Friday Features...Patient Zero and Powerpuff Girls Doujinshi

Every Friday I will feature 2 things:
1) Something to do with zombies + books because I'm Team Zombie all the way!
2) Some fun website or blog that I have found during my Internet wanderings (trust me, I have wandered and found many wondrous things) that may not have anything to do with books.See past Friday Features here.

1) Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry The cover sends a delicious thrill down my spine. It's amazing and bone-chilling scary! A new take on the whole zombie craze - as weapons used by terrorists. Somehow, I'm thinking that it was a great idea, but it will quickly backfire and the whole world will go up in flames.

From Publisher's WeeklyWhile raiding a terrorist cell at the start of this exciting thriller from Stoker-winner Maberry (Dead Man's Song), Baltimore PD Det. Joe Ledger shoots two .45 slugs into Javad Mustapha, killing him very dead. Four days later, while trying out for a secret government antiterrorist unit, Joe has to kill Javad all over again. It appears the terrorists have figured out a way to make zombies, and they're about to turn the legions of the undead loose on the world. Terrorist El Mujahid and his brilliant scientist wife, Amirah, who created the zombies, are working with villainous international businessman Sebastian Gault. That Sebastian and Amirah are having wild sex in the lab shows that loyalties within the group of conspirators aren't all they should be. Joe leads a team of elite fighters against the zombies, a job he performs with spectacular skill. Plenty of man-to-zombie combat, a team traitor and a doomsday scenario add up to a fast and furious read.

2) Powerpuff Girls Doujinshi by Bleedman as featured on Snafu comics I looooooooooooooove his artwork! It's gorgeous! I forget how I stumbled across this, but I somehow managed to. If you remember The Powerpuffs Girls, Dextor's Laboratory, Samarai Jack, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Invader Zim, then Bleedman is the artist for you! He has re-invented these awesome cartoon characters into anime and tells a wholly original story that will blow you away by its artistic amazingness alone. I also recommend Grim Tales From Down Below also by Bleedman.

Just a friendly reminder from The Grapevine

I post giveaways hosted by other bloggers on my sidebar under The Grapevine (as in heard through), but I want to highlight those that will be ending in the next few days...

Click on THE BLOG to reach the contest page.
Click on THE PRIZE to find out more about it (e.g. what the book is about)!

* Sunday March 1

• Juiciliciousss Reviews - a celebratory Half Birthday Prize Pack
• Reviewer X - a celebratory The Dust of 100 Dogs Prize Pack
• Mrs Magoo Reads - a fantastic 4-book Prize Pack
  

* Monday March 2

• cupcake witch - an ARC of The Forest of Hands and Feet
• The Shady Glade - a copy of Paper Towns
  

* Tuesday March 3

• Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf - an ARC of The King's Rose

Hurry and sign up! March will be around the corner before you know it!

Thursday Thereabouts - February 26, 2009

Every Thursday I will share what I am currently reading this week, what I finished, and what I am tempted to start. I'll give some general impressions of the books that I'm not quite finished with and, depending on if I managed to post a review yet, my overall reaction to the books I finished. See previous Thursday Thereabouts here.

Currently in the middle of...

• Fairy Tale Blues by Tina Welling I'm in love with the writing! I think I found a new chick lit author to follow. In fact, I hunted down a copy of Crybaby Ranch yesterday to devour it after I finish this one. It features both the wife and husband's perspectives which I find absolutely interesting! Curious? Check out a teaser!
  
• Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead (ARC) Still reading... Still nothing much happening, but the writing is still superb! Perhaps if there were zombies, I'd be a little more motivated...
• The Devil In The White City by Erik Larson I haven't had much waiting to do lately. Sad. :(
  

Finished with...

• Nobody's Prize by Esther Friesner Very satisfying read, although I wish there will be a third book. Helen continues to kick some Greek butt :) Check out my review!
  
• I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kuehnert Everyone was right! This was amazing! I am glad I moved it up on my TBR pile! Check out my review!
  
• Read My Lips by Teri Brown Extremely cute! It melted my girlish heart with all its oozy sweetness and surprised me with the ending! Check out my review!
• Boy Minus Girl by Richard Uhlig A little bit too much boy perspective for me! I read things that I would have been better off not knowing. Check out my review!

Tempted to start...

• Terrier by Tamora Pierce Pretty psyched to be returning to Tortall, even it is 200 years pre-Alanna days! Did you catch last week's teaser?
• the abcs of kissing boys by Tina Ferraro I've been practicing my ABCs (seriously, alphabetization is harder than it should be), and I think I'm ready to embark on some education on kissage :) I loooooooooooooooove the cover! It's quite luscious!

What about you?
What are you in the middle of?
What have you finished?
What are you tempted to start?

Fabulousity?

