Challenge Checkpoint: 25% into 2017

Since we’re nearing the end of March, it’s time I fill you in on how I’m progressing on my multiple reading challenges for this year, because I know you’re dying to know all about it.  *Hint: If you’re that desperate, you can check here at any time to get all the goss*

Mount TBR Reading Challenge Checkpoint #1:

I am super pleased with how I’m going on this challenge.  My original goal was 12 books – or Pike’s Peak level – but at only three months in I’ve managed to knock over seven books, so I may upgrade to Mount Blanc level, which requires 24 books.  I’ll take stock again halfway through the year and make a decision then.

      

You’ll notice that some of these weren’t on my original list of books that I wanted to get through for this challenge:

…but I still plan on having a crack at all the books pictured.  I’m having a bit of trouble with The Bromeliad.  I started it in January, but found my attention wandering so I’ve put it aside for the moment.  Hopefully I’ll get it knocked over before the end of the year.

Wild Goose Chase Reading Challenge:

This, of course, is the Shelf’s own homegrown challenge and I’m doing pretty well so far.  I’ve knocked over three of the seven categories so I’m well on track to finishing this one in plenty of time, provided I can remember what the other categories are.

  

Colour-Coded Reading Challenge:

I’m killing it with this one.  I decided to go with cover colours here, rather than colours in the titles because I’m already doing a title-based challenge with Wild Goose Chase.  I’ve knocked over every colour except brown, red and “implied colour” so far and I can’t foresee any troubles finding those colour books in the next nine months.  Here’s a selection of the covers so far.

      

Popsugar Reading Challenge:

I’m not going too badly here, just taking it as it comes and occasionally checking back to see if my books match any categories.  So far I’ve knocked over books in ten of the fifty-two categories.

Epistolary Reading Challenge:

This is my slowest challenge so far, with only two books read – and one of those books is a bit of a stretch to be honest.  I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for any epistolary novels being released soon and I’ve got one sitting on my shelf ready to step into the breach, but I’ll need to search out a few more to really feel like I’ve had a good go at this one.  Suggestions welcome!

How are you going on your various challenges for the year?  Do you track your progress regularly or are you a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of challengee?

Until next time,
Bruce

A Fi50 reminder and a Top Book of 2017 pick!

It’s nearly Fiction in 50 time for March and this month our prompt is…

If you’d like to join in (and we would love to have you!) just create a piece of fiction or poetry in fewer than 51 words, post it and then link your post in the comments of Monday’s Fi50 post.  If you would like more information, just click here.

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Today’s Top Book of 2017 pick is a wartime beauty that is also a celebration of the strength of womankind in adversity.  We received a copy of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir by Jennifer Ryan from HarperCollins Australia for review and here’s the blurb from Goodreads:

Summer, 1940. In the Kentish village of Chilbury some are unimpressed at the vicar’s decision to close the church choir, since all the men have gone off to fight. But a new arrival prompts the creation of an all-female singing group and, as the women come together in song, they find the strength and initiative to confront their own dramatic affairs.

Filled with intrigue, humour and touching warmth, and set against the devastating backdrop of WWII, this is a wonderfully spirited and big-hearted novel told through the voices of four marvellous and marvellously different females, who will win you over as much with their mischief as with their charm.

For the first few chapters of this epistolary, diary-entry novel I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it, but by the time I’d finished I felt that this book seemed to me for all the world to be a grown-up version of Goodnight Mr Tom.  Since that story is one of my favourites, it stands to reason that I would jolly well enjoy The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir too.

