Pride and Prejudice and Zombies-Dawn of the Dreadfuls

For something a little different...
 I received an advance copy of Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith to review on Fresh Fish and Foolishness.  Scroll down, there is a link to a message board where you can post to enter you name to win some Zombie graft.

Billed as a prequel to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, a mash-up version of Jane Austen's PandP, Dawn of the Dreadfuls is a completely original novel, using a few of the characters created by Austen.

As an Austen fan, I wasn't sure I was going to like having one of fiction's most beloved characters become a warrior. I read on though, knowing from the first page that the author wrote it with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek. He hilariously skewers English Society, with a keen eye to poking fun at every last convention of the times. The Bennets' reputation is destroyed the minute they stand against the "unmentionables", to the dismay of their very proper and high-reaching mother. The young Bennet ladies do not do what is expected of them. Balls and Lords, matrons and maidens, warriors and cowards are all easy marks for our intrepid heroine, Elizabeth.

Catch of the Day

The Lightning Thief
by Rick Riordan

I wanted to put up a review of this book before its theatrical release in February 2010. I hope that the movie will stay true to the book, but I don't hold out much hope!

I picked out this book for my nine-year-old son, who I was pushing to move on from graphic novels and Diary of a Wimpy Kid.  After some duress, he started to read The Lightning Thief before bed one night. I knew it was a hit when he woke up early the next morning to see what happened next. "You were right, Mom, it's really good."

Once he was finished, I decided to give it a try.  I was surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did.

The Lightning Thief tells the story of Percy Jackson, a modern-day boy with ADHD and dyslexia who finds out he is the son of a Greek God. The characters at first, are not really well-defined-it was hard to feel attached to them right away. By the middle of the book, however, you are rooting for their success and looking forward to the second book in the series.

Riordan incorporates the Greek Gods and monsters in a way that builds tension and excitement, while igniting in his young readers a curiosity to discover more about these myths. (Even this old reader found herself googling various Gods and Goddesses, trying to recall those half-remembered stories.)  Adults will enjoy Riordan's updated rendering of the Gods.

Percy is a very likeable yet imperfect boy, who makes his share of mistakes. He can be prideful, and impetuous.  But he is also brave. Readers will like that he is (almost) a regular boy.  He does have special powers, but to say what they are, here, would give too much away.
Percy's best friend is a satyr named Grover who is badly bullied at school for the way he limps when he walks.  The two misfits forge a bond that becomes even stronger when Grover saves Percy's life and brings him to meet Chiron at Camp Half-Blood, the place demi-gods go to be trained and protected.

They meet the third member of their group at this special camp for the children of the Gods.  Annabeth is Athena's daughter.  She and Percy immediately strike up a tenuous friendship that becomes stronger as they battle for their lives when they are sent on a Quest to save Percy's mother.

The strength of this book is how it takes everyday school events that  all readers will recognize, and ties them in with the legendary history of Mount Olympus and those that rule the earth. As a teacher, I loved how Percy's ADHD was portrayed in a positive manner-it keeps him on his toes in dangerous situations.

I also like to see my son excited about what he reads.  He has asked for each new book before finishing the last, and has taken out Greek Mythology books from the library. I think these are great books for reluctant readers-they are easy to read aloud, and I would bet that you would only have to read two chapters before your child is waking up at six to check out what happens next...
(Sorry if the description seems vague-I don't want to spoil any of the surprises!)

Catch of the Day

The White Bone

By: Barbara Gowdy

I'd picked this book up off the shelf at the library a dozen times and put it back. I even checked it out twice. But I never got past the fact it was about elephants. How could a book told from the point of view of elephants possible enter my realm of interest?

I did finally open the book. I went with it. It is brilliant. Not just because it is a fairly original concept-it tells the story of the elephants' fight to survive a drought, and death from vicious poachers, from the point of view of the elephants. It is one of a kind, with a map and a glossary to guide you through the lives and language of the descendants of the great She. But it doesn't take long until you can feel heat on your skin and the spray of dirt that cools it. Your mouth will crave just a drop of water in the arid desert. You will feel the loss of mothers and children to poachers as deeply as the elephants do.