A big THANK YOU to Katie's Bookshelf for this fabulous award! :)

Rules:
Write 5 things you’re addicted to and then nominate 5 other blogs to pass this award on to!

Here are a few of my favorite addictions...

• The Library Do you even have to ask why? Where else can I get attacked by books by the tribbillions* and live to tell the tale?

• Kiwis Cute cuddly little flightless birds or bright green and heavily seeded fruit, either way I think they rock for the most part.

• Musicals Have you seen my Tuesday Tunes posts? I'm the crazy one who will buy the soundtrack, listen to it over and over, but probably won't know what exactly the musical is about or have seen it in all its entirety.

• Zombies I believe it started when I finally saw the romantic zombie comedy known as Shaun of the Dead, and then I caught the zombie bug. It's been "BRAINZZZZZ!" ever since.
  

• Häagen-Dazs coffee ice cream Mmmmmm...enough said.
  

* I merged tribbles and billions into one word even though they should be synonymous!

And the Nominated are...

• Stone Soup Katrina owns the coolest hats (from which she draws many names) and gives away the awesomest books (she has tons!), but that is not why I nominate her. I do so because she recently met Jamie Ford on the spur of the moment, thanks to her informant at a local indie bookstore, and I am waaaaaaaaay impressed and jealous!

• Readings of a Teenage Tree Willowe is fairly new, but she is doing an excellent job at reviewing! If only I could read as quickly and as much as she does... Plus, I absolutely love Willowe's header! It's gorgeous!

• Korianne Speaks A very random blog. It ranges from books to Etsy finds to name-choosing to bookshelfs to Twilight ramblings... I guarantee that you will find at least one interesting thing - if not a whole lot more! She also makes and gives away beautiful, handmade bookmarks.
  

• MacLean Space I heart Sarah MacLean! :D She is very fabulous in all her Austen and Regency awesomeness. Her "Inside the Characters' Studio" Q&A are to die for! Plus, you may not be aware - but her book The Season will be officially released March 1, 2009 (but you may find it at your bookstore already!).
  

• Carrie's YA Bookshelf A wonderful book review blog where I discover many cool supernatural/paranormal books to look out for! Absolutely perfect for a zombie addict like me!
  

BkRv: Before she launched 1000 ships...

Book Review: Nobody's Prize by Esther Friesner

YA | Mythology

First Line:
I stood in the bow of the little fishing boat and gazed at the glittering city high on the bluff ahead.

Rating: 4. Smooth sailing, but no 3rd book in sight?!

I had praised Nobody's Princess earlier with great anticipation of its already-released sequel Nobody's Prize. I did not expect the sequel to mention the Trojan War because it is obvious that Helen still had a long ways to go before she reaches that pivotal story arc. No, I expected it to continue the current storyline where Helen sets out to sail with her 2 older brothers, Jason, and the Argonauts to find the Golden Fleece.

From page 16
I didn't like being left behind, waiting. I wanted to meet my fate head-on. I also wanted to examine every hand-span of the ship's body to see where I'd best be able to lie low once we set sail and my brothers were on board. A smart rabbit doesn't wait until the hounds are on her trail before she digs her burrows.

From page 137
But between You must do this because you're a princess and You must never do that because you're a girl, there was no time left for Do what you like, because you're Helen.

In order for Helen to join the Argonauts in this adventure, she had to disguise herself as a boy. You would think that would eliminate any problem with being the only female (who is growing more beautiful by the day) among a ship full of men. However, surprise of surprises, it is Heracles that falls in love with Helen's boy-self! I know, it sounds almost ridiculous - I mean, Heracles?! It unnerved me a little, only because I had not been aware of such an inclination for this Greek hero. I did find it humorous though. Even dressed as a boy, Helen still needs to fend off suitors!

The thing I find most satisfying with Nobody's Princess and Nobody's Prize is how well Friesner develops the characters - they seem so real and human, instead of idealized heroes and figures that myths have made them to become. What fascinates me is that the characters are also aware how great and fantastic their names have become, how wildly exaggerated their deeds can grow, how greatly distorted their adversaries become.

From page 87, Orpheus to Helen on the Harpies (women warriors)
They attacked without warning, they destroyed good ships for the sake of destruction, they violated the sanctity of sacrifice to the gods, and they would have cut down a blind old man, king or not, if we hadn't come ashore when we did. I won't argue with you about their valor or their mastery of weapons and horses, but see them for what they are, lad. You say I've made them monsters, yet you'd make them gods. They're women, human women, as praiseworthy and as flawed as any fighting men I've ever known, but plain truth makes a poor song.

My major disappointment is that a third book seems unlikely. Friesner tidies everything up and sets the stage for the events that will lead into the Trojan War.

From page 131, Argus translates local Pythia for Helen
You're brave, you're strong, you're quick-witted, you'll marry a king, find your true love, have lots of babies, kill whole armies with your beauty, and your fame will live forever, yap, yap, yap.