The book switches between the perspectives of a number of the ladies, young and old, of Chilbury.  There’s Kitty Winthrop, thirteen (nearly fourteen) year old sister of the wild beauty Venetia, and dead war hero Edmund, daughter of the brutish Brigadier and rising songbird, whose perspective we are privy to through entries in her journal.  There’s Venetia herself, older sister of Kitty and focused entirely (for the most part) on snagging a handsome, mysterious lover while leading on all the other lads in the village.  We see her side of the story through letters to her friend Angela.  Then there’s the shady Edwina Paltry, midwife of the village and not one to shy away from morally dubious dealings provided there’s something in it for her.  Finally, we have Mrs Tilling, a widow, whose son David is about to leave for the front lines in France and through whose diary we witness the major changes of Chilbury throughout the year of 1940.  We also get to see a few glimpses from Sylvie, a young child evacuee from Czechoslovakia who is living with the Winthrops until her parents can escape or it is safe for her to return, as well as Edith, the Winthrop’s maid.

At its heart, this is a book about personal growth, set against a backdrop of the ever-encroaching threat of invasion and loss, that highlights the strength of women under adversity.  Although each follows a different path throughout the story, the four main ladies whose stories we engage with all become very different people by the end.  It is this growth that reminded me so strongly of Goodnight Mr Tom: while the war and its effects play a large role in the book and in some instances create a shocking and frightening atmosphere, the plot is chiefly about decisions and their ripple effects and ways in which the women of the story choose to stand up in defiance of their situation or roll with the punches.

Funnily enough, the Choir plays a significantly smaller part in the overall story than I expected, but the sections that deal with the ladies coming together – be it for a local competition or to provide respite for a weary community – were always uplifting and provided a lightening of the atmosphere and enough humour to take the edge off some of the darker happenings going on in the plot.  My favourite character, apart from the enthusiastic, indefatigably positive Prim, the choir mistress, had to be Mrs Tilling.  As the only trustworthy adult narrator, I came to trust her judgement (except, of course, in regards to her opinion of the Colonel, her billet) and adored the way in which she grows into herself again as a confident, strong woman and a leader for the village.

This isn’t a light-hearted romp from beginning to end; nor is it a slow examination of the effects of war.  Rather, it is a snapshot of a village at the beginning of World War II, struggling to cope with change already happening and the inevitable change that is just over the horizon.  Hefty as it is at four hundred plus pages, this is one that you would do best to savour over time.  Get to know the ladies of Chilbury at your leisure and you certainly won’t regret that you took the time to visit.

As well as a Top Book of 2017 pick, I am also submitting The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir for the Epistolary Reading Challenge, the Wild Goose Chase Reading Challenge and the Popsugar Reading Challenge.  You can check out my progress toward all those challenges here.

Until next time,

Bruce

A Non-Fiction Read-it-if Review: If You Find This Letter…

 

Welcome to another Read-it-if review, this time featuring a memoir of sorts, which I received from the publisher via Netgalley.  I’m also submitting this one for the Nonfiction Reading Challenge hosted by The Introverted Reader.  I can’t remember whether I mentioned that I would be doing this challenge, but I signed up at Explorer level, which is 6-10 books.  If you’d like to find out more about the challenge, you can click on the challenge image at the top of this post.

But back to business.  Today’s book grew out of a blog that the author began in an effort to reconnect with herself and find some purpose in her life.  It’s called If You Find This Letter: One Girl’s Journey to Find Purpose Through Hundreds of Letters to Strangers and it’s by Hannah Brencher.  Here’s the blurb from Goodreads:

Fresh out of college, Hannah Brencher moved to New York, expecting her life to look like a scene from Sex and the City. Instead, she found a city full of people who knew where they were going and what they were doing and didn’t have time for a girl still trying to figure it all out. Lonely and depressed, she noticed a woman who looked like she felt the same way on the subway. Hannah did something strange–she wrote the woman a letter. She folded it, scribbled If you find this letter, it’s for you on the front and left it behind.

When she realized that it made her feel better, she started writing and leaving love notes all over the city–in doctor’s offices, in coat pockets, in library books, in bathroom stalls. Feeling crushed within a culture that only felt like connecting on a screen, she poured her heart out to complete strangers. She found solace in the idea that her words might brighten someone’s day.

Hannah’s project took on a life of its own when she made an offer on her blog: She would handwrite a note and mail it to anyone who wanted one. Overnight, her inbox exploded with requests from people all over the world. Nearly 400 handwritten letters later, she started the website, The World Needs More Love Letters, which quickly grew.

