Princess Academy Series

Last week, I posted a picture of The Forgotten Sisters, the final book in the Princess Academy series on Facebook which spurred some discussion about why I love these books.  Now that I've finished the third book, I would like to elaborate on why I love this series.  I will do my best to avoid spoilers.

For books with princess in the title, they aren't that princess-y.  Seriously, The Hunger Games has more of an emphasis on fashion than these books.  Miri, the main character, is a frail girl who sleeps with the goats in her small home on Mount Eskel, an impoverished village.  She and the other girls in the village are forced from their home to train for the possibility of becoming a princess.  What they are really given is the chance to educate themselves and improve the lives of their families.

Strong female characters.  These books are full of young women, who seize the opportunities they are given, make their lives happen, and don't wait around to be acted upon.

Linder - The mystical qualities of this light fantasy come from the stone Miri's village quarries.  By the second book, I had such an affection for linder.  Weird, right!  It's almost like the stone is character in the story.  I absolutely love it.  

The writing style is stunning.  Many successful books have compelling story lines and I get sucked in.  But when I finish, I think to myself, "Wow, that was some clunky writing!"  Not so with these books.  Shannon Hale took great care to craft each sentence and each word.  It feels like I'm in a bubble bath of beautiful language.

They are cliffhanger free.  I'm growing weary of series with no resolution at the end of each installment.  Authors use the last sentences of the book to leave you hanging.  I hate that!  Each book in this series could stand alone and has a separate setting and plot.  It's a personal preference, but I like it. 

It may or may not strengthen my argument, but I don't love all of Shannon Hale's books.  Some are fun one time reads, others I couldn't get into, and some I'm not interested in at all.  This is how I am with most authors.  This series does the job of entertaining, enriching, and making you feel great at the end.

Here are links to descriptions of each book.

Princess Academy - the first in the series and my favorite.

Palace of Stone - This is probably my least favorite in the series, but it is still very good.

The Forgotten Sisters -  This book was a wonderful surprise.  

Literary Tourism - Washington

I don't know a single person from Washington who doesn't like it.  Sure the weather's gloomy, but it seems that everyone can see past that.  I have only passed through the Seattle airport and I don't count airports as visiting states.

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

I have spent a lot of time debating on whether or not to count this for this project because ... well ... it's Twilight.  I'm not sure a vampire romance should count for anything.  But setting matters for three reasons:

1. Meyer's mythology of vampires is that they can awake in daylight, but need clouds to cover their sparkling exterior.  Thus, Washington.  She could have chosen Britain or the Netherlands, but I think she is more familiar with this state. 
2. After checking a map, I discovered that Forks is close to Native American Reservations.
3. It provides a stark contrast from Bella's previous Arizona home.

So, I'm counting it.  I reviewed this book on my blog awhile back.  Feel free to learn my true feelings on it.

Literary Tourism - Massachusetts and California

Today, I'm finishing off books set in states I have lived in.  I've already covered Maine and Utah; now I'm revisiting California and Massachusetts.  The books are also connected because they create a great sense of place for me.  Using the names of specific streets and parts of the city, the authors really bring me back to the places I have been.  It's been awhile since I've read either of these books, but they have stayed with me in a profound way.

Massachusetts

Still Alice by Lisa Genova - Alice is a Harvard professor who is at the top of the research in her field when she begins noticing that she can't remember things the way she used to.  One day she is going for a run down the streets of Cambridge, Massachusetts and she can't remember where she is.  Her family is devasted to learn that Alice has early onset Alzheimer's disease and the experimental treatments she undergoes fail to slow the progression of the debilitating disease.  This book tells the story of Alice and her family as they learn to endure and adjust to a woman who is completely changed. 

Setting this book at Harvard and in one of the most intellectually elite parts of the country was no accident.  It makes the changes in Alice's brain seem even more dramatic.  I enjoyed visualizing her runs, visits to the coffee shops, and Harvard Yard. 

This book opened my eyes to challenges and diseases I barely understand and I liked it for that reason.  But it is profoundly depressing and it took me days to recover from it. I would recommend it highly, but you have to be ready for it.