Helen finally meets Menelaus by the end of Nobody's Prize, but no whisper of marriage yet. A carrot is dangled in front of our faces in the form of a pocket mirror with an etching of The Judgment of Paris, though Helen naturally makes no head nor tail of it. I suppose, Friesner would have such a mammoth task to recount the Trojan War and develop all its key players - and I don't know how she could handle Helen and Paris. Do they fall insanely in love? Does Helen play any role at all during the War? I would think she should get her hands dirty, given the current 2 books, but will she? If not, why not? A lot of questions would have to be answered in such a way to combine Friesner's Helen and the original story. While Friesner may find the task of a third book daunting, I think if she does manage to write it, it will be quite epic and well worth the wait!
---
Disclosure 10/7/09:
This was borrowed from the library.

BkRv: I'm the queen of rock and roll

Book Review: I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kuehnert

YA | Girls

First Line:
Altars. Saviors. Rock 'n' roll. I braved my fears of spiders, dust plumes as thick as L.A. smog, and the stench of dog piss that the last owner of the house had let permeate the basement to tirelessly search my father's record collection for my next holy grail.

Rating: 5! Stephanie Kuehnert = Pied Piper gone rock goddess!

I did not know what to expect entirely from it when I spied it on the library shelf, but I've heard good things about I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone all over the blogosphere. And I did not leave empty-handed and disappointed - no, I left with a strange desire to blare loud music for me to sing and dance crazily!

Kuehnert includes an acknowledgment page that I highly recommend you to read - beforehand or after, whichever, I like to read it first if it's at the beginning - if you decide to pick this up. She gives some insight to what drove her to write this book.

From page XI
This story was born of my fantasies about a rock world where girls rule, and I can only hope it pays fitting tribute to the women who've inspired me. Sure, Nirvana gave voice to millions of freaks like me and the Sex Pistols introduced me to punk rock, but the first time I heard Courtney Love scream that she was "pretty on the inside," it saved my angry, thirteen-year-old girl soul.

I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone reaches out to my not-anymore-13-year-old girl soul and pushes me headlong into the world of punk rock as loved by Emily Black. She lives in Carlisle, Wisconsin, by an underground music mecca known as River's Edge. It is here where people flock to play to their hearts' content and listen to others play to their hearts' content. It is here where Emily worships the rock god wannabes and dreams of being a rock goddess.

From page 9
I wanted something that you could feel in your throat when you played it loud, something that churned through your stomach and shook you to the tips of your toes. Something that scraped out your insides and made you want to dance without them. Just as I searched for the steepest hill to ride my bike down, I hunted for music that would provide the greatest thrill.

From page 37
There was a faraway look in his eyes. "I was playing that the night your mother first saw me at River's Edge." He met my gaze seriously. "Don't end up like her, Emily. Don't search for the music in other people. Play it yourself."

Her mother had left them when Emily was a mere infant, supposedly to follow wherever the music went. Which is the main thing that drives Emily to start her own punk rock band in hopes of luring her mother home. However, as Emily and her band become big names, Emily learns that there may be more to the story about her mother's disappearance than everyone lets on.

I think the most interesting aspect of I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone is that we also get occasional glimpses of Emily's mother Louisa - what she has been up to and what drove her to leave her family. While it may not be obvious to Emily herself who longs to find her mother and Louisa who longs to come home but cannot, the reader will see the uncanny similarities between mother and daughter.
---
Disclosure 10/7/09: LIBRARY

Waiting on...The Diamond Secret (June 2, 2009)

The Book: The Diamond Secret (Once Upon A Time Series)
The Author: Suzanne Weyn
The When: June 2, 2009
The Genre: Fairy Tale Retellings
The Publisher: Simon Pulse

The What About:

Sadly I could not find a synopsis anywhere, but I might not have been looking very hard. An educated guess is that this is a retelling of Han Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid, which is one of my absolute favorite fairy tale though it ends rather morosely. I haven't read the other Once Upon A Time books yet - they're actually in a neat little pile within arm's reach - but I will be soon. Regardless, my love for The Little Mermaid is enough to make me wait eagerly for this release!

This WoW meme is courtesy of Jill @ Breaking the Spine

Tuesday Tunes Into...Hairspray

Every Tuesday I will be devoting some time to all things musical because we all can use one or two musicals in our lives! I am a musical fiend who likes to share her musical fixation with unsuspecting individuals (even the male persuasion are not spared!). I am also weird in that I tend to listen to the soundtrack without even knowing what the story is about or having seen the musical yet. Check out past musicals here.

Good morning, blogosphere! I have only listened to the soundtrack and saw the movie adaptation for Hairspray, so I cannot really rave about the stage performances. I can only imagine (from the trailer below) that it is still as energetic and full-blasted - and probably even moreso since it is live!



