My dear readers, I love each and every one of you. Please conceder giving to this great organization on Memorial Day.
(Image brought to you by: Meadow♥Girl)
Monday, May 30, 2011
A Clash of Kings: A Song of Ice and Fire, Book Two
A Clash of Kings: A Song of Ice and Fire, Book Two
***Warning*** if any of my dear readers are watching the HBO drama Game of Thrones, and have NOT read any of the books don't read this post. It will contain spoilers.
Epic fantasy is a lot like getting married, it's a long term commitment. George R. R. Martin's epic is going to clock in somewhere around 7,000 pages (give or take). That's a lot of reading. So, dear readers, this begs the question, is it worth it? Is getting involved in an epic that's not even completed worth my while? The answer is, maybe. The first two books are page turners. I was able to get though each in under two weeks (baring the horrible head cold I'm dealing with right now), so they read quickly. The characters are well developed, entertaining, and surprising. For the first two books, most of the magic happens off stage, so it's not overwhelming to readers who shy away from that.
However, occasionally a character like Sansa Stark shows up, and every time her chapters come up I audibly groan. She's a gigantic pain in the ass. She seemingly cries at the drop of a hat, thinks knights are the BEST THING EVER!1!!, and wants to marry a gigantic asshole until she realizes the gigantic asshole really is a complete and total waste of space. Sansa is like the friend I have that laughs at the jokes ten minutes later because she's a bit slow.
With all that being said, it's rare that an epic of this scope comes along. Understand, that when the commitment is made it's something that can go on for years. Martin does his readers a great service by dividing his chapters into the POV of different characters. It's easy to get though a chapter or two a night. It's also easy to accidentally spend an entire Saturday reading the books. For those who may shy away from fantasy in general, this series is a good place to start.
This book closes out the month of May. Ya'll remember that June is Graphic Novel month, right? My first read of the month will be Bone by Jeff Smith. Can't wait to blog about this. It's one of my favorite comics of all time.
(Image brought to you by: Arch Daily)
***Warning*** if any of my dear readers are watching the HBO drama Game of Thrones, and have NOT read any of the books don't read this post. It will contain spoilers.
Epic fantasy is a lot like getting married, it's a long term commitment. George R. R. Martin's epic is going to clock in somewhere around 7,000 pages (give or take). That's a lot of reading. So, dear readers, this begs the question, is it worth it? Is getting involved in an epic that's not even completed worth my while? The answer is, maybe. The first two books are page turners. I was able to get though each in under two weeks (baring the horrible head cold I'm dealing with right now), so they read quickly. The characters are well developed, entertaining, and surprising. For the first two books, most of the magic happens off stage, so it's not overwhelming to readers who shy away from that.
However, occasionally a character like Sansa Stark shows up, and every time her chapters come up I audibly groan. She's a gigantic pain in the ass. She seemingly cries at the drop of a hat, thinks knights are the BEST THING EVER!1!!, and wants to marry a gigantic asshole until she realizes the gigantic asshole really is a complete and total waste of space. Sansa is like the friend I have that laughs at the jokes ten minutes later because she's a bit slow.
With all that being said, it's rare that an epic of this scope comes along. Understand, that when the commitment is made it's something that can go on for years. Martin does his readers a great service by dividing his chapters into the POV of different characters. It's easy to get though a chapter or two a night. It's also easy to accidentally spend an entire Saturday reading the books. For those who may shy away from fantasy in general, this series is a good place to start.
This book closes out the month of May. Ya'll remember that June is Graphic Novel month, right? My first read of the month will be Bone by Jeff Smith. Can't wait to blog about this. It's one of my favorite comics of all time.
(Image brought to you by: Arch Daily)
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Link Round Up from 05/14/2011 to 05/22/2012
Mark O'Connell talks about long novels in: The Stockholm Syndrome Theory of Long Novels
Happy birthday New York Public Library! NY Public Library turns 100, not just with books
This week, I discovered a wonderful blog about Young Adult Literature. May I introduce you to The YA YA YAs.
Don't write an article like this: Best Films From Books and forget The Shawshank Redemption.
An NPR contributer, Brooke Gladstone, wrote a graphic novel called The Influencing Machine: Brooke Gladstone on the Media. I may have to pick it up. On the Media is one of the few NPR shows I can't miss.
Where Dale Peck gives the publishing industry a eulogy and a baptism at the same time: Dale Peck Criticizes Publishing Industry: Says Writers Must Stand Up.
Thee Guys One Book talk about the big finds at BEA (Book Expo America): BEA, Hopes, Dreams, and the Future.
NPR gives some suggestions on dark twisted books: Three Dark Tales That Serve Up Twisted Delights
Charles Simic talks about what America would look like without libraries: A Country Without Libraries.
Also, someone has created a Sweet Valley High drinking game. I believe it's very important that I try this.
