The Nessie Awards: The Very Best of 2009

I know, I know. How arrogant am I, naming the awards after myself? But "Best of" posts seem to be de rigeur this festive season, and I just couldn't resist putting my two cents in. I know many of these books, movies, etc. are not, strictly speaking, 2009 releases. But I read/watched them in 2009. My list, my rules. So there. Items in each category are in no particular order... how could I choose between my favorites? It was painful enough cutting down the list this far.

So, without further ado, my favorite picks from 2009:

Favorite Guys - if only they weren't fictional.
Peeta (Catching Fire) ... and he bakes!
Brigan (Fire) ... a prince and a single father!
Ian (The Host) ... you know he doesn't love her just for her body.
Valek (The Study Series) ... you never know when you need an assassin.
Mr. Nobley (Austenland) ... he's a better kisser than Mr. Darcy.

Favorite Girls - I only wish I was as awesome as them.
Katniss (Catching Fire) ...for her general kick-ass-ness.
Katsa (Graceling) ... softhearted assassin.
Fire (Fire) ... a monster with a soul.
Yelena (The Study Series) ... poison taster to international adviser -not bad.
Piper (The Girl Who Could Fly) ...spunky, with superpowers!

Best Books - Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
The Assassins of Tamurin by S.D. Tower
Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
Eon: Dragoneye Reborn - Alison Goodman
The Meq - Steve Cash

Best Books - Historical Fiction
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Tatsea - Armin Wiebe
Natalie's Good Fortune- Anthony R. Fanning

Best Books - Mystery
One Hot Mess - Lois Greiman
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Agatha Christie
The Vanished Man - Jeffery Deaver
Dead Until Dark - Charlaine Harris
The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer

Best Books - Realistic Fiction
The Truth About Forever - Sarah Dessen
Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson
Paper Towns - John Green
Testimony - Anita Shreve
The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Nighttime - Mark Haddon

Best Books - Non-Fiction
The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget - Josh Dorfman
The Year of Living Biblically by AJ Jacobs
Stolen Innocence - Elissa Wall
The Guinea Pig Diaries - AJ Jacobs
Nurtureshock - Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman

Worst Books
Tantalize by Cynthia Letich Smith. This one left me wondering if I had read the same book everyone else did. I couldn't stand the characters, and the plot was bizarre and meandering.
Katka by Stephen R. Meier. Proof positive that a story which would make a good Quentin Tarantino movie does not necessarily make a good novel.
Mating Rituals of the North American WASP by Lauren Lipton. A romance... only without the romance. Cold, unlikeable characters killed this one for me.

Best Movies
Avatar Eye candy special effects and a story that will resonate with anyone.
Up I'm surprised to see this one marketed so strongly to kids. In my mind, it's much more appropriate for adults.
The Blind Side. So much more than just a football movie.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Need I say more?
Star Trek. Action-packed and totally William Shatner free. LOVED it.

Worst Movie - The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Maybe it wasn't the worst movie ever, but it was sure a disappointment. They took all the cheesiness and intensified it, took all the good parts and cut them short. The scenes with the Volturi weren't too bad, but even Dakota Fanning as Jane couldn't save this movie. Although I must admit, having all the preteen girls in the audience literally scream when Jake took his shirt off was fairly amusing...

Authors Who Made Me Laugh
John Green (Paper Towns)
Lois Greiman (One Hot Mess)
AJ Jacobs (The Guinea Pig Diaries)
Catherine Gilbert Murdock (The Off Season)
Shannon Hale (Austenland)

Authors Who Made Me Cry - not that easy to do.
Lisa See (Peony in Love, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan)
Lois Lowry (The Giver)
Dorothy Koomson (My Best Friend's Girl)
Shaila Abdullah (Saffron Dreams)

Ten Reasons I'm Excited about 2010
1. Finally serving this fetus with his eviction notice!!
2. Bewitched & Betrayed (Raine Benares) by Lisa Shearin
3. The Lightning Thief movie
4.The Line by Teri Hall
5. Winter Olympics in Vancouver
6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I movie
7. The Hunger Games: Book 3 by Suzanne Collins
8. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse movie
9. New epidosdes of Glee (not til April, though)
10. The Reckoning (Darkest Powers, Book 3) by Kelley Armstrong

December in Hindsight - Catch up on what you missed!