If you have seen the movie or listened to the soundtrack, then you can most likely nod in agreement that this is a rockin' good time and you cannot help but tap your toes and hum along with the musical numbers. Also, you cannot help but do all this with a big, goofy, happy grin :D Hairspray is like a happy pill - it just cheers me up without fail!

From the official website
Hairspray is based upon the New Line Cinema film written and directed by John Waters, with a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, music by Marc Shaiman, and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Whittman. Hairspray is directed by Jack O'Brien and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell.

In Hairspray, it’s 1962, the ‘50s are out and change is in the air. Baltimore’s Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, has only one passion – to dance. She wins a spot on the local TV dance programme, 'The Corny Collins Show' and, overnight, is transformed from outsider to irrepressible teen celebrity. But can a trendsetter in dance and fashion vanquish the programme's reigning princess, win the heart of heartthrob Link Larkin, and integrate a television show without denting her ‘do? Only in Hairspray! Welcome to the '60s!

The musical features an original score by Marc Shaiman (who co-wrote the music and lyrics for the acclaimed animated musical, ‘South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut’) and Scott Whittman. Their songs take Tracy from the soundstage of a ‘60s-style dance show to the streets of Baltimore to a downtown rhythm and blues record shop.

The movie adaptation is also impressive - and I highly recommend that if you cannot wait for the theater production to roll into town. John Travolta takes on the role of Tracy's mom - yes, you heard me right - traditionally taken on by a male actor. And he does an unnervingly excellent job with it! Just as Christopher Walken does a splendid job with playing opposite Travolta as Tracy's dad. Zac Efron can also be seen in the movie as the teen heartthrob Link; Amanda Bynes (still hilarious as ever) as Tracy's best friend Penny; Brittany Snow as Tracy's arch-nemesis Amber; Michelle Pfeiffer (on a roll with evil characters) as Amber's mother; Queen Latifah as the classy Maybelle; and last but most drool-worthy James Marsden who wows as Corny Collins. For me, Marsden was the real jaw-dropper because I had never really paid much attention to him, but his performance was outstanding! So lots of names, but they all definitely played their parts well!

'Cause you can't stop the beat

Ever since this old world began
A woman found out if she shook it
She could shake up a man
And so i'm gonna shake and shimmy it
The best that I can today

'Cause you cant stop
The motion of the ocean
Or the sun in the sky
You can wonder if you wanna
But I never ask why

And if you try to hold me down
I'm gonna spit in your eye and say
That you cant stop the beat!
You Can't Stop The Beat

Teasing you with...Fairy Tale Blues

From page 132 of Fairy Tale Blues by Tina Welling

"You know, Jess, you are something of a cuddly" - she searched for the proper word - "predator."

"That's how it feels, Jess. As if you're a...a passive sort of terrorist. You go around not allowing yourself to know the swath of damage you leave in passing through life. All the while not meaning to cause harm, but not meaning to cause...anything. Anything. You refuse to be present...or aware." She ended by saying, "It's terrorism by omission, if that makes sense."

This Teaser Tuesday meme is courtesy of MizB @ Should Be Reading

Forget the Brits, THE ZOMBIES ARE COMING!

ATTN:
ALL YE OF TEAM ZOMBIE
(I suppose Team Unicorn and everyone in-between may also join)

Amanda Ashby has prepared a zombie blog party in honor of the upcoming release Zombie Queen of Newbury High!

Be there* or be zombie-fied.

* There will be several guest author posts with various giveaways that include not only books but also incredible cuteness!

Ms. Ashby has also been spreading the viral goodness to other corners of the blogosphere such as:

• Sharon Loves Books and Cats - Guest post on Sharon's birthday and zombie cats
• Reading Keeps You Sane - Author interview - On The Outside... series
  

Reviews for Zombie Queen of Newbury High

• Katie's Bookshelf
  
• Carrie's YA Bookshelf
• Books By Their Cover
• Wondrous Reads
• Bitten By Books
  

(Pssst.... If you featured Amanda or the Zombie Queen and I did not list you, let me know the link and I'll add it on!)

Monday Mailbox - February 23, 2009

The Mailed
Okay, not a whole lot of YA stuff (okay, only one), so shoot me. Sometimes I just have the need to broaden my reading pile...

• The Wonder Singer by George Rabasa Many thanks to Unbridled Books for sending me this - the cover is beautiful (though you can't really see it in this picture)! A really pretty picture of a peacock!
  
• Last Night In Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel
  (ARC) Another thanks to Unbridled Books! I'm looking forward to reading this as well.
  
• To Seduce A Sinner by Elizabeth Hoyt (ARC) Getting my historical romance fix, lest I die from melancholy...
  
