The Diamond in the Window
Jane Langton, illustrated by Erik Blegvad
ISBN: none
Pubdata: Harper and Row, NY, 1962
Read May 4, 2016
This is the starting point of a series of 8 children's novels written between 1962 and 2008 that focus on the Hall family children, starting in this book with Eleanor and Edward. They live with their Aunt Lily and Uncle Fred (Fred and Lily are brother and sister, not married). Their parents are dead (of course) and one day while exploring the old rickety mansion, they discover a hidden attic room and a mysterious sad case involving even more of Lily and Fred's siblings. It seems that long ago, when Lily was a young woman, her youngest two siblings (a boy and girl named Edward and Eleanor: crucially and luckily nicknamed Ned and Nora) and her beau, a maharaja from India (yes really) all simply up and vanished one night, and no one could ever find them. Now the house is on the hook for back taxes, and the current set of siblings are off and running to solve the mystery and save the house.
It's cute, but it's dated, and the endless references to Lousia (Alcott) and Henry (Thoreau) and Walt (Whitman) are meant to be enriching, but end up as somewhat tiresome: although a few of the dream sequences involving the Alcott sisters as children, and showing Walden in his cabin are sweet and deftly done. I can see how the book sticks in the mind (I discovered it when a patron was searching for it, half-remembered from their own childhood) because the dreams are creepy and unsettling and visually evocative, and the scenario is just wild enough to not quite be preposterous. The ending is quick and utterly mundane, and everyone is happily settled down in the best possible fashion. I'm glad I read it and made ms Langton's accquaintance, but I don't think I'll continue with the series - it's not quite my style, even though sections were very enjoyable.
Monday, May 9, 2016
Saturday, May 7, 2016
New Arrival: Cookbook: Country Cooking from a Redneck Kitchen
Country Cooking from a Redneck Kitchen
Francine Bryson with Ann Volkwein
ISBN: 9780553448450
Read May 3, 2016
Local author and TV personality shows off great recipes in this sequel cookbook.
I don't normally review cookbooks, but I couldn't resist mentioning this one. Francine is down-to-earth and funny, and honest about redneck or southern dining habits without getting either defensive or haughty about them, which is a hard road to walk these days.
I wanted especially to give a shout-out to recipes that really make this book stand out:
Fried Chicken
Lemon-Herb Chicken
Bourbon and Coke Wings
(oven-roasted) BBQ Pork Butt
Beef Crunch Bake (also known as Taco Bake when there's taco seasoning in it)
Squirrel Pot Pie (the award given for the first cookbook to have an actual squirrel recipe)
Tuna Casserole (yes lord)
Daddy's Chicken and Rice (although we called it Chicken Bog)
Pumpkin Curry Soup (the first of these I don't remember from childhood, but OH MY GOD - so good)
Fried Green Tomatoes (in case you're a heathen and don't know how to fry tomatoes proper)
And now for the crowning achievements:
Upside-Down Apple Bacon Pie
and
Lemonade Rolls (they're just like cinnamon rolls, but LEMON! Heaven. I actually died.)
Lemonade Rolls (they're just like cinnamon rolls, but LEMON! Heaven. I actually died.)
Great cookbook, great narrative voice, and great food.
Friday, May 6, 2016
New Arrival: Picture Book: Dylan the Villain, K.G. Campbell
Dylan the Villain
K. G. Campbell
ISBN: 9780451476425
Read May 5, 2016
Watercolor and colored pencils are charming and disarming in this villain vs villain tale.
So cute. The Snivels were minding their own business when they suddenly had a super-villain baby. Whoops? Dylan's family had a history of minor villainy, but Dylan was the apex. His parents (sweet and chubby and mundane) told him over and over that he was the very best villain ever. Which he believed until he got to villain school and met Addison van Malice. She has blue hair, an eyepatch (!), and her villain laugh is positively chilling. Dylan's confidence is shaken, but he rises to the challenge with the upcoming evil robot competition. With a trophy at stake, Dylan proves that he IS the most villainous - except for a little vengeance that keeps Addison in the running, even though she's been launched into orbit.
Adorable and perfectly balanced between evil and sweetness. I want to match it up with Moustache Baby and School for Bandits (both reviewed here.)
K. G. Campbell
ISBN: 9780451476425
Read May 5, 2016
Watercolor and colored pencils are charming and disarming in this villain vs villain tale.