Here's what I read this month, with links to reviews:

1. The Guinea Pig Diaries - AJ Jacobs
2. The Hero and the Crown - Robin McKinley
3. Prophecy of the Sisters - Michelle Zink
4. The Dragon Book -various authors
5. I Was A Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids - Nobile & Ashworth
6. Beautiful Creatures - Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
7. Along For The Ride - Sarah Dessen
8. Castle in the Air - Diana Wynne Jones
9. Necropolis - Anthony Horowitz
10. Fired Up - Jayne Ann Krentz
11. Club Dead - Charlaine Harris
12. Magic Study - Maria V. Snyder
13. Fire Study - Maria V. Snyder
14. Never After - Dan Elconin

This brings my grand total of books read in 2009 to 218!! Yay me! I was hoping to make it to 100. I have a feeling I won't get as much reading done in 2010.

Other highlights for December:
I posted a review of the movie SHERLOCK HOLMES.
I gushed about my fun finds featuring chiyogami.
I did my first Literary Lunch feature.
I reviewed the movie AVATAR.
I found a few cases of Drawing in Books that I actually approve of.
I (with help from all of you) gave my listing of best books for guys.

Night at the Movies: Sherlock Holmes

I have been a Sherlock Holmes fan ever since I read The Hound of the Baskervilles in seventh grade. So I have been eagerly anticipating this movie ever since I saw the trailer this summer.

SHERLOCK HOLMES finds the dynamic duo of Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and Watson (Jude Law) facing a truly dastardly foe. A seemingly supernatural villain is striking terror into the hearts of Londoners and soon nowhere on earth will be safe.

Downey and Law were absolutely perfect in this movie. The byplay between Holmes and Watson really made the movie for me. Throw in Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler and you have everything you need for edge of your seat excitement.

Speaking of excitement, this movie was a lot more action-packed than I typically picture a Holmes story. I don't remember there being quite so many fights and explosions in the original stories. However, the camera work and action sequences lend a thoroughly modern feel to the historical setting, and it was a lot of fun to watch. This is definitely not the BBC.

Will SHERLOCK HOLMES please the die-hard Holmes fan? Well, there's nary a deerstalker cap in sight, but any fan worth their pipe knows that Holmes never really wore one. For my money, Downey flawlessly captured the character of legendary detective in his younger years, from his inscrutable logic to his desperate need for stimulation and admiration.

Overall, pretty good movie. Maybe a little too heavy on the fight scenes and a little light on the detective work, but thoroughly enjoyable nonetheless. I'm excited that it looks like there will be room for a sequel. I can't wait to see more of these characters:

Fun Finds: Japanese Paper

Further results of my adventures on Etsy. I cannot buy all these things for myself, but someone should own them and love them! And, if anyone should want to send me a belated Christmas or really early birthday present....

Japanese paper is often called washi or chiyogami. "Washi" literally means Japanese paper, and "chiyogami" refers to paper with traditional Japanese imagery printed on it. These papers have some of the most elegant, gorgeous prints on them I have ever seen. Some even have gold or silver leaf on them. The clever artisans over on Etsy seem to love them just as much as I do. Here are a few of my favorites of the items I found:

Slide Top Tin by littleputbooks

Magnetic Bookmark by nancym4

Keyring/Luggage Tag by gamiworks

Memo Pad by tinaspaper

Red Poppy Journal by julzbooks

Doesn't that make you want to start shopping for next Christmas? Which one is your favorite? Be sure to drop by all these Etsy stores and check out their other listings. Believe me, I have only scratched the surface of all the great items on offer. Keep a lookout for another post full of all the jewelry items that couldn't fit in this listing.

All images are the property of their creators and are used by permission.
I did some research about washi at the Origami Resource Center.

Review: Magic Study and Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder

Last word first: I was hooked on this series with book one, and it doesn't get any less addictive. (4.5/5)

Acquire: Magic Study and Fire Study

This review contains spoilers for those unfortunate souls who have not yet read Poison Study . You can check out that review right here.

