Tuesday Book Club
Ahh. Back to reading this week. It feels so good.
Two books, enjoyed them both:
The Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1 by P.J. Haarsma. You may recall me talking about PJ last week. As I’d been warned, his school presentation BLEW ME AWAY. In one hour that man had the kids act out a science experiment, audition for his movie, sample some of his video game, view an alien artifact, and generally get so hyped up and entertained that truly, no author should even dare to go to any of the schools PJ has already visited. What’s the point? Those kids are taken.
So in addition to watching the show that is PJ, I also read his book, and let me tell you, if you’re looking for a middle school/YA novel to get the boys in your life reading, this oughta do it. Science fiction, scary aliens, a boy with special powers–no wonder parents have been coming to PJ’s presentations specifically to thank him for turning their sons into readers.
The second novel I had the pleasure of reading was an advance copy of Tanita S. Davis’s A la Carte. (Psst. Tanita happens to be someone we all know from the kidlitosphere. As soon as I get clearance, I’ll reveal her secret identity.) (Update: Yes! I have clearance! Tanita is TadMack of Finding Wonderland. For the longest time I thought TadMack was a man. I’m often confused about those things.)
The description on the back of the novel says it best: “Seventeen-year-old Lainey dreams of becoming a world-famous chef one day and maybe even having her own cooking show. (Do you know how many African American female chefs there aren’t? And how many vegetarian chefs have their own shows? The field is wide open for stardom.)” There are great food scenes and recipes at the end of every chapter (I love that!), and a secret crush on the wrong kind of guy, and a heroine we all want to pull for even though she isn’t perfect and makes some mistakes we really wish she wouldn’t. But isn’t that what being seventeen is all about? This is a wonderful YA for girls in general, and for African American girls in particular. It’s great to see such strong female characters like Lainey, her mother, and her grandmother.
There’s my report, gang. What about you?
Technorati Tags: Tuesday Book Club, Book Clubs, Reading Clubs, Books, Reading, Tanita Davis, A la Carte, PJ Haarsma, The Softwire
October 2nd, 2007 at 5:12 am
I read Melissa Bank - Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing, which decidely taught me little of hunting or fishing.
October 2nd, 2007 at 5:34 am
Oh, I’m so envious of your ARC of Tanita’s book! It sounds fabulous.
What I’m reading: my own stupid manuscript. Again.
Luckily, I also had a few picture books to play with: “The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County” and “Not a Box.” And I’ve started reading “Leepike Ridge” and “Seeing the Blue Between.”
October 2nd, 2007 at 5:55 am
I finished Evolution, Me and Other Freaks of Nature. Thoroughly enjoy the book. Having dealt with book challenge from the religious right, I could relate. Started Letters from Rapunzel along with reading my newly purchased Chicago Pocket City Guide See you soon.
October 2nd, 2007 at 6:54 am
Well,I finished The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly(I picked up an ARC of Donnelly’s upcoming novel,The Winter Rose,at BEA and was lucky enough to still have a copy of the first book in the series. I think she’s planning a trilogy)and that went to the end of my 50 book challenge list!
Yep,I’ve read 50 books this year and will probaly have another ten before January with any luck-YAH,me!:)
Oh,and I started a new book of course-Once Bitten,Twice Shy by Jennifer Rardin(it’s about vampire assasins for the CIA)and my Almost Moon giveaway contest began yesterday. Runners-up will have a You Tube clip of their favorite TV commercial posted on Halloween-for more details,see my blog(incredibly without shameless plug).
October 2nd, 2007 at 7:47 am
Sara, I doubt your manuscript is stupid. And I love that chicken-chasing queen.
I finished the wonderful Lousiana’s Song . . . and Hero by Perry Moore . . . and Home of the Brave. And I finished The Camel Rider last night.
Obviously, I’m backlogged on reviewing these things. Can someone please add five hours to my day?
October 2nd, 2007 at 7:48 am
By the way, I’m also jealous you got to read Tanita-writing!