Gowdy evokes as much sadness from a story of elephants' unrequited love as any human-based story I have ever read. I knew she had me when the descriptions of bull elephants in musth and cows entering their "delerium" had me rooting for consummation-these are animals for Pete's sake!

The story is a journey, to find water, to find shade, yes, but to find family, to reach safety, too.

I never really wondered what elephants or cheetahs or eagles thought before, but Gowdy has created a completely believable world where these animals are just like us. She has taught a lesson, that we need to be more aware of our actions, not just toward four-legged creatures, but also to the creatures-humans-that live across the street from us. This book exposes cruelty in all forms.

If you have read any of Barbara Gowdy's books, you know she is an original. When you are done The White Bone, read The Romantic, or We So Seldom Look on Love. Be forewarned. Much of her writing is not for the faint of heart (Helpless is about the stalking and abduction of a child) but she has a wicked talent for taking those uncomfortable moments we turn away from and waving them in our faces, stamping her foot, daring us to face the ugly parts of our society, of ourselves.

Catch and Release - a drive-by review

Here is a review I did of a novel written for 9-12 year olds. I had to be overly positive about the book, it is more of a blurb. So, addendum...I thought that men interested in 1960's hockey would read this book. The descriptions went on way too long for a kid to stay engaged. I have taught long enough to know that to go into detail about the 1960's is going to bore the average reader. Just my .02.

“The Adventures of Caraway Kim…Right Wing”

by Don Truckey

Published by Thistledown Press

Review by Kim McCullough

$10.95 ISBN 978-1-897235-43-0

Set in the dead of a 1960’s Alberta winter, “The Adventures of Caraway Kim…Right Wing” is the story of eleven-year-old Kim and his race to become Top Scorer of the Caraway hockey team. To win, he has to beat Brad Rooks, the local troublemaker. The boys’ rivalry continues off-ice, forcing Kim to confront his own sense of right and wrong, as well as stand up for himself against Brad’s overbearing ways. In Kim, Truckey has created a likeable young hero who makes realistic choices.

Truckey’s clear rendering of a time he calls “before now” makes life in the 1960’s come alive. Young hockey fans interested in the old days of the Original Six will be thrilled with the detailed descriptions of the difficulties players faced back in those days: the rough ice; the biting cold; and the thin, not-so-protective equipment that left heads, knees and throats vulnerable to injury. The play-by-play action of the hockey games will keep young readers engaged and interested.

“The Adventures of Caraway Kim…Right Wing” is more than just a sentimental journey back to “the good old days” before indoor rinks and Zambonis. Truckey weaves the weightier issues of bullying and shoplifting into the story, challenges that are still relevant to today’s youth. He does not whitewash Kim’s struggles with Brad, but allows him to work through and resolve them in a way that is both satisfying and believable.

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR VISIT WWW.SKBOOKS.COM

Catch of the Day

The Peep Diariesr

by Hal Niedzevicki

I have always had a little crush on Hal, founder of Broken Pencil. I like the way he takes risks when choosing fiction. I always laugh out loud at the stories posted on the website, and wish I could be that fresh and original.

So when I heard Oprah say that The Peep Diaries made it on to her Top 25 Must-read Books of the Year I knew I had to support the independent Canadian writer...and the subject matter sounded interesting and au courant.

The Peep Diaries is compelling. Like the proverbial accident scene, you cannot look away from this trip down the rabbit hole. People want to be watched. We are always performing, and as Hal points out, some people can take it to the extreme. The part that is cringe-inducing is how similar the everyday's mom's motivation is to the everyday-mom-who-likes-her-daily-spanking's motivation.