Description: After she uncovered a plot against the Commander of Ixia, you might think former poison taster Yelena would be something of a national hero. Not so. Instead, Yelena is condemned to death and forced to flee the only homeland she can remember, returning to her birthplace in Sitia, far to the south. Here, Yelena will receive training in the magical powers she can barely control. But not everyone in her homeland is willing to welcome Yelena with open arms. Yelena's powers are earning her suspicion on every side. And there's a crazed killer on the loose. You know your life is rough when you miss your days as a poison taster...

My thoughts: Regular readers of my blog will know that I absolutely loved Poison Study, the first book of this series. I was excited, but a little apprehensive, to read the next two books, because people kept telling me they just weren't as good. I am happy to report that those people (in my opinion) were wrong.

Here's why I think people might not have liked these books. Poison Study was an intense, gut-gripping struggle for Yelena to survive. In Magic Study and Fire Study, that struggle spirals outward to take in an entire nation and it loses a bit of the up-close-and-personal feel. But I think the intrigue, the danger, and the higher stakes keep the intensity cranked up. I read each of these books in a single day (over Christmas, no less) because I just couldn't put them down.

I love the Yelena is such a butt-kicking tough girl. She takes on everything from evil magicians to raging self-doubt with the same practical attitude. She also doesn't spend a lot of time moping, so I don't spend a lot of time mentally yelling at her to smarten up the way I have to with some heroines. It's relaxing, really.

I adored the new characters Snyder has added to keep Yelena company in Sitia. Irys is back , but we also get Moon Man, Kiki and Lief. The character interaction is spot on and is a big part of what keeps the series exciting. Also, not to give anything away, but those of you who are missing Valek, Ari, Janco and even the Commander might not want to get too sad just yet.

Highly recommended!

Mini-Reviews: Week of December 26, 2009

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (2/5)

Description: Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them. (Goodreads)

My thoughts: I enjoyed the male protagonist perspective, though Ethan did seem a little too much like a teenage girl's ideal of a teenage boy for him to be a real guy. Overall, this book didn't quite live up to the hype. The story felt a little trite and unoriginal. What annoyed me most though, was the way tension would build and build and then the climactic moment would be strikingly unclimactic. What a tease.

Necropolis (The Gatekeepers) by Anthony Horowitz (3/5)

Description: Hong Kong has been taken over by the Old Ones and has become Necropolis, City of the Dead. Once in, there is no way out… Evil has been unleashed on the world and only five children – with special powers – can save it. Matt and the other three desperately need to find Scar, the final Gatekeeper, who has been trapped in Hong Kong, where puddles of water turn into puddles of blood, where ghosts, demons and hideous creatures stalk the streets. Matt has no choice but to follow her. Now, both imprisoned, their only hope of survival is to reach a secret door in the Man Ho temple. But even if Scar can find her psychic power, it may already be too late. (Goodreads)

My thoughts: Great for fans of the series, but very much a "middle" book. Lots of time is spent positioning the players, but not a lot really HAPPENS that is of lasting importance to the storyline, if you know what I mean. This is the kind of book you skim or skip when you reread the series. That said, though, Horowitz is a master of the action-packed plotline, and I think middle grade and teen boys will gobble this up.

Merry Christmas!

In which we attempt to focus on why I DO NOT suck...

A few updates, most of which involve me not sucking:

1. I will not be checking emails or commenting on blogs, etc. until Tuesday December 29.

2. I have reviews and other fun things posted for the next few days, should any of you get bored over the Christmas break.

3. All presents are wrapped and hidden in the closet to protect them from the tender ministrations of the children, dog, and (let's face it) myself. YAY me!

4. I did not send out my Secret Santa gifts in time, but...

5. ...I did send them out. For those unfortunate enough to be my Secret Santa victims, please enjoy your Happy New Year gifts.

6. I fully intend to be a much better, more consistent blogger in the new year. Lots of great reviews and new features are coming your way.

7. And finally, my kids are way cuter than your kids:

Merry Christmas!

Literary Lunch

... because this woman cannot live on books alone.