October 2nd, 2007 at 8:32 am
I finished The Feast of Love by Charles Baxter, and thought it was fairly fabulous. I also read Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him by Danielle Ganek, and I thought it was okay. And now I am in the middle of Digging to America by Anne Tyler.
October 2nd, 2007 at 9:25 am
I finally finished Born Again by Kelly Kerney. I reviewed it on goodreads:
“This is like Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature…if Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature was overwritten, underedited, and boring.”
It tackles a lot of the same stuff, just not in a very accessible or entertaining way.
I’m not going to hit fifty this year…
October 2nd, 2007 at 10:28 am
I had to read the previous comment twice, before I sure that Molly wasn’t dissing Robin on her own blog. But all is well.
I read Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley (in ARC - great stuff), and am now reading The Faceless Fiend, by Howard Whitehouse. Planning to read Boy Toy on my way to Chicago.
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:31 am
I finished The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl today - great stuff! And with surprisingly nice timing the order containing the last three books added to my TBR list from your TBC (haha - look at that clearly meaningful similar initials) arrived today. So just have to decide between the two Sonnenblicks and Faeries of Dreamdark.
In not at all so nice timing my computer took a lesson from yours but had to take it one step further and crashed badly. So I can’t write about Fanboy and Goth Girl for a while.
October 2nd, 2007 at 12:19 pm
I’ll have to check out Tanita’s book when it’s available. That’s another of my problems lately. Not only do I have no time for recreational reading, but I also don’t have all the books I’d like to read available to me. I’d love to buy each and every one and support all you incredible writers out there, but at this point that’s not financially practical. At the library, I haven’t been able to find Barry’s books, and the single copy they had of Twilight was gone when I checked last. Small-town accessibility. Or not.
Anyway, I have begun Dovey Coe by Frances O’Roark Dowell. I already love the narrator’s voice. Young mountain girl suspected of murder! Hopefully I’ll finish by next Tuesday. Enjoy Chicago!
October 2nd, 2007 at 12:46 pm
Well fist of all I just want to say thanks for liking my cover! It really made my day good nowing that you liked it! It was kinda important to me so….
anywho as to what I’m reading I keep going to the bookstore and library so I’ve got way to much to read and not enough time for it but I’m reading (when I have time) Bloom by Elizabeth Scott, Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging Confessions of Georgia Nicolson :P, and I am bugging my mom to pick up Extras by Scott Westerfeld tonight so I’ll probably rip throught that pretty quick.
October 2nd, 2007 at 1:51 pm
Patrick, did you at least learn anything about women?
Sara, I’m sure Jules is right and your manuscript isn’t stupid, but boy, do I know that feeing. Nothing can make you wince at your own work like having to read it over and over and over again–especially in light of an editor’s comments about it. I’m expecting my own editorial letter for my next book in just about a week, and I’ll be sharing your pain. Good luck, and remember: your work doesn’t actually suck. In fact, you’re a really good writer. We’ve all read your stuff–Letters from Rapunzel and the poetry on your blog every week–and so we know.
Jone, thanks for reading my book! I’m so glad you liked it! And it’s great you’ll have a chance to read Sara’s before you meet her this weekend.
Lady T, congratulations on hitting your 50th book! Hurray! I just hit mine this week, too–high five! But I agree, let’s keep going. Many more books can still be read before the year is out!
Jules, it just so happens I ordered eight extra hours from Amazon this week. I’ll go ahead and order some for you, too. I think they’re still running that special where you can get a bonus hour just for sleep.
Kari, I love the description of anything as “fairly fabulous.” For some reason that really struck my funny bone.
Molly, ouch! I’m really glad you liked my book–a review like that would scorch the hair right off my face!
Jen, thanks for getting your hackles up, just in case. I love the cover and description of Girl Overboard. I have to read that!
Lady S, start with Faeries of Dreamdark. Jordan’s books are good, but Faeries will make you so happy. And you need a treat like that after your computer crashed. Booo, computer.
Kelley, I know what you mean about not being able to buy every single book you want, when you want it. To me that would be the ultimate in luxury. Libraries build patience, but maybe we don’t want to be patient when it comes to books! I feel for you.