• In Over Her Head by Judi Fennell (ARC) Another romance, though not as historical.
  
• Vigilante Witch Hunter by Gary Turcotte This had sounded good, but now I'm not so sure. We'll see...
  
• Lament by Maggie Stiefvater Thanks to The Shady Glade for having this giveaway (and other Contest Mondays)! I am looking forward to cracking this beauty open to read about soulless faerie assassins :)
  

The Borrowed

• Nothing. Still playing catch-up with my current pile.
  

The Bought

• Nothing! Being good still...

This "In My Mailbox" meme is courtesy of Kristi @ The Story Siren (inspired by Alea @ Pop Culture Junkie)

BkRv: Loose lips sink ships

Book Review: Read My Lips by Teri Brown

YA | Girls

First Line:
What the heck? I stared at the small person waving her arms like a referee.

Rating: 5! You can't see my lips, but let me spell it out for you: I-L-O-V-E-D-I-T!!!

In a fit of indecision, I decided to read Read My Lips and Boy Minus Girl at the same time (not literally at the same time, but you get the picture). Which led me to interesting thoughts between boy books and girl books. Boy Minus Girl was a little too much raging hormone and wet dreams for me, whereas Read My Lips was more sweet girly romance and the usual girly drama. Perhaps I should just stick with the girl books from now on...

As mentioned on Thursday, I really clicked with the main character Serena - I loved her down-to-earth, sarcastic, punk personality! Which is really surprising since I would have never guessed that from the cover. I mean, does the cover model look remotely punk-tastic to you? No, she does not. But that's okay - I think the cover reflects Serena when she is trying to fit in with her new school and manages to wow the popular girls with her lip-reading abilities.

From page 40
Going out with a group of preppies was different from hanging out at the skate park with a bunch of punks. Tonight I'd be with a group of girls. Like a normal teen, instead of a punk skater chick. Yeah, right. A normal teen with her mom shadowing her every move.

From page 93
Sure, she was using me. I wasn't stupid. The question was, would I let her? How important was fitting in?

Why is she trying to fit in with the preppies instead of seeking out other skater punks? Because she's new and wants to make friends, and the first person who befriends her happens to be nice but preppy girl named Rachel. How is she to know about the secret sorority that has ruled the school for the last several decades? How is she to know that they might want to use her powers for not-quite-good purposes? As Serena so aptly puts it above, she is not stupid and chose her course (though definitely with some hesitations).

I'm sure we all can imagine what the sorority was like - bitchy and snotty and back-stabbing. However, Teri Brown surprised me with how she handled the sorority in the end. A highly original (at least to me, it is) and definitely refreshing direction! Some of the girls turned out to be really classy - classier than I actually gave them credit for - and I appreciated this unexpected niceness that shone through in the end.

Serena is a pretty unique character in that she is deaf. I don't recall reading any book with a deaf main character. (Sidenote: I have read a book with a blind main character, though the name escapes me at the moment.) Teri handles the subject well, and I am impressed with the details included in this book. If Teri is reading this: How did you come up with this story idea, and how much did you research on this subject?

Oh, and I can't forget to mention the sweet girly romance! Teri introduces us to Miller on page 3, and I swear his intense gaze zapped me as much as it stunned Serena! :) Holy smokes, and I melted into goo when they kissed! It was soooooooooooooooooooo sweet!
---
Disclosure 10/7/09:
This was borrowed from the library.

BkRv: Wait, you changed your name to McLovin'?

Book Review: Boy Minus Girl by Richard Uhlig

YA | Boys

First Line:
Mom, Dad, and I sit at the kitchen table, trying to eat Mom's meat loaf.

Rating: 3. A little too much boy perspective for me!

I picked this up mainly for its cover and title. It sounded cute, though obviously a boy read. I'm not sure if this would appeal to the male audience, but I suspect it would appeal to them more than it would to girls. I agree with Katie at Katie's Bookshelf that Boy Minus Girl's main character Lester Eckhardt could be a younger Michael Cera. I would go even further to say that Boy Minus Girl could be a bookish version of Superbad. Yes, it's that much of boy perspective - perhaps even moreso. Then again, what do I know? I'm not a boy. :P

From page 15
We're still in Kansas, Toto. Forever.

Les is a 14-year-old boy who longs to be a "Seductive Man" in order to attract the attention of the new girl Charity Conners. His parents are boring, concerned with tornadoes and nuclear missiles. They never go anywhere or do anything fun. The school bully is still makes it a point to to beat him into a pulp. What is a poor boy to do? How can he even hope to be sauve enough to get laid by the girl of his dreams?

Enter Uncle Ray. He is everything that Les wants to be - dangerous, exciting, and very bad to the bone. In other words, a total babe-magnet! Soon Les is taking advice from Uncle Ray on how to score with the ladies.