There is something about receiving a handwritten note that is so powerful in today’s digital era. If You Find This Letter chronicles Hannah’s attempts to bring more love into the world,and shows how she rediscovered her faith through the movement she started.

 Read it if:

* you like reading memoirs by people who have just barely cracked the quarter century in years on this planet

* you like wacky blog ideas that morph into meaningful projects in the real world

* you like your memoirs to deeply explore the author’s relationships and personal reflections

* you enjoy the idea of randomly leaving stuff behind for others to find (or as I like to call it, “guerrilla kindness” or “littering mindfully”)

It was for just this last reason that I picked up this book.  Having featured books about yarn-bombing on the blog before, I am clearly one of those creatures that gets a kick out of people secretly leaving some little treasure (be it letter, crocheted door knob cosy or book) for some unsuspecting passer-by to find and enjoy.  I was really hoping that this book would be something akin to a cross between yarn-bombing in letter format and the worldwide art and connection project begun by one man, known as PostSecret.  (If you don’t know what PostSecret is, please check it out. It’s worth a look, for certain).  Unfortunately, it read more like the developmentally typical learnings of a reasonably sheltered young woman in her twenties.  Not what I was hoping for, by any means.

The actual letter project, in which Hannah puts out the invitation for anyone who wants a handwritten love letter from her to apply via her website, really takes a back seat in this memoir to a whole bunch of other happenings in Hannah’s life.  I suspect that the idea was to show that she herself was reaching out to strangers in this way because of her own sense of disconnection, but a lot of the stuff that she talks about seemed to me to be pretty typical of anyone between the ages of about 18 and 30 who is trying to carve out an adult identity and some existential equilibrium.  I really wanted to read more about the letter project, and let that speak for itself, than find out about her involvement in a volunteer service project, and a whole bunch of Faith related personal reflection.

Did you notice that Faith-with-a-capital-F?  Yes, this is another blurb which I fear has mislead me and caused me to pick up a book that I probably would have passed on otherwise.  That last line in the blurb –  “If You Find This Letter chronicles Hannah’s attempts to bring more love into the world,and shows how she rediscovered her faith through the movement she started” – is not referring to her faith in humanity.  It’s her Faith, as in her personal relationship with God.  Now, I’ve mentioned before, that the fleshlings who own my shelf have a Christian leaning – they are even Catholics (of the rare non-lapsed variety), as is Hannah herself – so we have no objection to religious content per se in a book.  What really gets on my horns though, is when blurbs don’t make this clear.  If they said this was going to be a God book I could have made an informed decision.  But they didn’t.  So I got stuck wading through a whole lot of “Hannah returning home” (in the Catholic sense, not in the literal sense – in the literal sense, we get a nice little story about one Thanksgiving where Hannah is literally not allowed to return home. Not sure why it was included really), when I was really in the mood for “interesting social connection project”.

Now, don’t let my negativity bring you down.  Others have read this book and called it “inspiring” and “captivating”.  I would suggest reading it if it sounds interesting and make up your own mind.  But I suspect that not all blog projects need to be made into a book. At least, not a book in a memoir format.  For my (non-existent) money, I would have liked to have seen a lot more focus on the project and the benefits contained therein for not just the author, but some of the recipients of letters, and a bit less on the life-reflections of someone who seems to be a reasonably typical example of this particular age group.

Until next time,

Bruce

A Small Fry Safari Wrap Up and….The Shelf’s NEW Reading Challenge for 2015!

As we wrap up the year, it’s once again a time of reflection.  On triumphs and troughs. On goals achieved and on those that got away from us. In this vein, I have to acknowledge those who challenged themselves to read in unexpected ways this year by participating in the Small Fry Safari Kid Lit Readers Challenge.

It was fun, it was feisty and it gave each of us a little thrill when we came across a book that we could manhandle into one of the categories.  All in all, a very worthwhile endeavour.  If you would like to find out more about the challenge (which is still open until December 31st by the way, and therefore still very much achievable!), or see the entries that were hunted and tracked by those on the safari bus, simply click here.