California

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender  - When Rose is nine she discovers she has a gift when she tastes her mother's lemon cake.  She can feel her mother's sadness.  Upon closer inspection she discovers that she can even taste where a processed meal has been produced.  This tells the story of how Rose learns to live with this curse.

This story takes place in Los Angeles and Bender is very detailed in her descriptions of street names and locations.  The story probably could have taken place anywhere, but I read it while living in Los Angeles which made it more memorable.

This book was weird, but I like weird.  It was a little depressing, but not like Still Alice.
 

"I'm not depressing; I'm cute"

Almost Accomplished

Within two weeks, I will have accomplished a New Year's resolution of sorts.  I will have completed 100 books this year.  I'm not sure whether to be proud or depressed about this accomplishment.  Seriously, who has that much time?  I've read some incredible books this year - some short, some long.  I've also read some duds, but that is to be expected.

Here are five of the books which I loved.  I loved more than five and if you want a complete list become my friend on Goodreads.

Ida B ... and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and Possibly Save the World, by Katherine Hannigan

Ida B. loves her life on the farm with her parents.  She is friends with the rocks and the trees and the mountains.  Her parents teach her school at home and that is how she likes it, but when her mom gets sick her whole life changes and she decides to have a hard heart.  If you like quirky characters and stories with a strong moral, this is the book for you.

How They Croaked: the Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous, by Georgia Bragg

Was this book gross?  Yes.  Was it awesome?  Yes.  This includes the fascinating and gory deaths of historic figures like Cleopatra and James A. Garfield.  It's factual, a little sarcastic, and a lot of fun.

Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand

This is probably one of the most talked about books in the past couple of years, and it deserves all the praise it receives.  It tells the story of an Olympian who survives a plane wreck and Japanese POW camps.  When he returns home he is able to put his life back together.  Every part of this lengthy book is exciting and inspiring.

Walk Two Moons, by Sharon Creek

 Because of my interest in children's literary history, I set a goal to read every Newbery Medal winning book.  I avoided this book because I didn't like the cover.  But seriously, the old cliche is true.  Read it.   It's wonderful.

 Wonder, by R.J Palacio

 This is another book worth the hype.  A kid with severe deformities decides to enter school starting the fifth grade.  Here he endures bullying, the challenges of finding friends, and other associated difficulties, but finds himself.  Okay, so I hate middle school angsty stories with classic bullies, but this one really was excellent.

And now for the books I don't recommend ...

Olive's Ocean, by Kevin Henkes

If you are actually reading my summaries, you will notice that I don't like  angsty, middle-school novels with bullies etc.  Yeah, this was one of those.

Fairies and the Quest for Neverland, by Gail Carson Levine

I love Gail Carson Levine, but I did not love this book.  I wish I had seen that Disney logo before wasting my time.

Small Persons with Wings, by Ellen Booraem

Maybe I should just avoid books involving fairies.  If you like fairies, you might enjoy this one.  

The Night Circus, by Ellen Morgenstern

In my opinion, this is the most overrated book of 2011.

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, by Jean Lee Latham

Not all Newbery winners are winners.  This piece of historical fiction spent two much time explaining little bits of history and word origins and not enough time telling a story.     

Tomorrow's Wizard, by Patricia MacLachlan

MacLachlan, Patricia (1996). Tomorrow's Wizard. San Diego: Magic Carpet Books, 66 pages.

I am a huge fan of this author, and when I saw this book on my roommate's bookshelf, I decided I must read it. I didn't know MacLachlin had tried her hand at fantasy. Tomorrow's Wizard, his apprentice, Murdoch, and their talking horse set out to respond to villagers' wishes. Tomorrow only wants to deal with the big problems, but Murdoch is willing to take a more human approach. They help cure grouchiness, perfectionism, and loneliness in chapter long episodes, and come to realize that they may want more than they have.

This book is great. It's entertaining and humorous, but at times cliche. The chapters each tell a story within the entire story which make it great for an independent reader. It's simply and swiftly told. It is a lot less magical than I expected it to be. I would say practical, which is probably why I liked it.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Meyer, Stephenie. (2005) Twilight. New York: Little Brown & Company 498 pages.

Bella, a clumsy and somewhat jaded teen, has just moved back to Forks, Washington to live with her dad. At school she is mystified by Edward who seems different from the rest and saves her life on multiple occasions. Edward is a vampire and before Bella knows it she's in love with him and the adventure begins.