From page 64
"If she goes for the milk chocolate, then she's the old-fashioned romantic type," [Uncle Ray] explains. "She'll require flowers and love notes before you'll get her bra off. The dark-chocolate types are more aggressive and edgy. They like guys who will challenge them in some way. Be prepared to thave some deep, passionate conversations about life and death with the dark-chocolate kind."

Eventually Les learns that his uncle may not be the greatest role model nor the most reliable source of information when it comes to women. He finds something shocking about Charity that totally throws him into quite a loop.

Each chapter opens with a Seduction Tip that often made me chuckle at its absurdity. What scares me most is that these tips were probably real and not made up by Richard Uhlig. In that case, what sort of man would even follow these tips in hopes of becoming a "Seductive Man"? I guess, the answer would be young boys who don't know any better like Les.

As I said before, Boy Minus Girl was a little too much boy perspective for me. I found it somewhat amusing, but nothing too spectacular.

P.S. So...are you the milk chocolate or dark chocolate type of girl? In all honesty, I think I'd fall into both categories - I love having deep and sometimes nonsensical conversations with my boyfriend, but I also love it when he writes me sweet love notes (because it's such a rarity) :D
---
Disclosure 10/7/09:
This was borrowed from the library.

BkRv: Eat your heart out, R.L. Stine

Book Review: Coraline by Neil Gaiman

MG | Fantasy

First Line:
Coraline discovered the door a little while after they moved into the house.

Rating: 5! It could be like a delicious but scary bedtime snack!

Remember Goosebumps? Remember R.L. Stine? Speaking of which, whatever happened to R.L. Stine and Goosebumps? Oh, and Fear Street? Did anyone watch Goosebumps on FOX network? Oh, the good old days...

But this isn't about Goosebumps. This is about Coraline and how it totally blows Goosebumps into smithereens. It's creepy in the way that Goosebumps should have been, but oftentimes was not.

From Lemony Snicket's mouth
This book tells a fascinating and disturbing story that frightened me nearly to death.

We meet a young girl named Coraline, who is often mistakenly called "Caroline" by her well-meaning neighbors. Her family just recently moved into this apartment complex, and her parents basically let her run wild and does not pay too much attention to her antics, which should be every child's dream come true. But for Coraline, too much freedom is boring and she wishes that her parents would pay a little more attention instead of giving her busy work.

One day, while counting the doors as her father instructed, Coraline discovers a locked door in the drawing room and asks her mother about it. Apparently the door leads to a brick wall. Nothing special, but Coraline finds herself thinking about the strange door the next few days. When her mom leaves her alone to go grocery-shopping, Coraline sneaks back to the door and unlocks it - only to discover a dark, dark hallway.

Naturally she walks down the hallway and finds a most disturbing world quite like yet quite unlike her own...

From page 113
Coraline shivered. She preferred the other mother to have a location: if she were nowhere, she could be anywhere. And, after all, it is always easier to be afraid of something you cannot see.

Some find it hard to believe that this could pass as a children's book, but I say any child looking for some delicious ghost story (not that Coraline has many ghosts) or shivers down their spines will find Coraline to their satisfaction. Those not looking for nightmares need not venture any further.

P.S. It also reminded me MirrorMask, but a lot younger and a lot darker.

I can't wait to see the movie! 100% stop-motion sounds amazing!
---
Disclosure 10/7/09:
This has been bought with my hard-earned money.

Just a friendly reminder from The Grapevine

I post giveaways hosted by other bloggers on my sidebar under The Grapevine (as in heard through), but I want to highlight those that will be ending in the next few days...

Click on THE BLOG to reach the contest page.
Click on THE PRIZE to find out more about it (e.g. what the book is about)!

* Monday 2/23

• The Page Flipper - a copy of Good Enough
  

* Tuesday 2/24

• The Book Faery Review - a copy of White Witch, Black Curse
  

* Thursday 2/26

• Brenda's Blog - a copy of Magic and the Modern Girl
  

* Friday 2/27

• The Bookshipper - a copy of The Agency
• The Bookshipper - an ARC of Busy Woman Seeks Wife
  (p.s. Check out the Breast Cancer Awareness Care Bear on my sidebar! Thanks to Tina for using a giveaway as an awesome idea to spread awareness!)
  
• Wendy's Minding Spot - an ARC of Every Demon Has His Day
  

* Saturday 2/28

• Carrie's YA Bookshelf - a Supernatural Book Prize Pack
• GreenBeanTeenQueen - an I Love Books Prize Pack
• Shhh I'm Reading - a signed copy of Matrimony
• The Book Muncher - a Romance Lovers Book Prize Pack
• Historical Fiction - a copy of The Annotated Pride and Prejudice and Lost In Austen
  

BkRv: Raising Helen

Book Review: Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner

YA | Mythology

First Line:
When I was four years old, my father, King Tyndareus of Sparta, dedicated a shrine to his favorite goddess, Aphrodite.