If you were one of the intrepid travellers who managed to finish the challenge, feel free to grab yourself this awesome button for your blog, wall or trophy cabinet.  I will be having mine proudly made into a shelf-sized doona cover.  Feel free also, if you know about photoshop (or the old-fashioned method of literal cutting and pasting) to place an image of your own face over mine. To paste it on your blog, simply copy the code in the box below the image and paste it on your blog.

<div align="center"><a href="https://thebookshelfgargoyle.wordpress.com" title="The Bookshelf Gargoyle"><img src="https://thebookshelfgargoyle.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/image5.jpg" alt="The Bookshelf Gargoyle" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

But enough of Small Fry! Small Fry is soooooo 2014! Today I unveil my new, fresh off the boat, just out of the oven reading challenge for 2015.  It’s called the….wait for it…..

I’m excited! Aren’t you? Of course you are.  This challenge will be a little bit different from the Small Fry Safari in that it will encompass ALL types of literature, not just Kid Lit.  If you are up for the challenge and want to find out more, click on the impressively attractive image above and all your questions will be answered.  Come on! Join in! It’ll be fun!  I’m also going to include some GIVEAWAYS for participants in the challenge in 2015, so share the news around – the more oddness the merrier!

In case you’re wondering, I’m going to attempt the challenge at the Audaciously Odd level.  Bet you’re intrigued now, aren’t you? Go on then, click the challenge button and find out more!

Until next time,

Bruce

 

 

 

Broken Branch Falls: A GSQ Review and Author Interview….

Howdy pardners and welcome to another GSQ Review! Today’s book is also going to be my submission in category eight of the Small Fry Safari Kid Lit Readers Challenge – a book with wordplay in the title.  So I invite you to put your claw hand in mine as we take a stroll into the leafy suburban utopia that is…Broken Branch Falls by Tara Tyler.  Stay tuned after my review for an interview with Tara about the book and her other, equally intriguing, work.

Amazon  Barnes & Noble

At Gingko High in Broken Branch Falls, every beast sticks to their stereotype – goblins are smart, ogres are sporty and stupid, and pixies play pranks.  Gabe Thorntry, is your average goblin boy (except for his ears – large, even for a goblin) and while he dreams of breaking out of his socially-approved role, he knows that this is unlikely ever to happen.  Until, that is, Gabe’s friends convince him to help pull a prank on an opposing football team.  When the prank goes slightly wrong, Gabe finds himself forced to PLAY on the Gingko High team and against all odds, he discovers that he quite enjoys taking on an ogrish activity for once.  But when it becomes obvious that Gabe’s punishment has backfired and interspecies mingling spreads like never before, the High Council make a decision that will ultimately ensure that no species strays outside its own kind – ever again.  Gabe and his friends now have to take on a seemingly insurmountable quest to retrieve the Book of Ages and prove once and for all that with a bit of cooperation, the Beasts will not fall prey to the wars that plagued humanity, and that a mixed society can be more than just a dream.

Broken Branch Falls is a fun and original take on the dramas of fitting in and finding oneself in the social jungle of high school.  Likeable characters and plenty of incidental humour make the story very easy to fall into and a steady forward progression in the action encourages readers to keep turning the pages. The friendship story and quest saga also cleverly disguise a plot that raises plenty of questions about freedom, social responsibility, the right to choose and the origins of authority.  For a book pitched at middle graders, there’s a lot going on here, so I think Broken Branch Falls will best appeal to those who enjoy a read that balances the lighter moments with some real-life issues….even if the real-life issues are being dealt with by non-humans.

 

Honestly, there isn’t much I could find to criticise about this book.  For a debut title in the middle grade age bracket, Tyler has got this mostly right.

