Indiana Jones-esque action. Also, the characters are flat, with little nuanced behavior or dialogue; for example, Ren is a 300-year-old prince, and yet based on his behavior he is indistinguishable from a modern American teenager. Kelsey's redeeming character component is that she is self-aware and reluctant to succumb completely to Ren's eager romantic advances. Twilight (Little, Brown, 2005) fans will appreciate the supernatural, star-crossed romance.—Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO
I agree with Heather Campbell that the characters have no nuance, and Ren is much like Edward in his possessiveness and attempting to force his romantic/sexual intentions on Kelsey, who, like a maiden fair, refuses his advances, but only because she has low self esteem and believes that once the curse is broken, her handsome Tiger will see all the supermodels out there available to him and run into their arms, which she believes will break her sad little heart. Ugh. I really hate sexist cliches in female protagonists, so I am going to give this series a hard pass and give it a C as well. I assume those who like Twilight-style romances will love this dull YA novel, so that's the only recommendation I have for it.
Competence by Gail Carriger is book three in the Custard Protocol series, which I've really enjoyed so far (but my favorite of Carriger's works remains the Soulless series). This book is told mainly from the perspective of Primrose Tunstell (Prim) and her brother Percival (Percy), although we inevitably hear from our brave captain of the Spotted Custard, Rue, who was the narrator of the first two volumes.The subtitle of the book says it best, "A novel of peculiar incidents and unruly dissidents." As with all of Carriger's works there is the witty dialog, the crisp and British humor-laced prose, and a plot that careens madly around corners but thankfully never leaves the tracks or crashes headlong into the mountain. Here's the blurb: Accidentally abandoned!
All alone in Singapore, proper Miss Primrose Tunstell must steal helium to save her airship, the Spotted Custard, in a scheme involving a lovesick werecat and a fake fish tail.
When she uncovers rumors of a new kind of vampire, Prim and the Custard crew embark on a mission to Peru. There, they encounter airship pirates and strange atmospheric phenomena, and are mistaken for representatives of the Spanish Inquisition. Forced into extreme subterfuge (and some rather ridiculous outfits) Prim must also answer three of life's most challenging questions:
Can the perfect book club give a man back his soul?
Will her brother ever stop wearing his idiotic velvet fez?
And can the amount of lard in Christmas pudding save an entire species?
Publisher's Weekly:
In this charming, laugh-out-loud steampunk escapade, set in an 1895 populated by a variety of supernatural creatures, the crew of the Spotted Custard return for a third adventure (after Imprudence). The focus shifts to the British airship’s purser, Miss Primrose Tunstall, a straitlaced, proper young woman who finds her perceptions of self and propriety increasingly challenged by Tasherit, an immortal werelioness who persistently, and often nakedly, flirts with her. But romance, however unconventional, takes a backseat to adventure. Primrose and Tasherit must engineer a helium heist to save their ship, and then the Custard is dispatched to Peru to investigate rumors of a new breed of vampires. While there’s a healthy dose of action in the form of airship pirates and other hazards of the open sky, the emphasis is on the character-driven, romantic comedy of manners at its heart. Carriger excels at wry humor and clever phrasing, and her ensemble cast is thoroughly charming and satisfyingly diverse. There’s a genuine sense of whimsy and fun running throughout this story, making it a treat for fans of the series.
All alone in Singapore, proper Miss Primrose Tunstell must steal helium to save her airship, the Spotted Custard, in a scheme involving a lovesick werecat and a fake fish tail.
When she uncovers rumors of a new kind of vampire, Prim and the Custard crew embark on a mission to Peru. There, they encounter airship pirates and strange atmospheric phenomena, and are mistaken for representatives of the Spanish Inquisition. Forced into extreme subterfuge (and some rather ridiculous outfits) Prim must also answer three of life's most challenging questions:
Can the perfect book club give a man back his soul?
Will her brother ever stop wearing his idiotic velvet fez?
And can the amount of lard in Christmas pudding save an entire species?
Publisher's Weekly:
In this charming, laugh-out-loud steampunk escapade, set in an 1895 populated by a variety of supernatural creatures, the crew of the Spotted Custard return for a third adventure (after Imprudence). The focus shifts to the British airship’s purser, Miss Primrose Tunstall, a straitlaced, proper young woman who finds her perceptions of self and propriety increasingly challenged by Tasherit, an immortal werelioness who persistently, and often nakedly, flirts with her. But romance, however unconventional, takes a backseat to adventure. Primrose and Tasherit must engineer a helium heist to save their ship, and then the Custard is dispatched to Peru to investigate rumors of a new breed of vampires. While there’s a healthy dose of action in the form of airship pirates and other hazards of the open sky, the emphasis is on the character-driven, romantic comedy of manners at its heart. Carriger excels at wry humor and clever phrasing, and her ensemble cast is thoroughly charming and satisfyingly diverse. There’s a genuine sense of whimsy and fun running throughout this story, making it a treat for fans of the series.
I completely agree with the PW reviewer, in that this book was a treat, full of laughter and wild adventures interspersed with Prim trying to come to terms with falling in love with a werelioness and not having the traditional family she craves. However, the HEA surprise takes care of that, and fans are left with a great experience. I'd give this book an A, and recommend it to anyone who has read the previous two novels.
The Museum of Mysteries by Steve Berry and MJ Rose was a slender volume that I bought because I adore MJ Rose's books, and I was curious about what kind of book would lure a successful solo author into collaboration. Apparently Steve Berry is the author of a mystery series starring Cassiopeia Vitt, who is the sleuth for this novel as well. Here's the blurb: Cassiopeia Vitt takes center stage in this exciting novella from New York Times bestsellers M.J. Rose and Steve Berry.
In the French mountain village of Eze, Cassiopeia visits an old friend who owns and operates the fabled Museum of Mysteries, a secretive place of the odd and arcane. When a robbery occurs at the museum, Cassiopeia gives chase to the thief and is plunged into a firestorm.
Through a mix of modern day intrigue and ancient alchemy, Cassiopeia is propelled back and forth through time, the inexplicable journeys leading her into a hotly contested French presidential election. Both candidates harbor secrets they would prefer to keep quiet, but an ancient potion could make that impossible. With intrigue that begins in southern France and ends in a chase across the streets of Paris, this magical, fast-paced, hold-your-breath thriller is all you've come to expect from M.J. Rose and Steve Berry.
In the French mountain village of Eze, Cassiopeia visits an old friend who owns and operates the fabled Museum of Mysteries, a secretive place of the odd and arcane. When a robbery occurs at the museum, Cassiopeia gives chase to the thief and is plunged into a firestorm.
Through a mix of modern day intrigue and ancient alchemy, Cassiopeia is propelled back and forth through time, the inexplicable journeys leading her into a hotly contested French presidential election. Both candidates harbor secrets they would prefer to keep quiet, but an ancient potion could make that impossible. With intrigue that begins in southern France and ends in a chase across the streets of Paris, this magical, fast-paced, hold-your-breath thriller is all you've come to expect from M.J. Rose and Steve Berry.
Though it's a fast read, I found this novella to be very satisfying, with lovely evocative prose and a rocket-fast plot that never misses a beat. I particularly loved the interaction with Rose's famed fictional perfumer family in France. I also enjoyed the way the book went back and forth between ancient and modern times without a hitch. The ancient world of Morgana and King Arthur have always fascinated me, and this book manages to add to the legend with interesting historical scenarios that feel true to the time period. I'd give it an A, and recommend it to anyone looking for a lush and well written supernatural mystery.
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