So most people know that I struggled with this book. But it is my goal to write a fair and rational review. Thus, I'm going to start with what was good about it. Edward was attractive and at times downright sexy. I personally prefer men with a heart beat, but Meyer made him heroic in the most traditional sense. This made him easy to fall for. Second, although I had to wait almost 400 pages for it, I must say the climax was creative and exciting. That's all I'm going to say in case there are blog readers out there who haven't read the book yet.

Now for the critique. The writing left a little to be desired. In my opinion adverbs are the root of all evil and given Meyer's heavy use of them, she disagrees. The word "incredulous" was used multiple times in various contexts. It drove me nuts. To steal from The Princess Bride, "I do not think that means what she thinks it means." Second, probably over 100 pages of this book were spent with Edward explaining to Bella how dangerous he is. I kept thinking, "I know, I know - get over it! Less talking more action, Please!" Third, was the lack of a strong female character. I'm not used to reading books where the girl is constantly unable to take care of herself. I found this difficult to handle. Edward always had to be there to save her.

For the record, I did get sucked in. I think the only option is for Bella to become a vampire herself, and I'm proud of Stephenie Meyer for being so successful.

Prince Caspian, by C.S. Lewis

Lewis, C.S. (1951). Prince Caspian. New York: Harper Trophy, 223 pages.

Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy are standing on a train platform headed for boarding school when they are mysteriously transported back to Narnia, but not the Narnia any of them remember. Cair Paravel is now a ruin, and it seems that evil men have over run the kingdom driving away the "Old Narnians." But Prince Caspian, heir to the throne and friend of the Old Narnians has stepped in to restore the country, but needs the help of the ancient kings and queens and Aslan himself.

I enjoyed this book almost as much as I enjoyed The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It had a faster pace, more excitement, and stronger symbolism than The Horse and His Boy. I thoroughly enjoyed the parallels to faith portrayed by following the lion. And from an LDS perspective, I found strong links to apostasy and restoration. After the kings and queens left, another government prevailed and the stories of Aslan became legend and almost forgotten. A young worthy prince helps restore order but can only do it with the help of Aslan and the children.

As a children's story, I think it works well, although some parts such as the lengthy letter that Peter writes and Aslan's journey to collect trusting humans became a little dull and might drag on for a child,

Elsewhere, by Gabrielle Zevin

Zevin, Gabrielle (2005). Elsewhere, New York: Square Fish. 288 pages.

Summary and Evaluation: When Liz wakes up one morning sailing in the S.S. Nile, she assumes that she is still dreaming. In reality, she is dead and sailing to the afterlife, an island called Elsewhere, where she will live and work much like on Earth; only Liz will age backwards. At first, Liz struggles to cope with the reality that she is dead and separated from her family and friends, but with help from her grandmother and a few friends, particularly a young man named Owen, Liz comes to understand the importance of both of her lives. This fantasy reads very close to realistic fiction. Life in Elsewhere is very similar to life on Earth. People go to work everyday, shop at the mall, and have romantic relationships. The only difference is that animals and humans speak with one another and eventually everyone will become young again. Except for an out-of-place incident with some mermaids, there were no mythical creatures or great expeditions. For this reason, I enjoyed this fantasy novel. It puts an unusual and comical spin on the afterlife and reincarnation. How many people could imagine their grandmother hooking up with a rock star in the afterlife?

I could have used a little more description in some places. When Owen cooks for Liz there is an allusion that the food is mediocre, but no description of the food itself. When Owen saves the day all Liz says is "I'm pissed at you!" There is no resolution to the argument and there's no telling what actually solved the problem. At these points the scenarios end abruptly. Liz swims to the bottom of the ocean to make contact with her family, but the lack of description make it impossible to know what "The well" looks like. It is almost as if the author didn't know herself. Despite the lack of descriptions, the premise was fresh and at times the book was very emotional and funny.

Booktalk Hook: One of the biggest questions in life is "What happens after I die?" This book presents a perspective answer to that question. My booktalk would start with, "If you died tomorrow what do you think would happen?" Then I would tell how Liz died and the new life she has to face.