Introverted Reader

Character Connection: Major Ernest Pettigrew (and his wife)

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved Major Pettigrew from the book by Helen Simonson. I don't always do well with military types. I look all meek and mild, but the minute I'm given anything that even remotely resembles an order, I dig in my heels. That's not really the best way to get on with men who are used to having their orders obeyed. But Major Pettigrew is a little different. Well, a lot different once you get to know him. From my review: "There was so much more to the Major than I expected. I expected some sort of repressed "Right-o, carry on then" kind of bore. To paraphrase another character, the Major isn't bad for an old git. I laughed so many times at his dry one-liners. They were made all the funnier because he mostly said them around people who completely missed them. One wouldn't want to seem impolite, now would one? He has definite ideas about Proper Behavior and the Right Thing to Do, but he's also flexible enough to pursue a relationship with a Pakistani woman. He sees past their obvious differences, ignores all the idiots blabbing on tv about relations with the Middle East, and sees through to the beautiful kindred spirit within. He's also got a big streak of the Knight in Shining Armor." There are a few things that saved him. First of all, I think he just fell into the military more because it was expected of him as the eldest son of a soldier. I don't think he was truly temperamentally suited to the army life. After he left the army, he became an English teacher at a boys' school. A reader. Don't we all love men who read? I pictured the Major as Peter O'Toole The…

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December 29, 2011

Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman: Book Review

Twelve-year-old Odd doesn't quite fit in with the rest of his village. He crushed his leg when he was younger and that's left him with a limp. He'd rather be carving alone in the woods than hanging out in the hall with the other villagers fighting and telling stories. His stepfather is just awful. So Odd just leaves one day. He's going to stay in the shack his dead father left behind. On his first day alone, he comes upon a bear, a fox, and an eagle who need help. As one must in fairy-ish stories, Odd helped them. Then he discovered that they needed more help defeating a frost giant that has taken over their home and made it eternally winter in Odd's village. Can the boy with the limp save the day? I really liked this very short book. Odd is such a little fighter. Oh, not in the ways that the rest of his village fights, but just fighting for what he believes in and what's right. Fighting to grow into the man he wants to be, not the man he's expected to be. While the story itself is good, I liked what I took away from it more. Odd never really let his crushed leg hold him back. He learned to work through problems rather than walk away from them. There's the art of compromise as well, and possibly a little about forgiveness. The illustrations by Brett Helquist fit the story perfectly. A little rustic, they fit right into this story of Norway in the days of the Vikings. I love the book itself as well. A perfectly-sized little cloth-bound book, I could just hold it for hours. Do you have books like that? Ones that just feel like they're made for your hands? Recommended for…

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson: Book Review

Dr. Montague, a researcher into paranormal activity, has rented the fabled Hill House for the summer. The house has a reputation for being haunted. Very few people have managed to stay in it for more than a night. In order to sort of help the house do its worst, he invites people to stay with him who have had paranormal experiences. The only two who take him up on his offer are Theodora and Eleanor. Luke, the future heir to the house, also comes along. It does not take long for the house to show what it's made of. I think this might have been ruined for me by the narrator. The book is in third person, but is told from Eleanor's point of view. Why on earth did someone choose to have a man narrate? For the right book, he would be fine, and he did what he could with this. An older man with a deep voice is just not the right person to lead us down Eleanor's thoughts when she's so very--weak, maybe? No, uncertain is the better word. She's uncertain of her place in the world, in the house, in the group. She's also a dreamer who has a tenuous grasp on reality at best. The narrator definitely needed to be a young woman. Eleanor herself is something else. Her thoughts get to be a little disturbing. She's definitely an unreliable sort-of-narrator. I never really knew what was happening in the real world and what was only happening in her head. For that matter, I never knew what she was actually doing. Aside from that, I think I expected more of a horror angle. Sure, the house does get up to some crazy things, but nothing as bad as what I expected. I don't feel like…

