Book Reviews by Today, I Read…

RECAP: Part 1, Part 2

Several days ago I completed Madapple and my mind is still reeling a little bit.

First, the subject matter. I knew it was coming. There was this ominous feeling deep in my belly,  churning and bubbling as I read. But when the moment arrived I still reeled. It’s one thing to know it’s coming and quite another when it actually arrives.

Second, I’m not sure how I feel about the end. It felt too…easy, for lack of a better word. It was like reading a very twisted episode of Jerry Springer that wraps up with an “and they all lived happily ever after” when you know damn well that isn’t true.

Would I still recommend reading the book? Was is still very well written? Was it still a page turner? Yes on all counts (the first with the caveat that if you can’t handle child abuse/incest stories, skip it). And I do love how the story itself unfolded, switching between the two time periods and points-of-view.

Please allow me to scoop my mind up off the floor before I write a proper review. All I really know at this point is that the next book I read needs to be light and fluffy because this one was (almost) as heavy as it gets…at least where young adult fare is concerned.

RECAP: Part 1

OK. So I’m at roughly page 250, and I think my mind’s about to explode.

I keep reading and I’m still enthralled by how the story is unfolding (i.e. from Auslag’s point of view and from the court transcripts) and how it all seems like a game of cat and mouse with just so much information given.

And now things are getting stranger and slightly more ominous. After Auslag’s mother dies she stumbles onto some family she never knew she had (and aunt and two cousins) who take her in. (That situation just stretch the belief muscles a little bit, but it worked out, and it’s getting explained as the book goes along.)

Continue reading »

Recent Arrivals chronicles the books that have made their way onto the Today, I Read… bookshelf. Here’s the latest arrival: A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty

First line: Madeleine Tully turned fourteen yesterday, but today she did not turn anything.

Initial thoughts: I read the description and was immediately intrigued by the premise of the story (plus it brought to mind ‘The Lake House‘—a movie I secretly love) in that it’s about two people connecting with each other from two impossible places (in this book’s case, rather than across time, it’s across dimensions or worlds).

The first few pages have a nice, easy writing style and made me smile more than once. I’m worried that it might switch from a quaint, balanced sentiment into something overly maudlin, though, because we already get a glimpse into Madeleine’s life and it seems anything but glamorous. Only time will tell.

Depending on my mood after I finish Madapple, I might just have to give this a quick read—but I’m being cautious because I’ve learned this is part of a trilogy which means I’ll either be left hanging or yearning for more without a quick fix. Must prepare my mind for that.

Book description:

Madeleine and her mother have run away from their former life, under mysterious circumstances, and settled in cramped quarters in a rainy corner of Cambridge, England.

Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Cello, Elliot is searching for his father. He disappeared a year ago, the same night that Elliot’s uncle was found dead on the side of the road. Official word is that a third-level Purple is responsible, but talk around town is that Elliot’s dad may have murdered his brother and run away with the high-school physics teacher. Elliot refuses to believe this, and is determined to find both his dad and the truth.

When Madeleine and Elliot begin to exchange messages across worlds—through an accidental gap that hasn’t appeared in centuries—the large and small events of their lives start to intertwine. Danger Colors are storming across Cello (a second-level Gray will tear you to pieces; a first-level Yellow can blind you), while Madeleine is falling for her new friend Jack. In Cello, they are searching for the tiny Butterfly Child, while Madeleine fears that her mother may be dangerously ill.

Can a corner of white hold a kingdom? Can a stranger from another world help to solve the problems—and unravel the mysteries—in your own? And can Madeleine and Elliot find the missing pieces of themselves before it’s too late?

Book Details: 384 pages; Arthur A. Levine Books (an Imprint of Scholastic); Pub. April 2013

I’ve had this book on my shelf for going on well over two years now. I’m not entirely sure why I decided now would be the right time to read it–especially since I have several other books waiting to be read. But one evening as I was drifting off to sleep, I remembered the cover. The image just flashed through my mind and I tried desperately to remember the title of the book. It was bugging me no end so I finally decided to get up and look for it. Once I found it, I slipped it from it’s dusty slot and tossed it onto the bed before climbing in. I pried open the pages and before I realized it, the clock said "an hour past your bed time" and I was rounding page one hundred. And get this: I wasn’t ready to stop reading.

Continue reading »

For the past several months I’ve been taking a break. A break from pleasure-reading, a break from blogging, and just an overall break from internet life. It’s been great, but I’m beginning to get restless. That means it’s time I hop back on the bandwagon.

Over the next few months I hope to have a new design up (not too different in feel from the current look—I love people knowing that this is a warm and friendly place where commenting and interaction are encouraged) and I’ll also be publishing a few reviews that have been waiting for transcription in my reading notebook.

I’m also planning to host some giveaways and other contests to say “thanks for waiting” and a few other things. In the meantime, I’ll just have to settle for posting up some recent arrivals. (I love getting books in the mail.)