(Image brought to you by: bellisario)
Happy birthday New York Public Library! NY Public Library turns 100, not just with books
This week, I discovered a wonderful blog about Young Adult Literature. May I introduce you to The YA YA YAs.
Don't write an article like this: Best Films From Books and forget The Shawshank Redemption.
An NPR contributer, Brooke Gladstone, wrote a graphic novel called The Influencing Machine: Brooke Gladstone on the Media. I may have to pick it up. On the Media is one of the few NPR shows I can't miss.
Where Dale Peck gives the publishing industry a eulogy and a baptism at the same time: Dale Peck Criticizes Publishing Industry: Says Writers Must Stand Up.
Thee Guys One Book talk about the big finds at BEA (Book Expo America): BEA, Hopes, Dreams, and the Future.
NPR gives some suggestions on dark twisted books: Three Dark Tales That Serve Up Twisted Delights
Charles Simic talks about what America would look like without libraries: A Country Without Libraries.
Also, someone has created a Sweet Valley High drinking game. I believe it's very important that I try this.
(Image brought to you by: bellisario)
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Some personal news....
A few weeks ago, I finally had a moment of clarity. My career isn't going anywhere. Sure, I make decent money, I enjoy my coworkers, and my job has been amazingly flexible with my life. It's just not me. I'm not satisfied with what I'm doing, and I'm able to go into my office and preform my work on auto-pilot. Upon reflection, I've decided to go back to school. On December 20th I take the GRE. I've decided to apply to The School of Information at the University of Texas at Austin. I want to be a librarian. This has been a private dream of mine since I've been ten. I've never been able to say it out loud until a few years ago. Now, I'm willing to work hard and make it happen. Will I go into debt? Most likely. Will I work harder than I've worked in my life? Oh yes. It's time for me to change where I'm going and what I'm doing.
Now, I'm not one for platitudes. They don't do much for me, but an old friend of mine posted this picture on her blog. It was to help her train for a 5k.
(Image brought to you by: Random Thoughts of a Mom of Three)
I kind of get it now.
Now, I'm not one for platitudes. They don't do much for me, but an old friend of mine posted this picture on her blog. It was to help her train for a 5k.
I kind of get it now.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Link Round Up from 05/14/2011 to 05/21/2011
Walter Jon Williams is asking his fans to pirate his out of print works. Apparently, he found a few on a torrent and wasn't impressed with their quality. The article is called: Crowdsource, Please.
The Daily Beast talks about the future of book reviews in: The Future of Book Reviews: Critics vs. Amazon Reviewers.
So, E-Text books don't work the same way as paper text books. It's all in the cognitive mapping, apparently. I'm not a fan of the title of this article, because I think e-text books work really well for some people, but the research behind it is really wonderful. It's called: E-textbooks flunk an early test.
The Public Library Manifesto: Why libraries matter, and how we can save them. That title sort of speaks for itself.
The New York Times did a wonderful write up of First Book. This is an organization that brings books to low income families in the US. Donate if you can. The article is called: A Book in Every Home, and Then Some.
I've discovered a few articles in recent weeks with authors embracing the pirating of their work. I think, unlike some musicians, they've discovered that pirating can lead to more sales. The most recent example is called: 'Go the Fuck to Sleep': The Case of the Viral PDF. (The article decided to edit the word fuck. I didn't. We are all adults. An F-bomb won't hurt us, will it?)
Amazon is selling more e-books than paper books on their website. The press release is called: Amazon.com Now Selling More Kindle Books Than Print Books.
And in fantastic news, Detroit library heads off closures.
Finally, Steven Tyler or Sinclair Lewis?
(Image brought to you by: Sofía Retta)
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe
The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe
I've always wanted to be an astronaut. It goes back to my evenings alone when I was growing up watching reruns of Carl Sagan's Cosmos: A Personal Voyage on PBS. I've wanted to be weightless and view the void of space from the window of a NASA shuttle. Wolfe's book gives a brief glimpse into what it took to be one of the first astronauts. His manic writing style is so breathless and so absorbing that it's almost impossible not to get sucked in. He seems so excited about the subject that the book zips along at an astonishing pace. I was introduced to men like John Glenn when he was simply a fighter pilot. The book, seemingly having a mind of it's own, then took me though the ziggurat of what it took to be one of the first men in space. It wasn't easy, and it wasn't pretty.
Adding to Wolfe's book, a great companion to it is Packing for Mars by Mary Roach. Wolfe's book took me though the early days of NASA, Roach's took me though how astronauts are today. As breathless as Wolfe's book is Roach takes a more measured approach. She disarmed me with humor and scientific fact, wherein Wolfe would overwhelm me with pure joy. Both books could be read back to back for an overall picture of the space program.