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris: Book Review

I tried, but I give up. The first story, "Santa Land Diaries," was great. Sedaris's tale of working as a Macy's department store elf is hilarious! Those people who inevitably make the news every Black Friday by pepper spraying and punching their fellow shoppers? I think they all go to Macy's at Christmas. Sedaris writes about them with his usual biting wit. My favorite scene had to be when he gets fed up with this awful Santa who keeps making him sing Christmas carols with the kids. Sedaris sings "Away in a Manger" in Billie Holiday style. I have never heard anything like it in my life, but it is absolutely perfect. You have to listen to the audio for that alone! I was cracking up alone in my car! There are a few poignant moments as well, especially from one Santa who likes to remind people what Christmas is really all about. One of the local theaters does a stage production of this story every year, and my husband and I have always been curious about it. We will definitely be going to see it next year. Oh, but then. The second story, "Season's Greetings to Our Family and Friends," was horrible. Absolutely horrible. It's supposed to be a spoof of a Christmas letter gone horribly wrong. Something's gone horribly wrong alright--Sedaris's attempt at fiction. I kept listening, thinking it had to get better, but it just kept getting worse and worse. Disturbing only starts to cover it. I wish I could scrub that half-hour listen out of my brain. For real. This one was told from a woman's point of view, so it's read by David's sister, Amy Sedaris. I have to admit the tone and reading were absolutely perfect for the story, but it set my teeth…

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling: Book Review

This book is the one that Hermione inherited from Dumbledore. It contains the "Tale of the Three Brothers" that was told in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It also contains notes about each story written by Dumbledore and J.K. Rowling. I'll be honest here. True, morbid, Brothers Grimm fairy tales are just not my thing. I much prefer the fully fleshed out, happily ever after Disney versions. So, this book was just okay for me. Rowling did a good job of staying true to the form of real fairy tales, I have to give her that. It just wasn't for me. They were mostly mildly entertaining. I liked that Rowling points out that the heroines of her stories are not helpless females that things just happen to while big strong men rescue them. Her heroines rescue themselves. Dumbledore's comments did add some insight. Some of Rowling's comments felt unnecessary. This book is aimed at Harry Potter fans. What true Harry Potter fan doesn't know what a Muggle or a Squib is? But then some comments could have been explained further. I would have liked to be told about an Ashwinder instead of being referred to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. That happened several times and felt like an attempt to push up sales of that book. This doesn't really have anything to do with anything, but I loved the feel of this book. It's such a nice, neat little book and the pages feel so smooth! Call me weird. I know. I don't regret reading this, but I don't feel like I gained much from it either. I did like that the proceeds from the book are being donated to a children's charity that Rowling co-founded. That's really probably justification enough for me. Reviewed December 28, 2008…

Introverted Reader Features

Character Connection: Deryn Sharp

Deryn Sharp is one of the main characters in the Leviathan series by Scott Westerfeld. I've only read the first two. She's about 15 or 16 and she's one of those characters who are perennial favorites among female readers--a girl disguised as a boy. I wonder why we do like them so much? But that's a post for another day. Deryn is intelligent and brave. She loves the Darwinist creatures that her father worked around before his death. She decides that she is going to follow in his footsteps and join the British Air Service as a ship's boy on board a flying ship. In their world, this amounts to a flying whale. I know. But it's really cool and makes sense in the context of the story. She of course manages to land herself in all kinds of trouble. She's not really a troublemaker, she just reacts so quickly to situations that she's in the middle of them before anyone else has time to blink. She never hesitates to do the right thing or the brave thing. The one thing that bothers me a little about her is that she can follow orders a little too blindly. She's so intelligent, I have a hard time believing she wouldn't question some orders. I guess she wants so badly to stay in the Air Service that she does what she can to stay in the officers' good graces. As she's getting a little older in the books, I enjoy watching her struggling with her femininity. She definitely has some feelings for one guy in particular, but he has no idea she's a girl. True, that's a standard complication in these kinds of books. It doesn't make it any less entertaining for me though. Who did you connect with this week? Link…