Rating: 4. Impatiently anticipating for the Trojan War to break out so I can watch Helen kick some butt! :)

I am a major Greek/Roman mythology nutcase. I used to love love love reading all those myths when I was younger. So I am pretty psyched with all these retellings that are being released!

For those of you unfamiliar with the story that launched 1000 ships, check out the almighty Wiki for more information (Helen of Troy and Paris). As I prepare this review, I had a strange thought in regards to this myth. You know how myths are a means to explain things? So...was it that unlikely for Paris to win a married woman's heart that the Greeks had to lay some responsibility on Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite? Or perhaps a way to explain the insanity of stealing another sovereignty's wife and creating one massively destructive war?

Anyhow, back to Nobody's Princess. What a lovely retelling, and this is just the beginning of Helen's story! In the original myth, you do not hear a lot about Helen - only that she is the most beautiful woman in the world. Indeed, she is forever remembered as Helen of Troy. Even I did not remember that she came from Sparta. The most beautiful woman came from Sparta? How interesting! I am glad Esther Friesner decided to investigate further into Helen before she became "of Troy."

From page 2
I didn't care if I grew up to be as beautiful as the goddess, as long as I could be free.

I always like stories about girls who set their minds to going against the norm and doing boy things. Helen of Sparta does not disappoint! It was interesting to watch her realize that beauty is not everything - though it definitely can be both a gift and a curse (as a certain Adrian Monk likes to say) - and she must learn how to protect her country if she is to be Queen of Sparta one day. And so she joins her older brothers as they practice weaponry.

What I really enjoyed about Nobody's Princess is the cameo appearances and mentions of other noteworthy Greekers such as Theseus, Atalanta, and Heracles. In myths, one tends to forget that some of them could have happened at around the same time...and possibly the same place.

While they worship and pay respects to the Greek gods and goddesses, the Olympians do not make an actual appearance. I suspect they never will. Friesner seems to be focusing on making this myth as realistic as possible. While there may be boasts and rumors about dragons and hydras and Golden Fleeces, the characters themselves admit that these are great exaggerations.

From page 6
[I]f someone asked me the difference between gods and grown-ups, I'd have said, What difference?

Nobody's Princess focuses on a young Helen - still in her pre-pubescent years, I believe, on the cusp of womanhoood. I am eager to read the sequel Nobody's Prize that has already been released to watch her grow into that famous face that launched 1000 ships and led to the ruin of Troy.
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Disclosure 10/7/09:
This was borrowed from the library.

BkRv: Pulchy keen, fairy bean

Book Review: How To Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier

YA | Fairy

First Line:
My spoffs looked funny in the top, which is odd because my spoffs are tiny.

Rating: 2. fairies:sports as oil:water.

I had expected something different when I saw the cover and read the jacket summary.

From the jacket summary
Welcome to New Avalon, where everyone has a personal fairy. Though invisible to the naked eye, a personal fairy - like a specialized good luck charm - is vital to a person's success. It might determine whether you make a sports team, pass a class, or find that perfect outfit. But for fourteen-year-old Charlie, having a parking fairy is worse than having nothing at all - especially when the school bully carts her around like his private parking pass.

Enter: The Plan. At first, teaming up with her archenemy, Fiorenze (who has an all-the-boys-like-you fairy), seems like a great idea. But when Charlie unexpectedly gets her heart's desire, it isn't at all how she thought it would be, and she'll have to resort to extraordinary measures to set things right.

I had expected a cute story about a girl with a less-than-desirable fairy and her attempts to switch fairies while she attempts to get through high school. I had questions on how she manages to team up with her archenemy, imagining Fiorenze to be one of the popular girls. I imagined something similar to Freaky Friday or any of those movies where 2 characters swap places.

Little did I know that the high school in question specializes in sports, Fiorenze is far from popular (but she might be perfect!), or that existence of fairies would not be discussed in great detail. Little did I know that the jargon would be strange and a little confusing.

And so I experienced somewhat of a disappointment. Things did not pan out the way I had expected, and the story did not really move until halfway into the book when Fiorenze and Charlie finally swapped fairies. I did not engage with any of the characters or feel that the sparks between Charlie and Steffi (the love interest) really ignited.

I had wanted more fairy involvement! I did not feel that the book really dove into the topic of fairies. Why some people had them, others did not. Why some did not believe in fairies, others did. Do you already have a fairy at birth? All these lovely questions to answer, but none of them truly answered in this book! They were mentioned in passing... The concept of a fairies that can only be seen as a hazy aura if you allow your eyes to un-focus did not really bode well with me. Perhaps I am used to fairies who are visible and speak. Perhaps I like to read about fairies that do such. I wonder if Justine Larbalestier will write more about New Avalon...

