Hoppin' Time!!!

leaping AND hopping

We've finally reached another Friday!  I'm breathing a sigh of relief .... I have today off from work and it's not 99 degrees where I live!!  I live in the Chicago area, and it's been pretty hot (and 80 degrees inside the library where I work) --- but we had some storms on Thursday which brought our temperature down, and the a/c in the library finally started to work, too --- so now, it's all good.   :)

So, anyway -- Friday means it's time to Hop.   The Book Blogger Hop this week is being hosted by Lori -- thank you very much, Lori!!   As always, the Hop is a great opportunity to visit with bloggers you know, and meet new bloggers.

This week's question is: "Who is the one author you're dying to meet?"     Lucky for me, the one author I had been dying to meet, I actually DID meet.   I have had a huge author crush on China Mieville for years and I finally had the opportunity to not only hear him speak, but got two of my books signed, as well (at C2E2 in Chicago).    I tell you - I wasn't sure if I was going to faint in front of him, but I was able to not only hold it together, but I didn't turn into a babbling idiot when I was in front of him, getting my books signed.     And let me say this --- I had a feeling he was cool, just from reading and loving his books....  but he is extremely cool in person -- very, very intelligent.   And ... um ..... very good-looking.   If he has any flaws, they aren't visible.   And if you know of any flaws he has, please do not tell me.   I would prefer to just think of him as .... perfect.

This is China Mieville.   He is perfect.

I'm looking forward to reading everyone else's stories this Hop.   Have a great weekend, everyone!!!!

Wordless Wednesday - Door in Lucca

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

Summary (courtesy of GoodReads):   Alice is twenty-nine. She is whimsical, optimistic and adores sleep, chocolate, her ramshackle new house and her wonderful husband Nick. What's more, she's looking forward to the birth of the 'Sultana' - her first baby.

But now Alice has slipped and hit her head in her step-aerobics class and everyone's telling her she's misplaced the last ten years of her life.  In fact, it would seem that Alice is actually thirty-nine and now she loves schedules, expensive lingerie, caffeine and manicures. She has three children and the honeymoon is well and truly over for her and Nick. In fact, he looks at her like she's his worst enemy. What's more, her beloved sister Elisabeth isn't speaking to her either. And who is this 'Gina'everyone is so carefully trying not to mention?   Alice isn't sure that she likes life ten years on. Every photo is another memory she doesn't have and nothing makes sense. Just how much can happen in a decade? Has she really lost her lovely husband for ever?

And here's what I thought:  I had checked this book out from the library because it sounded interesting.  I had been expecting a somewhat light read, and was surprised that several times, I found myself closing the book and just reflecting on something that was happening in the story.   There's a lot here beyond Alice and her memory loss -- there's relationships that have been changed by the person she's become over 10 years, not just with friends, but with family, as well.   Her relationship with her sister is especially brittle, and throughout this story, we get Alice's sister's perspective -- which is fascinating.

It's an interesting idea -- that Alice hits her head and loses the last ten years of her life.   What's really interesting is that somehow, in 10 years, Alice has transformed into a completely different person that she used to be.  That much is clear -- when she thinks she's only 29, she's actually a pretty nice person .... and from the reactions of the people around her, in reality, at age 39, she's really not.

The story progresses with Alice learning about herself from her sister, her mother, her soon-to-be ex-husband, and others.  It's a cool way to develop a character, especially one who thinks she knows who she is, and who is coming up against completely different perceptions of her.   Talk about self-discovery.   In addition to trying to remember the last ten years of marriage and children, Alice also realizes that she wants to somehow fix some of what has happened ... which is tricky, considering she needs to keep asking her sister (who really doesn't seem to like her) and other people about the past.    She's a likeable person as she sees herself now (as age 29), but as her real self, at 39, she doesn't seem very nice --- which makes getting to know her as a character a bit of an exercise. 

I enjoyed this story, and found that it made me think about what I would do in a similar situation.  I don't have children that I would have forgotten, but I would definitely have a career change .... and when I think about how stressed I was at my job 10 years ago?   So glad that's in the past.    Definitely a thought-provoking and enjoyable story.

First sentences:   She was floating, arms outspread, water lapping her body, breathing in a summery fragrance of salt and coconut. There was a pleasantly satisfied breakfast taste in her mouth of bacon and coffee and possibly croissants."

Thoughts on the cover:  I chose a cover that's different from the one I read because I like it better.  You can see the other cover art over at GoodReads --- it's a basic red with some cutouts (which my library book obscured somewhat).   This cover seems a bit more personal, which I felt suited the story a bit better.