You know that scene in Confessions of a Shopaholic where Becky decides she's going to save money by cooking her own curries instead of ordering take-out, then ends up spending about a million dollars on supplies? Well, if only Becky had had this particular sauce, that situation might have ended up better for her.

I love curry, but it's so expensive to eat out, and so overwhelming to imagine cooking at home. At least, it's overwhelming when you keep in mind that I do all my cooking with two small children climbing on me. So imagine my delight when on my latest grocery store outing, I saw this little beauty: President's Choice Mango Coconut Curry Sauce.


All you do is cook up some chicken breast, throw the sauce on top of it, and serve over rice. I went the extra mile and added some chopped up apples and bell peppers. It was delicious! It had a very mild spiciness to it that was very tasty with the sweetness of the apples and mangoes.

The family reactions were a little varied. Joe really liked it. Thing One tried one tiny bite and then claimed her mouth was burning up for the rest of the evening. Thing Two told me Swiper had swiped her dinner, she couldn't find it, and could she please have a cookie now. OK, so not a winner with the junior set. But in my opinion this was tasty enough to make even though the kids don't like it. I'll give them rice and throw some mixed veggies on the side. More curry for me!

Hmm... can you make curries out of leftover turkey? I know Bridget Jones' mom did, but that might not be the world's best recommendation.

Teaser Tuesday: Never After by Dan Elconin

Today's teaser is from Never After by Dan Elconin:

Panther's whole body seemed to swell, as if it were physically filling with indignation. His voice became menacing- no, more than menacing. Bloodthirsty. "Do you dare to dishonor me by implying that I am a poor brother?"

Who, me? Imply something like that about you... do I look suicidal? This guy seems to have some anger issues. I wonder what's going on.

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

Movie Insight: Avatar

Yesterday afternoon, Joe and I took some time to finish up the Christmas shopping, and then rewarded ourselves for braving the madding crowds with a nice matinee. We're both big fans of the action/special effects type movie, so we've been very excited to see AVATAR! And James Cameron's latest blockbuster does not disappoint. I should note that we did not see it in 3D, because 3D makes me nauseous, but it was amazing nonetheless.
AVATAR is the story of Jake Sully, a former marine who is offered a chance at a new life. Not a particularly conventional life, though. Jake will be joining the avatar program, controlling a humanoid body and attempting to learn about the culture of the Na'vi people on Pandora, a planet humans would like to be blowing apart and mining. Along the way, Jake will be risking his life every day, with hostile creatures around every corner.

Can you see where this is going? The story is ok, but not terribly original. Within half an hour of starting the movie, you'll be able to tell everything that's going to happen. However, it's a story that everyone likes. Guy falls in love with the culture he's supposed to be helping to destroy and risks everything to save it. Who doesn't love an underdog? AVATAR is a very pretty movie. The special effects have been beautifully used to bring a fantastical world to life. Watching this movie is like having your very best, wildest imaginings come true. Why don't *I* have blue skin and live in a phosphorescent jungle? So cool. I am also asking Santa for my very own flying dinosaur for Christmas. Thank you very much.

There are also tons of fights, action scenes and blowing up of stuff for those of us who live for that kind of thing. I'm looking at you, Joe.

So, if you like action, if you like special effects, if you like rooting for the underdog: get thee to the cinema and buy yourself a ticket to AVATAR! Pure entertainment.

Etsy Finds: Drawing in Books

Lately, I've been a spending a lot of time on Etsy. For those who don't know, Etsy is a website where people sell vintage and handmade items. It's like the world's biggest craft show, online. Only better. But don't start looking, because it's seriously addictive. Instead, take a moment to see what I found. It's artwork created on vintage book pages. I love it! Perfect for the walls of my imaginary (for now) library. Here are a few of my favorites:

My Red Umbrella by carambatack

Gold Leaf and Gold Leaves by Copperinc

Flying Lotus Bird Mini Print by papersparrow

So, what do you think? It took me a moment to get over my cringe at the idea of drawing in a book. But I love the idea of recycling the pages of a book that would otherwise be a total loss. Hurrah for appreciating the beauty of these old pages and finding a way to enhance and display it.

All images are the property of their creators and are used with their permission.