Tyler has done a great job of using familiar creatures and building an original world around them.  The alternate history in the plot, in which the humans have wiped themselves out, gives a fantastic depth to the predicament in which Gabe finds himself.  I LOVED the cheeky little touches that made the Beast World come alive, like the fun “goblin ears” hand sign – those are the touches that I feel really bring a book to life and give the characters and the world a genuine, authentic feel.  Just for interest’s sake, I am now in the process of developing a similar hand sign for gargoyles.  I’ll get back to you when it’s ready with details of the launch party.

My overall take on the book?

Broken Branch Falls is a strange mix of action, humour and brain-food, for the thinking lover of MG fantasy!

And now you can meet the brains behind the book!

Tara Tyler has had a hand at everything from waitressing to rocket engineering. After living up and down the Eastern US, she now writes and teaches math in Ohio with her three active boys and Coach Husband. Currently, she has two series, The Cooper Chronicles (techno-thriller detective capers) and Beast World (MG fantasy) She’s an adventure writer who believes every good story should have action, a moral, and a few laughs!

Firstly, congratulations on a beast-packed romp! Did you ever consider including gargoyles in BBF?

THANK YOU!! No. There aren’t even any castles in this one, but there are in the third one – maybe a gargoyle can show up there! (my favorite gargoyles are from Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame!)

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If you could have been a member of one of the beast species in BBF, which would you choose?

My first choice would be a dragon, then I could fly! I had an awesome dragon collection growing up.

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Who do you picture as the ideal reader of BBF, and what would you like them to take from it?

Middle graders or anyone who likes fantasy – I think it’s an entertaining story with a solid message behind it that you can do anything you set your mind to, and you should be able to stand up for your rights.

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Was it hard to come up with an original world for your story in such a crowded genre? And how did you think up all the little quirks, like the goblin-ears hand sign?

I feel like I live in a fantasy world… It wasn’t too hard to create this world – I started with how things are, like kids in high school and living in our world, and adapted them to the characters and setting. I tweaked our society to keep it simple and relate-able, yet unique, how they communicate, jobs, slang, etc, plus their magical specialties, and I didn’t go too far so it seemed more natural. I think epic fantasy (like the Hobbit) is much harder. That’s like starting from scratch!

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You’ve also published a novel for adults – is there a different process that you go through when writing for a younger audience?

Well, I feel a lot younger than I am, so writing younger was easy. The adult story, POP TRAVEL is definitely for a more mature audience. It’s a futuristic techno-thriller, but it’s not dark and dismally serious. I love action and adventure and humor, so those elements are in all my stories. POP TRAVEL has more mature vocabulary and situations, but I think it still appeals to a younger audience, as well. My 13 & 14 yo boys enjoyed it and they don’t like to read… I say it’s PG-13.

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Have you got any projects in the works right now that we should look out for? And will there be gargoyles appearing?

I’m hoping to have SIMULATION ready to submit in September (next book after POP TRAVEL). And I’m writing the rough draft of CRADLE ROCK (sequel to BBF in the Beast World series). Plus, in my spare time (ha!) I’m working on an anti-princess story that I’m hoping to put on youtube with storyboard animations (via my awesome illustrator) and songs! Just wish I had more time for it all! (I will have to animate a gargoyle just for you in WHEN THE WIND BLOWS, book three in Beast World)

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I really enjoyed the book as well – really original world and story.

I’m so glad you did! This is all so exciting! Thanks for your fun questions! You ROCK! (get it? gargoyle? hee hee)

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AhAAA! I see what you did there! BBF was released on June 24, so it’s hot off the press and ready for your grubby little paws to grab.

I mentioned at the beginning of this post, the Small Fry Safari Kid Lit Readers Challenge – if you’d like to find out more about this challenge, and jump on the safari bus, simply click here!

Until next time,

Bruce

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Small Fry Safari Readers Challenge: Carnivores…

Well hello there Safari buddies and spectators!  Today I have for you my second submission for the Small Fry Safari Kid Lit Readers Challenge (click the button above for more info) and this time it is in category one – a book with something to do with Safari in the title.