My own thoughts on "A Darkness too Visible"

I don't usually weigh in too much on things like this in my blog, preferring to keep really personal stuff pretty much under the radar.   But, after reading the original article in the Wall Street Journal (and if you don't have any clue what I'm talking about, visit the link above, please --- to read an opinion piece about how dark and awful current YA books are) .... and then reading what some other bloggers had to say .... and then considering the last review I posted (today, in fact) was about a teen in an abusive relationship....   I figured I'd just say a few things.  And be advised -- there is one little dark personal bit in this.  If you'd rather just skip this post, I completely understand.

Let me begin by saying that Meghan Cox Gurdon has the right to her own opinion.  I always say -- it's okay to disagree.   However, when I read her piece in the WSJ, I found myself getting a bit .... ticked off. 

She begins the article by saying that a 46 year-old mother of three popped into a bookstore and, finding nothing but "...vampires and suicide and self-mutilation, this dark, dark stuff," she left the store empty-handed.   Ok.   Here's my question:  did she even bother to really look around?   Did she ask anyone working there for a recommendation?  And ... did she think about any books from her teenage years and think about giving one of those to her daughter?   Apparently not.    Did she just not remember any books from back then that she loved?  Who knows?   

Gurdon makes this point: "As it happens, 40 years ago, no one had to contend with young-adult literature because there was no such thing."   I'm not touching this one --- better responses to this have already been written.   

What I will say is this:  I can't speak to young-adult literature from 40 years ago, because I wasn't reading at that point (I'm not 40 years old yet).   What I do remember is that I was a kid who always read way ahead of my grade level.  This meant that I was reading in the adult section when I was probably way too young (and I was basically given free rein in the public library -- my parents didn't keep track of what books I brought home).  It didn't mean that I wasn't reading things like Anne of Green Gables, or Little Women.  I did.  But frankly, I couldn't identify with the girls in those books.    Could I identify with the characters in S.E. Hinton's books?  Not really --- but she gave me a world totally unlike my own, and this opened up my world as a result.   I also couldn't necessarily identify with what was in books by Stephen King, or Harold Robbins (yes, I learned a lot about sex from books .... not necessarily the best thing in the world, but my parents didn't talk to me about sex at all, and I was on my own to figure things out).   Reading these books didn't mean I was going to go out and murder people with an axe, or have rampant sex (especially as a 14 year-old).  However, the books I read, no matter what they were, opened my eyes.   Heck, reading Judy Blume opened my eyes!   I took what I could get and absorbed it like a sponge.  

That being said, I'm going to say one more thing.   Gurdon says this in her piece: "If a girl cuts her flesh with a razor to relieve surging feelings of self-loathing, she will find succor in reading about another girl who cuts, mops up the blood with towels and eventually learns to manage her emotional turbulence without a knife. Yet it is also possible—indeed, likely—that books focusing on pathologies help normalize them and, in the case of self-harm, may even spread their plausibility and likelihood to young people who might otherwise never have imagined such extreme measures."

If you read about cutting, why would it appeal to you?  Tell me one thing that makes this sound like fun.   And if I sound a bit bitter, perhaps it is because I was a cutter.  I didn't learn about it from any book.  There were no books about it when I was doing it.  I did it because at the time I couldn't think to do anything else.   If I had access to books like the ones I can read today, back then, I probably wouldn't have done it at all --- but I also wouldn't have felt so alone, or felt so desperate.    I didn't have anyone I could talk to back then, and if I could have found a bit of solace in the books I was reading, I would have welcomed it.   I appreciate what Linda Holmes said on NPR:  Surrounding them with books full of joy and beauty is fine, but confining their reading to those things because we are afraid that they cannot tolerate being exposed to the things they are already so often exposed to does them a terrible disservice. It's difficult to say to a teenager, "We don't even let you read about anyone who cuts herself; it's that much of a taboo. But by all means, if you're cutting yourself, feel free to tell a trusted adult."   There was no way I was telling anyone.  In fact, I lied about what I did if I couldn't hide it, and I hid it as well as I possibly could.    And I grew up, pulling myself up and out of the dark places.   I don't talk about it now because there's really no reason to.  Anyone who knows me and reads this will probably be somewhat horrified.  I don't dwell on it -- but it's a part of who I was (and thus, who I am).