Three Mini-Reviews

Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones (4/5)

Description: Abdullah was a young and not very prosperous carpet dealer. His father, who had been disappointed in him, had left him only enough money to open a modest booth in the Bazaar. When he was not selling carpets, Abdullah spent his time daydreaming. In his dreams he was not the son of his father, but the long-lost son of a prince. There was also a princess who had been betrothed to him at birth. He was content with his life and his daydreams until, one day, a stranger sold him a magic carpet. (Goodreads)

My thoughts: Castle in the Air is a sequel to Howl's Moving Castle, and revisits many of my favorite characters. Though I didn't recognize most of them at first. This is a cute, fairy-tale-like story that made me laugh. Not deep reading, but lots of fun.

The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley (3.5/5)

Description: Although she is the daughter of Damar's king, Aerin has never been accepted as full royalty. Both in and out of the royal court, people whisper the story of her mother, the witchwoman, who was said to have enspelled the king into marrying her to get an heir to rule Damar-then died of despair when she found she had borne a daughter instead of a son. But none of them, not even Aerin herself, can predict her future-for she is to be the true hero who will wield the power of the Blue Sword... (Goodreads)

My thoughts: Enjoyable overall. I loved Aerin as a heroine - hurrah for strong women! I wasn't a fan of the ending, and I found the storytelling a trifle disjointed from time to time. This book is actually a prequel to The Blue Sword, and I wonder if it would have been more coherent having read them in the proper order.

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink (3/5)

Description: Sixteen-year-old Lia Milthorpe and her twin sister Alice have just become orphans, and, as Lia discovers, they have also become enemies. The twins are part of an ancient prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other. To escape from a dark fate and to remain in the arms of her beloved boyfriend James, Lia must end the prophecy before her sister does.

My thoughts: I liked the concept of this story, but the reality fell a little short. I think the biggest problem was that it seemed to take forever for anything to happen. Definitely a first-of-series, spends a lot of time setting up the story. I'll probably check out the next book to see if the pace picks up a bit. Reminded me a bit of the Gemma Doyle series by Libba Bray.

Review: The Guinea Pig Diaries by AJ Jacobs

Last word first: Funny, irreverent, and thoughtful. I loved it! (5/5)

Description: AJ is at it again. Rather than trying to follow Biblical dictates, this time he's performing nine different social experiments using himself and occasionally his long-suffering spouse as subjects. What kind of experiments, you ask? Well... In an attempt to understand the outsourcing phenomenon, Jacobs outsources as many aspects of his life as possible, everything from drudge-work research to arguing with his wife. Then, he spends a month living Radical Honesty, essentially attempting to remove the filter between his brain and his mouth. Sounds like fun, no? And that's just a sampling.

My thoughts: Let me just say right at the beginning that I loved this book. This review isn't going to be particularly balanced, because the only negative thing I have to say is this: If you don't have a sense of humor about yourself and the world in general, this book will annoy you. I, on the other hand, have a sense of humor about everything (except curly hair and humidity... it's just not funny), so this book had me giggling throughout.

AJ Jacobs is a man with no fear. Or, at least, without the sense to listen to his fear when it tells him that something like Radical Honesty is a terrible idea as a one-month experiement in an otherwise politely deceitful life. But it sure is entertaining to read about:

"There's a fine line between Radical Honesty and creepiness. Or actually no line at all. It's simple logic: Men think about sex every three minutes, as the scientists at Redbook remind us. If you speak whatever's on your mind, you'll be talking about sex every three minutes."

But the very best part is that AJ's crazy ideas make you think. I especially loved the chapter where he attempted to combat all of his brain's cognitive biases: Mission Total Rationality. There are a lot of cognitive biases that I have never even heard of (and I was a psych major!), and it was incredibly interesting to read about them all. Though, I think it might be a little exhausting to keep track of them long enough to counteract them.

I think that part of the reason I've enjoyed both of the AJ Jacobs books that I've read is that I secretly wish I had the gumption to try these types of experiments on myself. But I think Joe might throw a hissy fit (a very manly one) and leave me. As it is, AJ's wife, Julie, suffers all the indignities with more grace than most of us could manage. The last experiment chronicled in this book is the month AJ spends doing everything Julie wants him to do. Everything. I think Julie really enjoyed that month. As she puts it:

"AJ's plan was that I'd eventually get bored of being in total charge and I'd be begging for his old self to come back. Guess what? That didn't happen. Maybe it would happen someday, but it would take a long, long, long time."