Carnivores by Aaron Reynolds and illustrated by Dan Santat is a subversively funny tale of three prominent carnivores who find themselves shunned by the greater animal community for indulging their passion for all things made from meat.  Lion, Timberwolf and Great White Shark attempt to remedy this situation through what can only be described as group behavioural therapy with varying degrees of success, before realising that sometimes you’ve just gotta be yourself, no matter how many fluffy woodland creatures you alienate (or ingest) in the process.

Read it if:

* you believe that meat is murder….of the delicious, tasty variety

* you have ever had a craving that could not be denied

* you resent the implication that your lusty and insatiable consumption of meat-based products (ie: other sentient beings) means that you are some kind of monstrous decimator of the fwuffy-bunny-and-other-doe-eyed-cutie-creature community

The illustrations in this book are just priceless.  You can see from the cover the comedy contained in the facial expressions of the characters and this is carried on throughout the book.  Honestly, the vacant expressions on the faces of various about-to-be-eaten woodland creatures really made me feel like they weren’t such a terrible loss – after all, Timberwolf isn’t really bad…he’s a CARNIVORE!  The illustrations also add extra humour to the text, which is funny enough – for example, the food pyramid pictured below features on the endpapers at the beginning of the book, only to be replaced by an empty food pyramid diagram on the final endpapers.

This would be a great choice for mischevous, non-vegan kids aged from about five to nine years old as a fun introduction to the concept of carnivorous animals and the food chain.

Until next time,

Bruce

my read shelf:

Top Ten Tuesday: Shelfish Goals for 2014….and a giveaway!

Afternoon all! Today I am joining with the folk at the Broke and the Bookish and participating in their weekly meme Top Ten Tuesday.  This week we’re all discussing our top ten goals or resolutions for 2014.  Most of my bloggy goals this year focus on blatant self (shelf?) promotion, but you’ll probably pick that up fairly quickly as you read on. Let’s plunge right in shall we?

Goal 1:

Complete (and harrass others to complete) the Small Fry Safari Kid Lit (and YA!) Readers Challenge!

So me and the other shelfies have banded together to host this cheap and cheerful readers challenge focused around books aimed at all types of Small Fry – from newbie newborns all the way up to almost adults.

You only have to read 8 books over the course of the year, BUT…the books have to fit into one of eight quirky categories.  Click on the button to find out more and sign up!

 

Goal 2:

Get more people involved in the Fiction in 50 monthly writing challenge!

Every month me and the shelfies host a fun writing challenge affectionately nicknamed Fi50.  All you have to do is create a piece of fiction based on the monthly prompt, in 50 words or less.  It’s a lot of fun and not as hard as you think.  So jump on board – click on the button for more info and the list of monthly prompts.  To read the latest batch of Fi50 masterpieces, go here.

I’m also looking for co-hosts for this challenge, so if you’re interested, drop me a comment!

Goal 3:

Complete other assorted challenges that I have (wisely or otherwise!) signed up for!

So I took a punt and signed up for the Mad Reviewer’s Read and Review Challenge just today.  I joined at Mad Reviewer level which means I have committed to read AND review 104 books this year. That’s 2 a week EVERY WEEK for the whole year.  Now that I’ve had a few hours to think about it, I honestly think I must have a kangaroo loose in the top paddock to have taken on such a task.  Luckily, I can revise downwards if necessary, all the way down to Sane Reviewer level – then I’ll only have to read and review 12 books in the year (phew! I’m already one twelfth of the way there!).  There’s also a giveaway associated with this challenge, so hop on over if you’re interested – click on the big button to be slingshotted off to your Mad destiny!

I also jumped on the Goodreads challenge for the first time this year….at 150 books.  Yep. Good luck with that Brucey.

Goal 4:

Do more giveaways!

I had so much fun being part of a giveaway blog hop for the first time at the end of 2013 that I thought I should spread the love of free stuff around a bit more this year (and snaffle some more followers at the same time).  So to kick off, here’s my Belated Blogoversary giveaway! It’s open internationally as long as the Book Depository (bless their little hearts) ship to your country for free.  I will be checking entries, so be honest.  Oh, and the prize will be one book of the winner’s choice to the value of $12 – that’s 12 AUSTRALIAN dollars by the way.