So cute. The Snivels were minding their own business when they suddenly had a super-villain baby. Whoops? Dylan's family had a history of minor villainy, but Dylan was the apex. His parents (sweet and chubby and mundane) told him over and over that he was the very best villain ever. Which he believed until he got to villain school and met Addison van Malice. She has blue hair, an eyepatch (!), and her villain laugh is positively chilling. Dylan's confidence is shaken, but he rises to the challenge with the upcoming evil robot competition. With a trophy at stake, Dylan proves that he IS the most villainous - except for a little vengeance that keeps Addison in the running, even though she's been launched into orbit.
Adorable and perfectly balanced between evil and sweetness. I want to match it up with Moustache Baby and School for Bandits (both reviewed here.)
Thursday, May 5, 2016
New Arrival: Nonfiction Picture Book: Elizabeth Started All The Trouble, Doreen Rappaport & Matt Faulkner
Elizabeth Started All the Trouble
Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Matt Faulkner
ISBN: 9780786851423
Read May 2, 2016
Caricature-like faces and postures enliven a cumulative history of the women's rights movement up to the ammendment in 1920.
Faulkner has done a delightful job of illustrating this lively history of women's rights, but the real tribute needs to go to Rappaport for clarifying and streamlining the history of the movement. We start with Abigail Adams being mocked by her husband for wanting women to share the vote, and move through the depressing intervening years to Elizabeth Cady Stanton's Declaration of Sentiments, Sojourner Truth's pointed commentary about the intersection of women's rights and the African American experience, Susan B. Anthony's takeover and the early victories in founding women's colleges and seminaries, and granting women the right to own property and keep money. The war showcases more women who refused to be passive and ladylike, and then came Emancipation, victories in western states, and the start of the protest movement in earnest, with the mass jailings, beatings, and force-feedings that entailed (present, but glossed over gently and quickly in this particular edition).
Powerful and clear. An excellent history overview of a topic that is especially important now.
Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Matt Faulkner
ISBN: 9780786851423
Read May 2, 2016
Caricature-like faces and postures enliven a cumulative history of the women's rights movement up to the ammendment in 1920.
Faulkner has done a delightful job of illustrating this lively history of women's rights, but the real tribute needs to go to Rappaport for clarifying and streamlining the history of the movement. We start with Abigail Adams being mocked by her husband for wanting women to share the vote, and move through the depressing intervening years to Elizabeth Cady Stanton's Declaration of Sentiments, Sojourner Truth's pointed commentary about the intersection of women's rights and the African American experience, Susan B. Anthony's takeover and the early victories in founding women's colleges and seminaries, and granting women the right to own property and keep money. The war showcases more women who refused to be passive and ladylike, and then came Emancipation, victories in western states, and the start of the protest movement in earnest, with the mass jailings, beatings, and force-feedings that entailed (present, but glossed over gently and quickly in this particular edition).
Powerful and clear. An excellent history overview of a topic that is especially important now.
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Book Club, Graphic Novel Collection: Marvel Civil War, Mark Millar & Steve McNiven
Marvel Civil War Event (collecting Marvel Civil War, issues #1-7)
writer, Mark Millar
pencils, Steve McNiven
colors, Morry Hollowell
letters, VC's Chris Eliopoulos
ISBN: 9780785121794
Read May 1, 2016
Graphic Novel Book Club read for May.
I really hope that I like the movie more than I like the comic event. This collection of seven issues has the core of the Civil War storyline, but as much of the character development and specific moments were parceled out into the individual characters' comic runs, the characters here are flat and dispirited and prone to making decisions that appear to be out of thin air, or changing their minds for what seems to be no reason. The artwork has lovely framing and is well-laid-out, but the combo of McNiven and Hollowell makes for characters who look like they are plastic dolls or an early cheap attempt at computer-generated artwork. Not my favorite look.
If you've been under a rock for a while, Marvel decided they needed a giant universe-roiling "event" and wouldn't it be cool if two of the major players in the universe were on opposite sides and got to fight each other! Yeah! Or something. So in the story world, some punk kid supers did something stupid, and then Tony Stark and Steve Rogers both reacted stupidly, and a whole bunch of forced decisions and rampant stupidity later, there was a big smackdown superhero fight (and some smaller ones) until things were sufficiently shaken up to make the Marvel head honchos happy.
Punisher gets some good moments (I especially liked Spiderman's poignant suggestion that Rogers and Castle are essentially the same soldier, but from very different wars and very different social responses). Spiderman gets shafted (when is that ever a surprise) and Doctor Strange gets the boot. Unsurprisingly, he, along with all the mutants, and Wakanda (at least at first), basically says "not my circus" when asked to choose sides. Steve doesn't really have a character, Tony's a giant bag of snarky comments and bad decisions, and SHIELD and the general public exist as a metaphoric stick to justify and consolidate shaky plotting.