About AJ Jacobs: He's now working on a book called The Healthiest Human Being in the World. It continues Jacobs’ experiential journalism series as he tries to perfect his physical condition while simultaneously dissecting the meaning of the word “healthiest.” -excerpt from the bio on his website.

Review: The Dragon Book

Last word first: A must-have for dragon aficionados and fantasy lovers. (4/5)

Description: Whether portrayed as fire-breathing reptilian beasts at war with humanity or as noble creatures capable of speech and mystically bonded to the warriors who ride them, dragons have been found in nearly every culture's mythology. In modern times, they can be found far from their medieval settings in locales as mundane as suburbia or as barren as post-apocalyptic landscapes-and in The Dragon Book, today's greatest fantasists reignite the fire with legendary tales that will consume readers' imaginations. (description from Goodreads)

My thoughts: If you read the listing of authors I've included below, you'll see the first reason I was excited to review this book. What a great collection of names! Some of my favorite fantasy authors are here, as well as a few I've been meaning to try out. My second reason is, well, how can you go wrong with a collection of stories about dragons? They're fantastic!

This collection definitely has a little something for everyone, from grandiose adventures to humorous, character-driven vignettes. There's a medieval maiden who falls in love with a dragon as well as a dragon living in suburbia. My favorite story in is the one by Tamora Pierce. Daine and Numair are back! My very favorite Pierce characters, back in an all new story featuring Kitty, their adopted dragon.

The Dragon Book would make a great Christmas gift for the fantasy lover on your shopping list. I'm also thinking of passing it along to my dad, who has a bit of a dragon obsession. Be careful though, because if you start reading it, you're going to want to keep it for yourself.

Authors: Tamora Pierce, Garth Nix, Cecelia Holland, Peter S. Beagle, Diana Galbandon, Jane Yolen, Tad Williams, Diana Wynne Jones, Gregory Maguire, Jack Dann, Gardner Dozois, Naomi Novik, Jonathan Stroud, Kage Baker, Adam Stemple, Liz Williams, Samuel Sykes, Sean Williams, Harry Turtledove, Bruce Coville, Tanith Lee, Mary Rosenblum and Andy Duncan.

Teaser Tuesday: Prophecy of the Sisters

This week's teaser is from Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink.

"All right." I tip my head, challenging her with my eyes. "Then let's go back to last night. You can start by telling me what I was doing falling through the sky."

Interesting. I think this is always an excellent point to bring up. How did I come to be falling through the sky? Was I skydiving? This is something you should definitely know the answer to.

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

Review: Nicola and the Viscount by Meg Cabot

Last word first: Probably too fluffy for most. (3/5)

Description: Nicola is fresh out of finishing school and looking for trouble... I mean, looking for a husband. And she has her eye on one in particular: The God, elder brother of her good friend and generally, well, godlike. Cue girlish sigh. Having secured an invitation to stay with the family of said friend and God-like brother, Nicola is sure nothing, not even her penniless status, can stand in the way of true love. And indeed, she seems to be innundated with far more male attention than expected. So much, in fact, that even Nicola begins to wonder why.

My thoughts: I would liken this book to your favorite comfort/junk food... something like mac n'cheese. Its nutritional value is virtually nil, and 95% of the time you wouldn't want to eat it. But occasionally it will be exactly what you're looking for, and it hits the spot like nothing else.

A Regency-period romance aimed to a younger YA audience, Nicola and the Viscount is decidedly fluffy. Nicola is possessed of an amazing amount of freedom and very little in the way of common sense. But she's cute and oddly noble, so it's hard to hate her.

The saving grace of Nicola's adventures with the viscount is that they are written by Meg Cabot, who could most likely write an account of the ups and downs of the Dow-Jones and still be entertaining. Love that woman. I giggled through the book, but I can't really recommend it unless you have a need for seriously light reading.