One winner will be chosen at random and will have 48 hours to respond to a congratulatory email before a redraw will occur.  The giveaway is in no way related to WordPress, Goodreads, The Book Depository, Rafflecopter, Facebook or any other individual or company that is not me.

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Goal 5:

Mondays with Marple

Regular readers of this blog will know that I’m an Agatha Christie fan.  Weirdly though, I’ve only ever read one Miss Marple story.  So this year I’m going to rectify that by reading Marple books, and then posting about them. On a Monday. Hence Mondays with Marple.  Suggestions for which book to start with are most welcome.

Goal 6:

Read more Fairy Tale retellings

Up until very recently, I rejected fairytale retellings out of hand as something I was utterly uninterested in.  After two good experiences with them however, I have vowed to take on more.  Lucky for me, they’re at epidemic proportions at the moment.  Again, suggestions welcome.

Okay, six goals will do for now.  Oh no, wait…

Goal 7:

Avoid blog-related burnout

Until next time,

Bruce

What’s In A Name Challenge: The Boy Who Lost His Face…

Afternoon all! All this thinking about the Small Fry Safari KidLit Readers Challenge that I will be hosting in 2014 (do join us, won’t you?), reminded me in rather abrupt fashion that I haven’t actually finished the What’s In A Name Reading Challenge that I started this year…oops.

A quick health check noted that I only have three books to go, and while scrabbling around for a replacement book in the Lost/Found category, I happened upon a book on my to-read pile that fit the bill perfectly: The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar.

Taken from: the Non-Christie Listie as a late replacement

Category: Six– a book with Lost or Found or the equivalent in the title

In an attempt to fit in with the cool crowd, David helps to steal an old lady’s cane, humiliating her in the process.  The old lady curses David and over the next weeks, all the things that the boys did to the old lady start happening to David.  David must find a way to break the curse or forever live in fear of breaking bottles full of liquid, falling out of his chair and having his pants fall down.

The Book’s Point of Difference

Well. I’m not sure. It’s pretty standard middle grade fare.  Possibly the fact that there is an inordinate amount of swearing, and many references to the Three Stooges.

The Pros:

– David is a very ordinary kid and therefore very relatable.  He’s obviously trying to do the right thing, but fate seems to have other plans.  The banter between David and his small new posse of friends is quite funny at times, also.

– There is a sweet little romance plotline that develops nicely as the book goes on.  Nothing too sappy and nothing too overdone, but it adds another dimension to the story.

– This one reminded me a lot of middle grade books from the late 80s and 90s.  All the angst of early puberty is being played out here in a very safe way, and therefore this book will have great appeal to its target audience.

The Cons:

– As I said, there is a LOT of swearing for a middle grade book.  Nothing too extreme, but it is quite frequent.  As an adult reading this, it didn’t bother me in the slightest, but it may upset parents/delight the target audience…you’ve been warned.

Overall, this is another good read from Sachar, with all the humour and oddness that fans would have come to expect.  Certainly the themes of honesty and being one’s self aren’t rammed home too hard and there is plenty here to keep the younger readers engaged.

…On that note, if you’re looking for a readers challenge for 2014, why not check out the Small Fry Safari KidLit Readers Challenge?  Click on the button below for more details -we’d love to have you aboard!

Until next time,

Bruce

my read shelf:

Small Fry Safari KidLit Readers Challenge 2014: Sign Up!

Afternoon all! After a very brief and not very deeply considered period of reflection, I have decided to take the plunge and host a readers challenge for 2014.  I hope you will join me in committing to conquer this most wiley and tricksy of beasts:

The Small Fry Safari KidLit Readers Challenge!

* The Challenge will run from January 1st to December 31, 2014.

* Challengees must read at least one book from each category (listed below).