The intrepid Hal decides to enter this Peep culture via various networking sites (facebook, Twitter), he starts a blog, and he chases down reality-show alumni to get their take on why we are so fascinated by the car crash that plays out in front of our eyes.

It is uncomfortable in a way , because we are all rightfully painted with the same brush-some just lightly shaded, others with the gloppiness slopped on. It is interesting though, how those who are glopped, can see that they are, but don't care.

It is an extension of EGAM-everyone gets a medal. Or, as your mom told you, you can do whatever you set your mind to... The Peep Diaries explores the concept of oversharing, because we think people actually give a shit. When really, they are just waiting for us to release a titillating tidbit, to fall flat on our faces.

Throughout the book, you get the feeling that Hal is lamenting this whole culture...but go to his blog, he is still "researching"...

Hal will be at Wordfest in Calgary and Banff the week of October 13th. www.wordfest.com

Catch and Release - a drive-by review

Salamander by Thomas Wharton

I am only 90 pages in, but so far, Salamander promises to be one of the most original books I've read. It is a bit philosophical (Like a Lite Sophie's World) but the satisfying in its use of riddles and inside jokes in a way that I have not seen since Stephen King's Dark Tower Series.

It is original, and engaging, maybe not so much (so far) as the incredible The Gargoyle, but it is enough that I want to recommend it to all you "fishers of books"out there. Interesting characters, yes, but even more fantastic is the reference to The Battle of the Plains of Abraham. We all want to see a bit of ourselves in what we read, and that is one story that has not been used as the basis for any novel I have read.

Give it a try...see if you like it.

Catch of the Day

Advice for Italian Boys - Anne Giardini

It is so easy to get lost in a story that is, above all, authentic. Advice for Italian Boys by Vancouver's Anne Giardini glows with authenticity - her characters ring true, even to someone without a drop of Italian blood in her body. The characters are the story: Nicolo, a young man battling through the travails of self-discovery; his nonna, who, even while trying to figure out her own place in this family, this country, this story, dispenses the proverbi that are the signposts on Nicolo's journey to becoming his own man. Every character in Nicolo's story, whether minor or major, is exquisitely and completely drawn.

Giardini is able to take the minutiae of the daily life of an Italian man, and make it relevant to the reader. His clients at the gym are so cleverly rendered that the reader knows exactly what type of people they are - we all know someone like the divorcee, Monica, who hires Nicolo to help her get back into shape so she can attend her ex-husband's second wedding. We may also have come in contact with someone like Patrick- frenetic, driven and hyperkinetic.

We even recognize the woman who is in line in front of Nicolo's brother Enzo at the bakery. How many times have we stood in that line, waiting to do something for that unappreciative someone and think to ourselves, "My life is passing me by? This is not what I want for me."

Nicolo is an introspective hero. He looks to others when he needs advice. When his clients ask for advice, he often passes on the aphorisms of his nonna, unwilling to offer any personal thoughts. When his friend announces he is getting married, there is a moment where Nicolo wishes he could ask if his friend thinks it is right, but he stays silent. It is a poignant moment, one where Nicolo wonders if perhaps punching his friend on the shoulder as a gesture of solidarity would be appropriate, but in the end, he does nothing but walk away.

Throughout the book, we see Nicolo gaining strength, though. Every so often, he breaks out a bit of advice and a few opinions. He meets Zoe, who steadfastly refuses to offer her opinion on anything, saying that choices are personal. Nicolo admires her for not judging others, and she corrects him, saying that she is undoubtedly judgmental, she just doesn't say anything.

In a way this is a book about a young man from an insular family that has always done the same things, the same way. Tradition is important. As Nicolo, and his brother Enzo, come more in contact with those around them, they see that their are opportunities for them that are so much more far-reaching than what has gone before.

P.S.The sub-story of Nonna and Paola, Nicolo's mother, is brilliant as well. It is not only the men who are shucking off the old world and changing. This subplot alone is worth the price of the book.