Recommended: Books for the Y-Chromosomed

A while back, I shared with you the big news that Baby #3 is a BOY! His name is Jack, by the way. I also asked for your help picking out some books for him, because my house isn't overcrowded with books already (ha..ha..ha). Thanks to everyone for your ideas! There were so many great suggestions that I'm going to post them all here. Fantastic Christmas gifting ideas for any boys or young men on your list. Clicking the book title will take you to the Amazon page for that book. The name in parentheses after each entry is the person who recommended that book- check them out!

Picture books:

The Voyage of the Basset by James Christiansen
Grumpy Bird or Me Hungry by Jeremy Tankard
Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight by Jane Yolen (Andrea)
Gallop! by Rufus Butler Seder ( Andrea)
Anything by Sandra Boynton (claire)
Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt (claire)
Chester by Melanie Watt (claire)
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein(JG)
SkippyJon Jones by Judy Schachner (JG)
Ugly Fish by Kara LeReau (book pusher)



Young Readers (6-9):

Horrid Henry by Francesca Simon ( Cindy)
Geranimo Stilton books (Cindy)
Charlie Bone series by Jenny Nimmo ( Andrea)
Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey (Susan Helene Gottfried)
Magic Treehouse by Mary Pope Osborne (Susan Helene Gottfried)
Encyclopedia Brown by Donald Sobol (GMR)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney (Emilee)
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (JG)
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (JG)



Middle Grade (9-12):

Holes - Louis Sachar

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin

Malice by Chris Wooding

The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan (Andrea)

Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage ( GMR)

The Hardy Boys series by Frank W. Dixon (GMR)

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer (GMR)

The Gateway to Foo by Obert Skye (GMR)

The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis (claire)

The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander ( Angiegirl)

The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper (Angiegirl)

The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson (Emilee)

A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L'Engle (Emilee)

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (Anna)

Peter Pan by JM Barrie (Anna)

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull (Heather Zundel)

The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black (melissa)

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins ( Sue Jackson)

The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson (thekams)

Erec Rex by Kaza Kingsley (Samantha LeAnne)

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein (JG)

Redwall by Brian Jacques (JG)

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (JG)

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls (JG)

Maniac McGee by Jerry Spinelli (Rachel)

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (Rachel)

YA (12-17):

Ranger's Apprentice Series - John Flanagan
The Inheritance Series (Eragon) - Christopher Paolini
Alex Rider Series - Anthony Horowitz
The Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
The Percy Jackson Series - Rick Riordan
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings (Jo)
Skullduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy (Jo)
The Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix (Heather Zundel)
The Sea of Trolls trilogy by Nancy Farmer (Heather Zundel)
The Maze Runner by James Dashner (Wilowraven)
House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer (Heather Zundel)
Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan (thekams)
The Outsiders by SE Hinton ( Amy)
Paper Towns by John Green (Linda Ellen)
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld (Kay)
The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkein (JG)

Review: Twenties Girl by Sopie Kinsella

Last word first: Ghosts, girl power, and vintage finds galore. Fun times! (4/5)

Description: Lara has always had a bit of an overactive imagination. But now she's starting to wonder if she's finally lost her mind. Only an insane person would be haunted by the ghost of their great-aunt, right? But Aunt Sadie keeps hanging around, in all her 1920's glory, insisting that Lara help her find a favorite necklace so she can rest in peace. Sadie doesn't care that Lara's life is falling apart, that she's just been dumped by her dream guy and her job is in a shambles. The only things Sadie cares about are her necklace, twenties music, and having one last fling with life... not necessarily in that order.

My thoughts: While Kinsella's Shopaholic series has been her most successful, I personally find them a little repetative. After a while, I just want to yell at that Becky Bloomwood to STOP LYING AND SPENDING SO MUCH MONEY! PAY YOUR BILLS! I've enjoyed Kinsella's stand-alone novels much more, and Twenties Girl is no exception.

Lara's quest to help her great-aunt while keeping her own life from falling apart any further makes for highly entertaining reading. Sure, it's fluff. But it's fun fluff! Kinsella has a talent for creating funny situations that are cringe-worthy without making you want to slam the book shut.