* Books selected must be aimed at a target age range of under-18, so anything from cloth books to Young Adult is acceptable.  Books can be any format you like – print, audio, ebook – and any genre.  Alternatively, books could be ABOUT children – for example, parenting books, or memoirs about children

* The categories listed are a loose guide and creative interpretation of the categories is not only encouraged, but applauded. Loudly.

* Challengees should link their reviews/progress under the relevant linky lists on the main challenge page.  If you don’t have a blog, you could link to your Goodreads shelf/reviews, or simply comment on the challenge page as you go.

*Feel free to display the challenge button (html for which is in the sidebar) and share about the challenge wherever you like!

1. A book with something related to Safari in the title (eg: Rumble in the Jungle, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt)

2. A book with a piece of furniture in the title: (eg: 100 Cupboards, The Adventures of the Wishing Chair)

3. A book with a specific time in the title: (eg: Grim Tuesday, The Eleventh Hour)

4. A book with someone’s name in the title: (eg: Ella Kazoo Will Not Brush Her Hair, Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret?, Cinderella Ate My Daughter)

5. A book with something that comes in pairs in the title: (eg: Shoes From Grandpa, The Twins at St Clare’s)

6. A book with something precious in the title: (eg: Where’s the Gold?, Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone)

7. A book with something unsightly in the title: (eg: Scarface Claw, The Ugly Duckling, Get Back, Pimple!, Trash )

8. A book with some form of wordplay in the title : (eg: Dark Lord: A Fiend in Need, The Perpetual Papers of the Pack of Pets, The French Confection)

So what are you waiting for?? Click the link to sign up below!

I hope to battle out this challenge with you all by my side, intrepid explorers!

Until next time,

Bruce

my read shelf:

What’s In A Name Challenge: Absent in the Spring…

So here we are again, Obstacle Number (insert accurate number here) in the What’s in a Name Reading Challenge: Absent in the Spring by Mary Westmacott (aka Agatha Christie)…

Taken from: the Christie Listie (as a late and rather sneaky replacement)

Category: Six – a book with lost or found (or it’s equivalent) in the title

So it turns out Agatha Christie, cheeky little dame that she is, penned some romance novels under the name Mary Westmacott, and thought we wouldn’t notice.  Well, I didn’t actually, until it was pointed out to me.  But I’m glad I found out because it gave me a bit of scope to widen out the Christie Listie for this challenge.

Absent in the Spring centres on Joan Scudamore, an upstanding citizen and all-round walking moral compass, who finds herself waylaid by a flooded track on her train journey home from looking after her sick grown-up daughter.  During this period of unwanted exile, she reflects on her relationships so far and discovers some not altogether pleasant home truths about herself and the way others see her.  But how will she use this newfound knowledge?  One never knows when Ms Christie is at the pen….

This Book’s Point of Difference:

I must say, I’m not really one to go in for romance novels.  Luckily for me, this novel has absolutely no romance in it at all.  It’s more of a psychological portrait of the main character and in that regard is gripping in a not too demanding way.

Pros:

– I was surprised at how engaging this book actually was.  Despite the fact that most of the book is essentially a one-woman show, the strength of old Joan as a character and her willful denial of the painfully obvious really drives the book along.  Having said that, it’s also the type of book that you can pick up and put down and is light enough to be a great choice for a beach read…although given my aversion to, and lack of experience with, beaches, perhaps you’ll have to make that call yourself

– The style and voice are typical Christie.  By the end of the first page I was comfortable in the knowledge that I was with an old friend and master storyteller

– The ending has a twist.  I wasn’t expecting one, given that this isn’t a mystery story, but there is one nonetheless and I think it really adds to the post-reading, thought-inducing factor of the book

Cons:

– The style and voice are typically Christie. So you may spend the first few chapters (or indeed the whole book, depending on the level of your fandom) expecting someone to be discovered having been horribly murdered.

– There are no Belgians in this one, detective-like or otherwise

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.  I will definitely make it a point to read more of “Westmacott’s” back catalogue at some point.

Until next time,

Bruce

or on GoodReads