My next book is A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin. I read A Game of Thrones a few months ago, and enjoyed it, but, and this is a BIG but, reading a fantasy series like this one is a lot like getting married. You'd better like it, or you are stuck with it for a LONG time. I've also had problems with authors dying before the series is finished. (Yes, Robert Jordan, I'm looking at YOU.) I approach this series with caution, I may end up abandoning it just so I don't get hurt in the end.
Adding to Wolfe's book, a great companion to it is Packing for Mars by Mary Roach. Wolfe's book took me though the early days of NASA, Roach's took me though how astronauts are today. As breathless as Wolfe's book is Roach takes a more measured approach. She disarmed me with humor and scientific fact, wherein Wolfe would overwhelm me with pure joy. Both books could be read back to back for an overall picture of the space program.
My next book is A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin. I read A Game of Thrones a few months ago, and enjoyed it, but, and this is a BIG but, reading a fantasy series like this one is a lot like getting married. You'd better like it, or you are stuck with it for a LONG time. I've also had problems with authors dying before the series is finished. (Yes, Robert Jordan, I'm looking at YOU.) I approach this series with caution, I may end up abandoning it just so I don't get hurt in the end.
(Image brought to you by: rostbiff)
Books - That is exactly how they work
The fine folks at Demotivation won't let me cut and paste their image, but here's a link. I'm DESPERATE for this as a poster.
Books - That is exactly how they work
Books - That is exactly how they work
Saturday, May 14, 2011
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay 2.0
Blogger ate the original write up of this book, so it looks like I have to do it again. Thank goodness, when I reread it I realized it wasn't very good.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
In 2001 this book won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. I work under the notion that not every book that wins an award is worth reading. (Remember my write up of Jellicoe Road? That book won a Printz Award in 2009. It's tripe.) However, the heaps of praise that surrounds this book is justified. Michael Chabon's mastery of the English language is astonishing. The book feels less like a long form novel and more like avant-garde poetry. Here's an example:
I've been reading long enough to understand that writing well and crafting a story are two totally different skills. Chabon is gifted with both. The plot of Kavalier and Clay is epic in scope, lovely in details, heart breaking, and life affirming all at the same time. It's also centralized around comic books. What's not to love?
I'm going to encourage my readers to pick up this novel for summer reading. It clocks in right around 600 pages. I realize that not everyone can complete a novel of that length in a week it's read time is faster than most.
My next book is The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe. I'm a quarter though it, and I think a great companion book to it would be Packing for Mars.
(Image brought to you by: Book Maina)
*The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, copyright © 2000 by Michael Chabon (Picador, a division of St. Martin’s Press, New York, 2000, p 47)
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
In 2001 this book won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. I work under the notion that not every book that wins an award is worth reading. (Remember my write up of Jellicoe Road? That book won a Printz Award in 2009. It's tripe.) However, the heaps of praise that surrounds this book is justified. Michael Chabon's mastery of the English language is astonishing. The book feels less like a long form novel and more like avant-garde poetry. Here's an example:
She had just come home from her last night on a two-week graveyard rotation at Bellevue, where she worked as a psychiatric nurse. The stale breath of the hospital was on her, but the open throat of her uniform gave off a faint whiff of the lavender water in which she bathed her tiny frame. The natural fragrance of her body was a spicy, angry smell like that of fresh pencil shavings.*
I've been reading long enough to understand that writing well and crafting a story are two totally different skills. Chabon is gifted with both. The plot of Kavalier and Clay is epic in scope, lovely in details, heart breaking, and life affirming all at the same time. It's also centralized around comic books. What's not to love?
I'm going to encourage my readers to pick up this novel for summer reading. It clocks in right around 600 pages. I realize that not everyone can complete a novel of that length in a week it's read time is faster than most.
My next book is The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe. I'm a quarter though it, and I think a great companion book to it would be Packing for Mars.
*The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, copyright © 2000 by Michael Chabon (Picador, a division of St. Martin’s Press, New York, 2000, p 47)
Link round up from 05/07/2011 to 05/14/2011
23 Band Names Inspired by Literature
I found this book about the longest baseball game in history: Bottom of the 33rd
Amazon is going to get into lending e-books. This is a big deal: Amazon teams up with Overdrive for Kindle library lending
Speaking of libraries: Ann Arbor Library Signs Digital Music Deal
NPR discusses pulp fiction (the genera not the movie): Rich Tales In Cheap Print: Three Pulp Fiction Finds
Another NPR story on digital books. This one includes a reference to a new version of From Here to Eternity. The company that's discussed is called Open Road Media. The story is: Publishers Navigate The 'Open Road' Of E-Books.
#TeamBlackness sat down with Professor Blair Kelley to discuss Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention. Here's the podcast.
The Christian Science Monitor did a write up about a new website that helps figure out what to read: 'What should I read?' A new site called Bookish hopes to tell you.