Not the best, but if the cinematic universe continues as well as it's begun, I don't begrudge the source material.
writer, Mark Millar
pencils, Steve McNiven
colors, Morry Hollowell
letters, VC's Chris Eliopoulos
ISBN: 9780785121794
Read May 1, 2016
Graphic Novel Book Club read for May.
I really hope that I like the movie more than I like the comic event. This collection of seven issues has the core of the Civil War storyline, but as much of the character development and specific moments were parceled out into the individual characters' comic runs, the characters here are flat and dispirited and prone to making decisions that appear to be out of thin air, or changing their minds for what seems to be no reason. The artwork has lovely framing and is well-laid-out, but the combo of McNiven and Hollowell makes for characters who look like they are plastic dolls or an early cheap attempt at computer-generated artwork. Not my favorite look.
If you've been under a rock for a while, Marvel decided they needed a giant universe-roiling "event" and wouldn't it be cool if two of the major players in the universe were on opposite sides and got to fight each other! Yeah! Or something. So in the story world, some punk kid supers did something stupid, and then Tony Stark and Steve Rogers both reacted stupidly, and a whole bunch of forced decisions and rampant stupidity later, there was a big smackdown superhero fight (and some smaller ones) until things were sufficiently shaken up to make the Marvel head honchos happy.
Punisher gets some good moments (I especially liked Spiderman's poignant suggestion that Rogers and Castle are essentially the same soldier, but from very different wars and very different social responses). Spiderman gets shafted (when is that ever a surprise) and Doctor Strange gets the boot. Unsurprisingly, he, along with all the mutants, and Wakanda (at least at first), basically says "not my circus" when asked to choose sides. Steve doesn't really have a character, Tony's a giant bag of snarky comments and bad decisions, and SHIELD and the general public exist as a metaphoric stick to justify and consolidate shaky plotting.
Not the best, but if the cinematic universe continues as well as it's begun, I don't begrudge the source material.
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Tuesday Storytime: Rain and Mud
Fun set of books today again!
Waiting Out the Storm
Joann Early Macken, illustrated by Susan Gaber
ISBN: 9780763633783
Sleepy pastel landscapes make for a reassuring and refreshing background for a sweet sentimental storm story.
Mother and daughter are out working in the yard when they are interrupted by an approaching storm, and the book text is the dialogue between the two as the child is anxious or curious about the storm, and mother responds reassuringly and mostly factually. I appreciate that this book has the duo retreating inside to wait out the storm, as most rain books focus on children headed outside to play in the rain, and not all children (or parents) are comfortable with that scenario - it's very nice to have the other impulse (to nest up and wait out the storm in comfort) recognized and celebrated.
Mud
Mary Lyn Ray, illustrated by Lauren Stringer
ISBN: 19780152024611
Faux-naive blocky dark muddy artwork make the short narrative more stark and powerful.
This one isn't a perfect fit for a rainy-day narrative, because here we have the mud as a direct reaction to the spring thaw (which we really don't even get in South Carolina anyway) but it was so perfect and dirty and muddy and playful that I couldn't resist. A bit too much time is spent leading up to the mud (in my opinion) but once it shows up, it's a perfect medium for playful but powerful wordplay and dark evocative artwork that draws out the amazing browns and reds and greys in the dirt and mud. It ends on a sweet note, calling for the spring and the green to arrive.
Raindrop, Plop!
Wendy Cheyette Lewison, illustrated by Pam Paparone
ISBN: 0670059501
Super-cute drawings are bright and lively and colorful, with a cheerful count-up-and-down rhyme.
This was a surprise favorite book out of this set - I expected I would like Waiting Out the Storm more, but the relentless cheerfulness and sprightly rhyme (and the length - perfect for middle or end) makes me really happy to have discovered this one. This is my first time reading it for storytime, but it feels familiar and comfortable to read and to progress through. That's a real bonus for anyone reading aloud, and I was delighted at how comfortable and smooth the read was. Our story is simple; along with a count-up from one to ten, we follow a young girl playing outside in a sprinkle of approaching rain, then with "too many raindrops..." we head back inside the house to count back down through a bath and snack, before heading back outside into the newly revealed sunshine. Super cute, super easy to read, and super simple. Absolutely a great storytime read.
Waiting Out the Storm
Joann Early Macken, illustrated by Susan Gaber
ISBN: 9780763633783
Sleepy pastel landscapes make for a reassuring and refreshing background for a sweet sentimental storm story.