The jargon also threw me in for a loop. I wish that I had known about the mini-glossary at the end! The very first line (see above) talks about spoffs - and, though I managed to surmise what they are, I was not 100% certain until I reached the glossary at the end of the book. Moral of the story: There is a glossary at the end of this book. Use it to avoid confusion!

All this is me and my preferences though. So don't go by my opinion alone.

If you want to read about sports and high school fluff with a pinch of fairy dust, then How To Ditch Your Fairy may be the book for you!

P.S. Which cover do you prefer? The one at the beginning of the post...

...or this one?

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Disclosure 10/7/09:
This was borrowed from the library.

Friday Features... World War Z and Potter Puppet Pals

Every Friday I will feature 2 things:
1) Something to do with zombies + books because I'm Team Zombie all the way!
2) Some fun website or blog that I have found during my Internet wanderings (trust me, I have wandered and found many wondrous things) that may not have anything to do with books.
See past Friday Features here.

1)World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks I've seen the book floating about the Internet, and I think it is one of the coolest things I have ever heard about. I was reminded of this book again when I read Narrative Causality's Teaser Tuesday post which featured World War Z. Then I realized that that was the same author who was responsible for The Zombie Survival Guide(my zombie feature last Friday).

If Wiki tells truth (and that's an iffy IF), then World War Z is a loose sequel to The Guide- that is, it uses the rules and guidelines from The Guide and presents it as interviews and reports from those who survived the Zombie War. Interesting, huh? Even more interesting is that World War Z has been recently acquired by Paramount Pictures to be made into a movie (that is, if IMDb tells truth)! How much would that rock?

2) Potter Puppet Pals by Neil Cicierega, Emmy Cicierega, and Alora Lanzillotta This first started off as a 2D animation, and then they received enough support to have their very own puppet theater which makes it even that more amazing! If you are a HP fan, then you must experience this phenomenon!

It's catchy, it's addictive, it's hilarity times hilarity (so hilarity squared!).

"I can teach you to pickle victory, secrete success,
and even score with hot babes!"
Severus Snape, Potions Class

And I'm sure that I'll probably rave about Neil Cicierega again on future Fridays, but he rocks my socks! :) He has done so many amazing things in the world of animation and song-writing that it just blows my mind that he is just a few years younger than I am!

Thursday Thereabouts - February 19, 2009

Every Thursday I will share what I am currently reading this week, what I finished, and what I am tempted to start. I'll give some general impressions of the books that I'm not quite finished with and, depending on if I managed to post a review yet, my overall reaction to the books I finished. See previous Thursday Thereabouts here.

Currently in the middle of...

• Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead (ARC) Still going well - getting into the more interesting bits and pieces. I think one thing I am noticing is how hungry this books makes me feel - the narrator goes into quite a bit of descriptive detail about food! So don't read this on an empty stomach :) The book club discussion is fun - it's interesting to read everyone's reactions and answers to the moderator's questions. It definitely gives me more food for thought!
  
• Read My Lips by Teri Brown Just picked this up last night because I needed a pick-me-upper. I can tell that I'll like the main character (Serena) already - and I'm only a few pages in, but there's already some potential love interest in the picture! The only thing that bothers me (and granted I'm only part of the way in) is that the girl on the cover is not how I imagine Serena to look like - the girl on the cover is too goody-goody, and Serena definitely gives me the impression of being quite a rebel.
• Boy Minus Girl by Richard Uhlig I admit, so far I have lovingly looked at the cover and almost opened to the first page. But I will be reading it (probably tonight) because it sounds good and looks good and I could use a little boy perspective in my life :)
  
• The Devil In The White City by Erik Larson My current read that I take wherever I go - doctor's appointments, picking up my brother, etc. The book that waits with me. I've heard so many good things about it, and yes, it is nonfiction (I get a little iffy with nonfiction reads). But it is extremely well-written to the degree that you will get sucked into it! It's about the 1893 Chicago's World Fair and a bunch of serial killings that occurred at that time.
  

Finished with...

• How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier Mmm, I'm still trying to warm up to it. It was an okay read, but I'm a little disappointed because it was not what I had expected. It started off too slow, and I felt a little lost in the new lingo and strange world.
  
• Coraline by Neil Gaiman Excellent book! I'm glad I finally picked it up. Definitely a quick read, but so satisfying! This is what Goosebumps should've been like!
  

Tempted to start...

• I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kuehnert I've been running across several blogs with music-related books and their positive remarks about this book especially! So I will be making an effort to reading this book ASAP (after the others mentioned above)!
• Nobody's Prize by Esther Friesner The sequel to Nobody's Princess. Also top of the list to read next!
  

What about you?
What are you in the middle of?
What have you finished?
What are you tempted to start?