I enjoyed the ghost story aspect of this book. It's not scary at all, and Sadie is hilarious as she goes to work trying to get people to pay attention to her spoiled little self. Mostly, the ghost story worked as an excuse to pull tons of twenties memories into the story. Marcelled hair, dancing the Charleston, flapper dresses... it's all here. A bit of a break from Kinsella's usual references to Dolce&Gabbana or Versace, but if you're a vintage fan, it will make you one happy camper.

The first half of the book annoyed me a little bit. It was entertaining, yes, but Lara spent (in my opinion) WAY more time than necessary mooning over her ex-boyfriend. Partway through, when the book started to really hit its stride, I started to enjoy it a lot more. Overall, a fun read for Kinsella fans and those who enjoy chick lit in general.

Content warning: Sexual banter and situations, non-graphic.

Sophie Kinsella in her own words: "Having my children has got to be top of my memory list: my three sons, Freddy, Hugo and Oscar. I have a mixture of very vivid memories — the births, the first sight of each newborn, that piercing little cry — and then lots of blurred memories: night feeds, the snuffling sound of a hungry baby, that fresh-bathed baby smell, the moses basket on the bed, flowers everywhere. These memories all seem to run into one another — the first weeks of a baby scramble your brain!" -excerpted from the bio on her website. I find it hard to believe she has three kids... in her author photo, she looks about 25 years old!

Review: Let It Snow! by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

Last word first: I thought we should kick off December with a review of something seasonally appropriate. This book is perfect! Funny and romantic, it's the ideal choice for cozy winter nights.

Would Joe like this? He would laugh if he ever read the stories, but I doubt he'd ever get past the "romances" on the cover.

Let it Snow! is a collection of three short stories, one by each author. I'll talk about each one separately, but I just want to take a moment to point out that the three stories are all interconnected. They take place in the same town, and use some of the same characters. I didn't realize that going in, and I loved how it worked!

Story #1: The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson

Jubilee already knows that her name makes her sound like a stripper, so you don't have to tell her, OK?

Jubilee is excited about spending Christmas with her boyfriend, Noah, but nothing quite works out as planned. After her parents land in jail overnight, her train gets blizzarded in, she's stuck hanging out with a cheer squad, and she falls into a creek, she's ready to get on her knees and beg the universe for mercy. But when she meets Stuart, her Christmas might turn out even better than she had planned.

This story is my first experience with Maureen Johnson, and let me tell you: the woman is funny. I thoroughly enjoyed Jubilee's tale of strange misadventure.

Story #2: A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle by John Green

Tobin has been best friends with the Duke (who is a girl, another long story on that name) for ages. But when Tobin, the Duke, and their friend JP set out on a courageous mission to help their friend Kuen, Tobin finds himself wondering if maybe what he feels for the Duke is more than friendship.

The laughter continues through this story. Cheertastic was my favorite of the three, partly because John Green is the most hilarious author I know of, and partly because... well, who doesn't like a "best friends fall in love story?" Awww.. it's just adorable.

Story #3: The Patron Saint of Pigs by Lauren Myracle

Addie just broke up with her boyfriend, Jeb. The problem is, she's still in love with him. Hoping Jeb will agree to give her another chance, Addie asks him to meet her on Christmas Eve- and he doesn't show! Can Addie snap out of her self-absorbed fog in time to save true love, or is it already too late?

I love how my descriptions are so dramatic today.

So, this is another new-to-me author that I'm very happy to have discovered. I have to say that I found Addie a little annoying, but having met Jeb in the last two stories, I was dying to see how it all turned out. But I won't tell you. Go find this book and discover for yourself. It's well worth reading!

Teaser Tuesday: The Guinea Pig Diaries

I recently read (and laughed uproariously throughout) Jacobs' The Year of Living Biblically. So I was pretty excited to come across his latest book at my library. So far it's hilarious. Jacobs recounts some of his most bizarre forays into experiential journalism, including his attempt at online dating (as a beautiful woman), the month he spent outsourcing every possible aspect of his life, and his attempt to live by George Washington's code of conduct.

Which brings me to this week's teaser, taken from page 120:

"That's right. The second rule that formed the character of our first president? Do not touch your pecker in public."

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!