In my last book post,
shina_laris asked what were some of the good books I read last year. I'm so glad you asked! :P
For the record, I'm pretty much copying and pasting this directly from my family blog. I wrote more detailed reviews over there because I knew none of them had read these books, unlike over *here*, which is where I got the recommendations to read most of these books in ther first place! ;)
1.
The Penderwicks and
The Penderwicks on Gardam Street
Let me tell you how much love I have for these books: You know how you get those "Desert Island" questions?? I would take these books to the desert island with me- that's how much I love this series. And yes, strictly speaking, this isn't just one book. But I read them both this year (the first book came out in 2005, and the second one was released this past May), and the author plans on releasing a total of five Penderwick books.
The four Penderwick sisters live with their widowed (widowered??) father and their dog, Hound. The first books take place over three weeks at Arundell, a summer cottage the family has rented. The second book takes place back at their home, over the course of a year. The books have a timeless feeling, even though they take place in the modern day. The four sisters all have very distinct personalities, and you can't help but wish you knew them in real life.
I read both of the books aloud to the girls, and we all cried when they were over. I don't know of a better recommendation than that.
2.
Artist to Artist: 23 Major Illustrators Talk to Children About Their Art
I'm of the belief that every children's book doesn't need illustrations, but if it's going to have them, they better be DARN GOOD illustrations. This book is just what it says; 23 major illustrators talking to children about their art. They talk about their lives and their influences, and each illustrators included sketches and drawings from their "early" days. I was amazed to see how many of them didn;t have any formal training- just a burning desire to make beautiful artwork.
3.
Scaredy Squirrel
I discovered this book when I was volunterring at the Book Fair at the girls' school. I laughed so hard that I almost fell out of my chair. Scaredy Squirrel tells us his story as a cautionary tale (he NEVER leaves his tree because he might encounter tarantulas, martians, germs or killer bees, and he ALWAYS has his First-Aid kit with him) but it's full of sly, subversive, tongue-in-cheek references that make it a delight for adults to read too.
4.
King George: What Was His Problem?: Everything Your Textbooks Didn't Tell You About the American Revolution
Hands down, this is the best -and funniest!- book about the American Revolution I have ever read. It's aimed at kids, but it never talks down to them. You would be hard pressed to find an adult who doesn't learn something from this book. The writing is simple, clear and concise.
The author is a text book writer who got tired of having to leave all the funny and really interesting historical bits out of the text books, so he decided to write a book with all those bits left in!
I love the way this book is organized- key players and events are highlighted systematically (That sounds very dry, but trust me, it's not). There are quotes galore, from people you've definitely heard of, to people you never knew existed. He even has a section called "What ever happened to...?" at the end. And like any good text book writer, the source notes go on for pages.
5.
Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon
This is book which reads like a documentary. That sounds terribly dry, but it's not. This books *excellent*. I love reading about this history of the space program, and this is a wonderful look at what went in to making the Apollo 11 Moon landing possible AND successful. The pictures are amazing, and there are interviews with people involved in every facet of the space progrma. From the astronauts themselves down to the people who decided what the austronauts would eat, everything you could possibly want to know it covered. And if the author *did* miss something, there is a huge reference section listing other books you could read.
Honorable Mention
Rapunzel's Revenge
This is a fresh take on the story of Rapunzel- from a wild west point of view. The author's made a bold choice to go with a graphic novel format, which will appeal to boys who might otherwise shy away from the traditional "girl" story.
1.
The Dairy Queen
I liked this book a lot. I found myself really empathizing with the title character, a tomboy named DJ who does that lion's share of the work on her family's barely-making-it dairy farm after her father injures himself one day. The author managed to give DJ a unique voice that didn't feel contrived or convoluted- DJ felt real. The sequel wasn't as strong, but you'll definitely want to read it to know what happens after the events in The Dairy Queen. The author is planning a third book, and I have high hopes for it.
2.
Coraline (Graphic Novel version
Neil Gaiman is an extremely popular author of many Sci-Fi/Fantasy novels aimed at adults. Coraline is aimed at the YA market. You can also find this book in regular novel format, but I read the graphic nvoel version, which means it's laid out like a comic book, with pictures in addition to the text.
I can't say I honestly *enjoyed* this book, but that's not because it isn't a great book, which it is. First of all, the graphic novel format isn't really my cup of tea, but it's gaining in popularity (as evidenced by the fact that Gaiman republished Coralin in that format after he had already published the novel.)
