Angieville

Best reads of the past month: Eva Underground by Dandi Daley Mackall Until I read this book, I knew next to nothing about the modern-day Communist occupation of Poland. Mackall's book takes place the year I was born and it follows a young woman named Eva who leaves her home and friends in Chicago to follow her father to Poland where he joins the underground movement. Sharing a tiny room with her father in a house full of rebels, Eva learns that sometimes life takes you by the throat and hurls you bodily into the middle of a war zone. She learns there are things in that war zone worth fighting for, that her life can be bigger than it was, that the seed of a plum can hold the spirit of a nation. A wonderful read about a harrowing and fascinating period in history. Star of the Morning by Lynn Kurland I came across Kurland in a collection of short stories including a favorite of mine--Sharon Shinn. Up till now, she's written mostly romance novels ( not my cup of tea) so I approac...

Best reads of the past month: Vegan Virgin Valentine by Carolyn Mackler This fun little book was like a sweet summer's day in the dead of winter. Mara Valentine reminds me of myself in high school. Socially backward and uninterested in being otherwise. Single-minded when it comes to being valedictorian. Hopelessly in love with a really cool guy. One of my favorite things about Mara is that, rather than letting herself be consumed by her ex-boyfriend's lameness, she opts for a healthier obsession and becomes a vegan. Awesome. Best rereads of the past month: In the Hand of the Goddess , The Woman Who Rides Like a Man , and Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce Read the first one last month, so I had to follow up with the rest of the series. What fun books. They got me through being 13. Somehow I'm not surprised they can get me through being 28, too. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling The anticipation for Book 7 is rising fast. I figured I'd go back and g...

Best reads of the past month: Terrier by Tamora Pierce New Tamora Pierce. Set in the wonderful Tortall (of the Alanna books fame), 200 years before Alanna was born. Beka Cooper is a great addition to Pierce's female heroes because she is so very different from the others. Beka is just as stubborn as Alanna, Daine, and Kel, but she is also shy and common born. She grew up in the slums of Corus and fights to survive each day. This hefty tome is Pierce's longest volume to date, and I was so sad to finish it. As usual, a host of quirky, wonderful supporting characters surround Beka and I have both high hopes and sneaking suspicions for several of them... Beguilement: The Sharing Knife, Vol. 1 by Lois McMaster Bujold My first Bujold, I'm embarassed to admit. The folks on Readerville have extolled the virtues of Bujold enough you'd think I'd have delved right in. But I was waiting. As I often do. For a sign. This time it came in the form of a blessedly spoiler-free rev...

Best reads of the past month: Dark Moon Defender by Sharon Shinn This is the 3rd in Shinn's Twelve Houses series. The 2nd, Thirteenth House, came out this past March, so when I found out DMD would be out in October I squealed in delight. It's so rare to get more than one book per year out of a new series in hardback and I love this series. The six companions are each so different and intriguing that it's a pleasure to watch them interact. They really are old friends by now. The first two books followed Senneth and Kirra respectively, the two females in the group. This one focuses on Justin the gutter boy turned King's Rider. Warning: the dude on the cover looks nothing like Justin. The 4th book is going to focus on Cammon and is, without a doubt, going to rock my world. Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris This is the 2nd in Harris' Harper Connelly mystery series. I surprised myself with how much I was looking forward to it. Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series is h...

Best reads of the past month: Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman This sweet, smart little novel follows 15-year-old Julia Lefkowitz who loves Jane Austen. Enter her best friend Ashleigh the Enthusiast. Ashleigh adobts Austen as her latest obsession, dragging Julia off to crash an all boys school cotillion in search of a Darcy and a Bingley apiece. Suitable young men are found (naturally), but which one is which? Delightful and quirky, full of sly Austen references, and even a play within a play. I stayed up late in the closet reading this one. No finer recommendation. Big Mouth & Ugly Girl by Joyce Carol Oates My first Joyce Carol Oates book. Her first YA offering. A match made in heaven apparently. It reminded me of a more "American" (?) version of Just in Case. No less angst, but a little more hope. The two main characters, Matt and Ursula, develop alter egos (see title) which in turn enable them to cope with the shocking events of their junior year. Ignore the puzzling, sl...