Ellen Hopkins wrote this on her blog: "YA books do not make the world a darker place. They bring light and hope to an already shadowed landscape."    I agree.    The world isn't always a pleasant place to be and if books can provide something relatable for readers, or something they can experience through books, instead of experiencing through their own lives, then they should be able to be read.  I don't make people read things, and I don't believe in forcing people to read things "for their own good."  However, don't try to tell me what I can and cannot read --- whether it's for my own good is up to me.

Ok.  Done now.  Thanks for reading.    I've embedded links here to other bloggers, but if you read any of them, I found this person's especially moving.

Bitter End by Jennifer Brown

Summary (courtesy of GoodReads):   When Alex falls for the charming new boy at school, Cole, a handsome, funny, sports star who adores her, she can't believe she's finally found her soul mate-someone who truly understands her and loves her for who she really is.

At first, Alex is blissfully happy. Sure, Cole seems a little jealous of her relationship with her best friends, Zack and Bethany, but what guy would want his girlfriend spending all of her time with another boy? But as the months pass, Alex can no longer ignore Cole's small put-downs, pinches, or increasingly violent threats. As Alex struggles to come to terms with the sweet boyfriend she fell in love with and the boyfriend whose "love" she no longer recognizes, she is forced to choose - between her "true love" and herself.


And here's what I thought:   This is a pretty thought-provoking story.  Have you ever seen someone who seems to be in a bad relationship and wonder, why does she stay with him?  This is one of those stories -- and it's obvious that the answer to that question isn't simple.

As you can see from the summary, this is Alex's story of how she falls for a guy who seems to be great ... and then who turns out to be pretty awful.   When we meet her, Alex seems like a girl who's pretty grounded, and whose two best friends, Zack and Bethany, keep her that way.  She doesn't have the best relationship with her dad and her sister, but she seems like she's got a good head on her shoulders.  So how is it that the winds up in an abusive relationship?   I thought Jennifer Brown did a really good job of showing us just how such a relationship can happen: gradually.   Cole seems almost too good to be true, but it's obvious there's more than meets the eye.  Right away, Alex's two friends don't seem to like him, which you would think would make her pretty wary.  But, whoever said that attraction was based in logic?   Even when Cole starts treating Alex in ways that aren't very nice, she keeps coming back to him --- because when he's being nice to her, he's really nice (and she keeps making excuses for why he acts the way he does).   

Lucky for Alex, she's got Zack and Bethany, who stick by her, even when Alex starts blowing them off to spend time with Cole.   These are the friends we all wish we had -- those that stick by us even when we're not being a good friend, or seem to making some bad decisions.    They don't step in and take her away from Cole; they make her realize that she is strong enough to walk away from him, herself.  Question is, will Cole really let her go that easily? 

I enjoyed reading this book, even though there were parts that were difficult to read.  I think this is an important kind of story, and I think Jennifer Brown handled the topic of abusive relationships pretty well.  She puts us in the head of someone who is in a bad relationship, even though she wonders how it has all wound up that way -- and I like that there wasn't an easy explanation, or resolution because that's the way it often is in real life.   I don't know if this is the book for everyone --- but I know there will be people who should read this, and who will benefit from it.

First sentences:   If I had to describe my best friend, Bethany, in one word, it would be persistent.  Or maybe unrelenting.  Or, if I were writing her into a poem, I might use importunate, because words like importunate impressed Mrs. Moody, and when I used them she told me I was a born poet, which was kind of cool.

Thoughts on the cover: Perfect for the book --- the girl is looking down, and it's hard to tell if she's happy or not -- and the hand that's gripping her shoulder looks pretty firm.   Just right for this story.

Hoppin', Hoppin', Hoppin' .......

Friday again?   Where did my week go?   That's actually the nice thing about having last Monday off -- short work week.  

But it IS Friday, and that means it's Book Blogger Hop time.   I am always grateful that Jennifer over at Crazy for Books hosts this (and I like her regular posts, too).   If this is your first time hopping, welcome!   And if you stop by here on a regular basis --- welcome back!!!    This week's question is:  "Share your favorite post from the last month and tell us why it's close to your heart!"

I went back through my last posts and I think the one I really liked recently was my review of The Stormchasers by Jenna Blum.  I really enjoyed the book, and was completely blown away by the fact that the author, herself, left a comment (and a rather awesome comment, at that).   

Jennifer shared one of her posts that I liked reading the first time (so I went back and re-read it this morning). I think this Hop's question is a good one --- I'm sure I'll see some posts that I missed the first time around.

Have a great weekend, everyone!!!

Wordless Wednesday - statues with poppet