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December 22, 2011

When Santa Fell to Earth by Cornelia Funke: Book Review

Twinklestar, the last reindeer, panics in a thunderstorm and sends Santa's caravan plunging toward the ground. After making sure everyone is okay, Niklas Goodfellow, the last real Santa, realizes that he has come to earth in a territory controlled by the evil new head Santa, Gerold Goblynch. Niklas is on the run from Goblynch and his cronies, trying to maintain the real meaning of Christmas despite Goblynch's greedy schemes. The caravan is broken and it will take Niklas's elves a while to fix it. Not to mention that no one can find Twinklestar because he's invisible. Niklas befriends two of the neighborhood children, Ben and Charlotte. They try to help Santa and protect him from Goblynch and his henchmen. They also try to spread the Christmas spirit. I listened to this on audio, read by the author. I had a little bit of a hard time understanding her German accent. I had to pay very close attention. Also, her voicing for Matilda, Niklas's angel assistant, was way irritating--very high-pitched and bossy. Admittedly, Matilda was a bossy little soul, which would have irritated me enough without the ear-piercing pitch. There is a good message about the true meaning of Christmas here. Ben and Charlotte learn about friendship and standing up for what you believe in. There's even a little message for parents about maintaining a sense of Christmas wonder. I am definitely not the target audience for this book. Children will probably like it more than I did. It would probably be nice for them to think about children helping Santa. The little adventures, like searching for Twinklestar and making snow, will be more exciting for them. I can't really recommend the audio, but the print version will be fun for the younger crowd. Read an excerpt. Buy When Santa Fell…

The Fat Man by Ken Harmon: Book Review

Gumdrop Coal has gotten the axe. Founder of the Coal Patrol, those elves who deliver coal into bad little kids' stockings, Gumdrop is out on his ear when Santa decides that every child deserves a real gift on Christmas. Gumdrop takes it hard. His methods might be harsh, but he believes they're fair and they mostly get results. He's promised Santa that he'll stay away from children, but he hasn't made any promises about parents. Let's face it--someone is responsible for little monsters turning out the way they are. After a few violent encounters, parents and children have changed their ways for the better. Then one of the parents Gumdrop roughed up is found dead. Everyone in Kringle Town thinks Gumdrop did it. Gumdrop sets out to clear his name. Can he nab the culprit before his own goose is cooked? This was fun, if a little hard to sustain over the length of a short novel. I can't say that I've actually read any noir, but I'm somehow familiar with the tropes, either through movies or the collective subconscious. Harmon stayed true to what I know. The good-looking dame with questionable motives. The hard-boiled MC. Over-the-top villains. Very cool. What was a lot of fun was seeing how Christmas lore fit into the book. There can't be many Christmas songs and stories that Harmon didn't work in here. Tiny Tim, Ralphie, It's a Wonderful Life, "The Twelve Days of Christmas"--he really covered a lot of ground. I mostly liked the way that familiar sayings had a Christmas twist. "Son of a blitzen." "I didn't know it yet but someone back at the North Pole was about to start playing reindeer games for keeps." "For a little while, things seemed too foggy even for Rudy's schnoz and the whole tale…

Book Review Lists

Immigrant Stories Challenge

Colleen at Books in the City is hosting the Immigrant Stories Challenge again this year. The goal is to read any kind of book featuring an immigrant experience. These books do not have to center around the US--people immigrate all over the world. This was one of my favorite challenges last year, so I'm signing up again at the Just Off the Boat level, 1-3 books. Visit Books in the City to sign up, or for book suggestions. (Here's what I read for the challenge in 2011) I'll track my progress here. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop's, my local independent bookstore located in downtown Asheville, NC; and Better World Books. I will receive a small commission at no cost to you if you purchase books through links on my site.

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December 19, 2011

Bookish Miscellany

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. Posted:Review: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline Review: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman Review: The Invisible Ring by Anne Bishop Character Connection featuring Marianne Engel from The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson My sign up post for the European Reading Challenge My sign up post for The Eclectic Reader Challenge Read:The Fat Man: A Tale of North Pole Noir by Ken Harmon When Santa Fell to Earth by Cornelia Funke, read by the author Elliot and the Goblin War by Jennifer A. Nielsen Currently Reading:Empire Falls by Richard Russo Second Hand Heart by Catherine Ryan Hyde Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris, read by the author Up Next:I'm still hoping that Wolfsbane and Mistletoe becomes available for me at the library this week. I don't expect to finish anything, so no real plans for the next book yet. What are you reading this week? I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop's, my local independent bookstore located in downtown Asheville, NC; and Better World Books. I will receive a small commission at no cost to you if you purchase books through links on my site.

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December 19, 2011