A Long Long Sleep

by Anna Sheehan

I ran across this book at a local bookstore and thought the premise sounding interesting.  A Long Long Sleep is the story of Rosalinda Fitzroy who is awoken from a chemically-induced sleep by a kiss.  This futuristic version of Sleeping Beauty takes place some unspecified years in the future, after the US and the rest of the world has been devastated by outbreaks of tuberculosis, the plague and widespread infertility.  These "Dark Times" have passed, the US rebuilt itself, and Rosalinda slept through it all.  The world soon discovers that Rosalinda has been asleep for 62 years.  She finds herself in a world completely different from the one she knew.  Technology has changed, vocabulary is different and all the people she knew are dead.  Rose has a hard time adjusting to her new environment and life, and as she begins to learn and remember more about how she ended up in stasis for so long, she finds it hard to come to terms with the truth.

In the end this book is a little bittersweet, which I typically don't love.  However, I found the story to be pretty compelling, and I felt real sympathy for Rose.  While it's not exactly my favorite type of story, I think Anna Sheehan does a nice job of crafting a unique interpretation of Sleeping Beauty and creating a character that you feel for.

Yikes!

It has been nearly a year - A YEAR - since I posted to this blog!  I feel kind of sad about that.  You see, here's what happened:

In December of 2010, I started work on my Master's Degree in Education, which is why my post frequency slowed down so much.  I didn't have as much time to read, and when I did find time to squeeze in a "for fun" book, I didn't have the time or inclination to then write a blog post about it - I had to write tons of papers instead!  Then, in September of 2011, I was given a long-term subbing position which was supposed to last 4 weeks, but ended up lasting for 4 months.  Those two responsibilities combined insured that I no longer had time to read anything for fun!  Sad face.

Then I just plain got out of the habit.  Of reading.  Of blogging.  Of caring enough to start again! haha

However, I graduated in April (yay!), went to Disneyland (double yay!), the school year finished (which was exceptionally busy even when I went back to regular subbing), I moved, I made two wedding cakes, and now, finally, I read a book and am ready to write about it.  For the first time in a long time, I turned the last page and starting thinking what I wanted to write about it!

So I'm back; if there's anyone out there who reads this, and here we go again!

Bad Taste in Boys

by Carrie Harris

Again, I lied again!  My review was a long time coming - and it's not going to be much of a review.

I was all excited to love Bad Taste in Boys after reading the author's hilarious blog, however, I didn't find this book nearly has amusing.  It was humorous in a campy sort of way - like it was meant to be a silly 80s movie, or even an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which, admittedly, I love).  It's about a zombie infection that sweeps through a high school and it's up to science-girl protagonist to save the day. It's ok, but I feel like it needed either need more humor, or more seriousness.  I wasn't sure sometimes if I was supposed to be laughing or be horrified.  This book is short - less than 100 pages, which seemed too short to me - I want there to be more to the story!

Sirensong

by Jenna Black

All right, I lied... my review was not "coming soon".  In fact, it's been so long I can't remember at all what I wanted to say about this book.  I liked it ok, but it wasn't my favorite of the series.  I'd have to re-read it to remember anything more!

The Emerald Atlas

by John Stephens

I'm sorry to anyone who may be reading this blog! I've been a very poor reader lately (darn master's classes really do take up a lot of time!) Combine that with various cake-making and painting projects I've taken on (as well as the personal goal to watch the entire series of Battlestar Galactica (done!), as well as the complete Joss Whedon filmography (working on it!)) and I've found myself really lacking in extra time! (Go figure.)

Secondly, I don't really remember a lot of what I wanted to say about this book! I believe I wrote a couple notes down somewhere, but I can't find them. I suppose I'll update this if they turn up.

Anyway, I did really like The Emerald Atlas. I actually picked the book up because I saw that the author was a writer for the television show Gilmore Girls, which I always appreciated for it's witty, rapid-fire banter even when the story line went all over the place in later seasons. This novel is the story of 3 sibling - a brother and two sisters who get passed from orphanage to orphanage after their parents mysteriously left them as children. The kids finally end up in this strange, gloomy town in a orphanage that is only occupied by them. After some snooping around they find a green book that can transport them back in time if they put a picture from that year in it's pages. The trio eventually finds themselves transported to the same town but many years in the past when an evil witch in town held all the children captive. The siblings work together, along with other friends they meet along the way to try to save the children, and the town from the witch's magic.

This is a fun start to a new series. It's not the next classic children's novel, but it's unique and interesting and sure to be a kid-favorite. I'm eager to see how the next books in this series turn out!

Green-Sky: Below the Root

by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

It was a little over a year ago when a classmate in an online class recommended this book to me. After a few months of searching, I finally found it and it's two sequels.

And then they sat on my shelf for months.

Finally, I'm trying to catch up on some old books and I pulled these out. I'm glad I did. While the book is from the 70s it could very well have been written much more recently. The themes and genres are ones that are recently seeing a resurgence in YA literature: dystopian, alternate worlds, and post-apocalyptic to name a few.

The story takes place in the world of Green-Sky - a planet similar to Earth except for the abundance of large trees where the Kindar people make their homes, and a gravity much less severe than Earth's. The Kindars are a peaceful people, who live in harmony high in the trees while the sinister Pash-shan live below the root on the forest floor. Kindars are taught from birth to fear the Pash-shan, so when young Raamo is Chosen to become one of the revered elders of their society who protect the people from the Pash-Shan, he is eager to learn. However, in his studies as an Ol-zhaan, Raamo begins to discover that things aren't what they seemed, and there is much more to the Pash-shan than the Kindars know. Together with his new friends Neric and Genaa, Raamo must discover the truth and save Green-Sky from the true evil they face.

Prom & Prejudice

by Elizabeth Eulberg

Could it be true?! Yes! I am finally caught up with my blog posts! And now I will allow myself to read a new book. :)

I picked this book up on a whim because 1) it's a Pride and Prejudice adaptation, and I love those, 2) I liked Elizabeth Eulberg's first novel, The Lonely Hearts Club, and 3) it's so pink!

I have a weakness for bright pink books - it's true.

Anyway, despite this book being a story I know well, and therefore I know who to trust and who not to, as well as the character's general fate, I found this retelling to be fun. There were a few differences, but mostly its the same story in a different setting. It's nothing new, but its enjoyable.