Second of all, this book is really creepy. Not scary, because I DO NOT do horror, but creepy. But creepy in a good way. The illustrations really add to the creepiness. Knowing my girls like I do, I know they would *love* this book. But I don't think they are quite ready for it yet, hence me putting in my YA review as opposed to my children's review.
I loved the heroine, a girl of ten or twelve. When Coraline gets trapped in another world with her "other" parents, she doesn't wait for someone to come and save her.
She figures out what she needs to do and does it, even if it isn't pleasant or pretty. This books has been amde into a movie, whcih is being released in February 2009. I haven't decided if I am going to see it yet, but I look forward to (at minimum) revisiting it in a few years when the girls are older.
3.
Forever Rose
This is the final book in a series I first read a few years ago. While you don't have to read the first four books to understand what is happening in this book, you really shouldn't miss out on any of the craziness that surrounds the Casson Family who live in the Banana House.
4.
Just Listen
The more Sarah Dessen books I read, the more I like her writing. This is the second book by this author that I've read. Some might say that her writing is a little too "After School Special", but she writes about issues in a way that doesn't come across as preachy, and I appreciate that. Her characters are very real, and so are their lives.
5.
The Truth About Forever
My favorite Saran Dessen book. I really loved this book. I'm pretty sure I got teary-eyed a few times. The heroine, Macy Queen, is dealing with the aftermath of her father's sudden death. This book just felt so real, like I knew the characters. Just wonderful. My favorite YA book of the year.
Honorable Mention
Breaking Dawn
I had to think really hard if I wanted to include this book in a "Best of" series, but when it comes down to it, it does. The book is certainly not perfect, not by any means. It has its flaws, and there are a few plot choices that Stephenie Meyer made that I don't agree with. But when all is said and done, she is an incredible world builder, and this book is the culmination of a lot of hardwork put into action because of a once-in-a-lifetime (multi)million dollar idea. And it's easy for people (and other authors) to sit back and say "I could do that!" but the fact of the matter is that no one else did.
1.
Harry, A History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon by Melissa Anelli
I realize that I've already written
one gushing post about this book, so I'll just say again it's really, really good.
2.
Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life by Steve Martin
Excellent book. Fascinating. Not your typical memoir. It's deep and insightful and witty, but not laugh-out-loud funny- it doesn't need to be. It really shows just what a craftsman Steve Martin is. And he is hella smart. It should be mandatory reading for every stand-up comedian, wanna be or otherwise. I've read a lot of book abouts comedy and about comedians, and this is the best of the best.
The only criticism I have is that there isn't a lot of reflection/behind-the-scenes action from SNL or his later movie career. But I also understand that *that* isn't what this book is about. This book is about what got him to that point.
3.
Feasting on Asphalt: The River Run by Alton Brown
Let me get this out of the way first- I love Alton Brown. I find him strangely attractive. I like his spiky hair and his round, tortiseshell glasses. I adore his sense of humor and I love that he isn't afraid to be smart. AND HE COOKS! *sigh*
This is a companion book to the second Food Network series of the same name. If you watched the series (as I did), you won't necessarily learn anything new, although the book contains 40 recipes gathered from the road trip. The photography is beautiful, and Alton makes good use of his writing skills honed from years of working in television and films. (Did you know he writes all the scripts for his TV show Good Eats??) I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book.
However, what makes this book so valubale to me is the index in the back of the book that lists the name, address, telephone number, website and GPS coordinate of every place they ate along the way! I can't tell you how many times I've watched a food/travel show on PBS or the Food Network, wanted to visit a featured place, and then could never remember exactly where it was. Alton also gives a list of suppliers for many of the specialty food and spices needed to make the local grub in your own home.
Now, if Alton would only come out with a companion book to the FIRST Feasting on Asphalt series...
4.
Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
I've only included the first book of Harris' Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse series, but really this vote is for the series overall. These books are certainly not everyone's cup of tea (I still maintain I am not really a fan of vampire books!), but I'm surprised at how much fun these books are. Yeah, there's angst and strife, but there's also humor and fun. It took me about a week to get through the first eight books, and I'm eagerly awaiting the release of #9 in the fall.
5.
U2: At the End of the World by Bill Flanagan
U2 is my most favorite musical group of all time. This is an excellent look at the world's biggest rock band. It's incredibly fascinating- the author travelled with U2 on their Zooropa Tour, which lasted two years. You don't get any closer than that. It's *almost* as good as going on tour yourself!
Honorable Mention
6.
The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
It's J.K. Rowling, y'all. Of course it's going to be good!
It was really hard to leave some of the books off my "Best Of" lists (especially a book as amazing as
this one, but you have to draw the line somewhere, you know? :P