Mother and daughter are out working in the yard when they are interrupted by an approaching storm, and the book text is the dialogue between the two as the child is anxious or curious about the storm, and mother responds reassuringly and mostly factually. I appreciate that this book has the duo retreating inside to wait out the storm, as most rain books focus on children headed outside to play in the rain, and not all children (or parents) are comfortable with that scenario - it's very nice to have the other impulse (to nest up and wait out the storm in comfort) recognized and celebrated.
Mud
Mary Lyn Ray, illustrated by Lauren Stringer
ISBN: 19780152024611
Faux-naive blocky dark muddy artwork make the short narrative more stark and powerful.
This one isn't a perfect fit for a rainy-day narrative, because here we have the mud as a direct reaction to the spring thaw (which we really don't even get in South Carolina anyway) but it was so perfect and dirty and muddy and playful that I couldn't resist. A bit too much time is spent leading up to the mud (in my opinion) but once it shows up, it's a perfect medium for playful but powerful wordplay and dark evocative artwork that draws out the amazing browns and reds and greys in the dirt and mud. It ends on a sweet note, calling for the spring and the green to arrive.
Raindrop, Plop!
Wendy Cheyette Lewison, illustrated by Pam Paparone
ISBN: 0670059501
Super-cute drawings are bright and lively and colorful, with a cheerful count-up-and-down rhyme.
This was a surprise favorite book out of this set - I expected I would like Waiting Out the Storm more, but the relentless cheerfulness and sprightly rhyme (and the length - perfect for middle or end) makes me really happy to have discovered this one. This is my first time reading it for storytime, but it feels familiar and comfortable to read and to progress through. That's a real bonus for anyone reading aloud, and I was delighted at how comfortable and smooth the read was. Our story is simple; along with a count-up from one to ten, we follow a young girl playing outside in a sprinkle of approaching rain, then with "too many raindrops..." we head back inside the house to count back down through a bath and snack, before heading back outside into the newly revealed sunshine. Super cute, super easy to read, and super simple. Absolutely a great storytime read.
Monday, May 2, 2016
Science Fiction / Space Opera: Aurora, Kim Stanley Robinson
Aurora
Kim Stanley Robinson
ISBN: 9780316098106
Read April 29, 2016
Ugh. So many mixed feelings.
This one's going to be bullet points, because I'm not coherent enough to offer a spoiler-free review.
Kim Stanley Robinson
ISBN: 9780316098106
Read April 29, 2016
Ugh. So many mixed feelings.
This one's going to be bullet points, because I'm not coherent enough to offer a spoiler-free review.
- The title and blurbs are all misleading; this tale is actually a (long-winded and pompous) polemic against space travel. The author has an axe to grind, and grind it he does, with tortured metaphors and similes (literally) and scenarios designed to belabor the point. The misdirection and the subsequent lecture vexes. Enormously.
- Despite that, I did enjoy the story (and the three, maybe five if we're being generous, whole characters we get to follow around), but it was not original at all. Chapters and sections and concepts and musings were all lifted wholesale from everywhere: Asimov, Heinlein, Pern, his own old Mars stuff, David Brin's stuff, up to modern movies: I caught bits of 2001, and of Moon, and whole scads of The Martian and whiffs of Interstellar and I'm sure there are more I missed - both books and movies. Anyone even slightly invested in the genre should catch them - they aren't subtle. I got the feeling at those times that he was the authorial equivalent of the student who isn't technically plagiarizing, because he's writing his own content. But he read the wiki article and skimmed the original studies and he isn't actually contributing anything more than a slightly self-important regurgitation of the previously-skimmed material. That also vexes.
- I'm as much on for hard science as anyone, and the sections in The Martian (book and film) where he sciences the shit out of things are enormously satisfying. Likewise I like a good Asimovian philosophical/sociological muse every now and again. The sections here would have been also, if they had not been quiiiiite so long, nor quite so tortured in the specific interests of point-belaboring.
- World-building. We are roughly 800 years into the future, have permanent settlements of multi-billionaires on Saturn's moons that can fund an interstellar ark for shits and giggles, sea-levels have risen 30some feet, there are the beach-building equivalent of "rewilders" out there as a niche lifestyle (all of which I have serious questions about the implications thereof), but we're still using spray cans of aerosol sunscreen that only last one hour. Seriously? Vexation.
- Dropped plot-points and Checkov's guns lying about like crazy. What do ancient historical genocidal feuding, ship explosions, "secret" passageways through maintenance systems, civil unrest, purposefully-flawed printing instructions, and imperiled colonies all have in common? Who knows! Me neither, even after finishing the freaking book! VEXED.
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