Dylan, your cover was great! (Just so everyone else knows, there was a contest running on my book site, BibleGrrrl.com, where people got to design a cover for the sequel, if there ever is one. Dylan did a great cover with Jesus and Darwin holding the world between them. So cool!) I have the same problem you do with books: I keep bringing more of them home without reading all the ones I have on hand. It creates a strange kind of stress, while also making me happy to have so many new books to look forward to. It’s so hard to resist!
October 2nd, 2007 at 2:59 pm
I finished The Cat Who Went up the Creek (mystery, by Lilian Jackson Braun) and Tragedy at Honda (naval history, by Lockwood & Adamson).
Now I’m reading To the Last Salute: Memories of an Austrian U-Boat Commander (memoirs, by Georg von Trapp), and rereading Tight Lines (mystery, by William G Tapply).
So many books, so little time….
October 2nd, 2007 at 3:20 pm
I learned dating older alcoholic men, no matter which publisher he works for, may not turn out to be as glamorous as previously believed.
October 2nd, 2007 at 7:03 pm
I’m finishing up Max Perkins: Editor of Genius by A. Scott Berg. Well-written and quite interesting.
October 2nd, 2007 at 8:20 pm
Thank you so much Robin! Yeah I know I seriously have like an addiction for getting books! O_O lol I have like 17 out and I just bought 3 more!
October 2nd, 2007 at 8:30 pm
RM1, isn’t Georg von Trapp THE Georg von Trapp, as in The Sound of Music? Does he talk about that part of his life with Maria and the kids and their escape from Austria?
Patrick, so noted. Thanks for the teaching moment.
Laura, what do you think of Max Perkins? Do you wish he were your editor, or are you glad not?
Dylan, I’m pretty sure everyone here at the Tuesday Book Club can relate to your addiction!
October 2nd, 2007 at 9:45 pm
I want to order some of those extra hours, too. I think I would be greedier than you, Robin. I would order hundreds.
I wholeheartedly agree with you about PJ and his fabulous presentations and his excellent book. My 9-year-old is a reluctant reader and he LOVED The Softwire. More than Harry Potter! PJ is one of our family’s favorite authors.
Speaking of favorite authors, I was excited to recently receive an advance copy of the third book in the Grey Griffins series. The Revenge of the Shadow King and The Rise of the Black Wolf are the first two books, and Fall of the Templar is the latest by Derek Benz & Jon Lewis. I eagerly look forward to reading it every night, and only wish I didn’t need to sleep so I could have finished it already. I had to check in on your blog, Robin, but now I’m getting right back to this fabulous book!
October 2nd, 2007 at 10:07 pm
Still reading Eat Pray Love… also started Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot.
October 3rd, 2007 at 11:18 am
RM1, isn’t Georg von Trapp THE Georg von Trapp, as in The Sound of Music? Does he talk about that part of his life with Maria and the kids and their escape from Austria?
Yes, this is THE Georg von Trapp. He mentions his family in passing, but the book is mainly about his service as a submarine captain during World War I, so he doesn’t even mention the youngest children by his first wife, who were born after the war ended.
There’s an introduction by his granddaughter (who did this translation, the first English edition of the book), and she spends a few pages filling in the story before and after this book.
Lots of nice photos of his boats, &c, including a nice steel-beach photo like the ones on my blog.
October 3rd, 2007 at 12:36 pm
Ah, great question! All indications are that he had an incredible ear for story and structure. That’s invaluable, so yes. What I don’t like is he had a grandiose view of writers all blown out of proportion to (my view of) reality. He coddled them when maybe he should have slapped them around a bit (Fitzgerald and Thomas Wolfe in particular).
October 3rd, 2007 at 4:10 pm
Yeah that’s good to know! BTW Robin I heard your doing another writing class my mom was wondering if it would be the same as last time or diffrent?
October 4th, 2007 at 8:15 pm
On Tuesday, I finished up Seeing Emily and started Saving Zoe.