Said website, if you'd like to sign up, is called: Bookish. It hasn't launched yet, but I have high hopes for it.
Every month Amazon does a top book list. Here is the one for May: 8 best books of May: Amazon editors choose.
I fell in love with a new blog this week. It's irreverent humor made me laugh out loud. It's called: Better Book Titles.
Here is a beautiful water color comic about the San Francisco Library. Click this link. The art will leave one breathless: Meanwhile, The San Francisco Public Library. <~~~ CLICK THIS LINK.
(Image brought to you by: Asen Todorov)
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
June Reading List
I've finalized June's reading list.
Mice Templar (the whole series)
Tonoharu (parts 1 & 2)
Hope you are happy about the list. I know I'm going to have fun blogging about it.
(Image brought to you by: PN6700-PN6790: A Comic Book Collection)
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Weekly Link Round Up (04/30/2011 to 05/07/2011)
The New York Times has a great article on How Writers Build the Brand. Check out how Hemingway did it. There's a follow up piece in Slate.
The Orwell Prize 2011 Shortlist was announced.
Here's a list of the 2011 Hugo Award Nominees.*
Another fantastic article on libraries and why they are so damn necessary: The secret life of libraries.
Wouldn't you just love to go read a book at The Postcard Inn?
Gweek is a new podcast via Boing Boing. It's going to run though video games, graphic novels, and new science fiction books. I've subscribed, will you?
NPR challenges us to read more Westerns: Saddle Up For A Wild Western Ride, L'Amour Style
Vintage Classics has Five classic science fiction books with new 3-D covers. I'm buying some.
Society 6 has a wonderful t-shirt/poster based on The Hobbit called There and Back Again. I bought the poster and it will be proudly displayed in my apartment.
Also, it's Free Comic Book Day, so go get one.
* I've decided that in July I'm going to read all of the 2011 Hugo Award Nominees. Wish me luck.
The Orwell Prize 2011 Shortlist was announced.
Here's a list of the 2011 Hugo Award Nominees.*
Another fantastic article on libraries and why they are so damn necessary: The secret life of libraries.
Wouldn't you just love to go read a book at The Postcard Inn?
Gweek is a new podcast via Boing Boing. It's going to run though video games, graphic novels, and new science fiction books. I've subscribed, will you?
NPR challenges us to read more Westerns: Saddle Up For A Wild Western Ride, L'Amour Style
Vintage Classics has Five classic science fiction books with new 3-D covers. I'm buying some.
Society 6 has a wonderful t-shirt/poster based on The Hobbit called There and Back Again. I bought the poster and it will be proudly displayed in my apartment.
Also, it's Free Comic Book Day, so go get one.
(Image brought to you by: Book Oasis)
* I've decided that in July I'm going to read all of the 2011 Hugo Award Nominees. Wish me luck.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Shadow Walkers by Brent Hartinger
On many levels, Shadow Walkers by Brent Hartinger shouldn't have worked. The book is a teen thriller about a boy who hunts down his brother's kidnapper via astral projection. The very basis of the plot is eye rolling to me. If it wasn't for this NPR review, I would have completely ignored it. However, this book is a lot better than I expected, Hartinger crafts a great and believable story. I'm half tempted to buy a hardbound edition of this and mail it to my Nephew. I have a feeling he'd read it and pass it along to all of his friends.
However, and this is my biggest fear, this book may end up languishing in the Queer studies section of most bookstores because the two main characters are gay. It could suffer the same fate as Oranges are Not the Only Fruit, wherein it's a great book that should have a wide audience. However, because of it's perceived gayness it gets shoved in a section where the people who should be reading it don't think to look. This, at least to me, is extraordinarily frustrating. I'd like to see Hartinger get a huge display at Barns and Noble. After this book, he deserves it.
Next up is The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. I'm ashamed to admit I started this book a few years ago and stopped reading it because the new Harry Potter book came out. I assure you, dear readers, this will not happen.
(Image brought to you by: At The Moment, who's a talented photographer. Check out his or her Tumblr)
However, and this is my biggest fear, this book may end up languishing in the Queer studies section of most bookstores because the two main characters are gay. It could suffer the same fate as Oranges are Not the Only Fruit, wherein it's a great book that should have a wide audience. However, because of it's perceived gayness it gets shoved in a section where the people who should be reading it don't think to look. This, at least to me, is extraordinarily frustrating. I'd like to see Hartinger get a huge display at Barns and Noble. After this book, he deserves it.
Next up is The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. I'm ashamed to admit I started this book a few years ago and stopped reading it because the new Harry Potter book came out. I assure you, dear readers, this will not happen.
(Image brought to you by: At The Moment, who's a talented photographer. Check out his or her Tumblr)
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
How to buy a comic book
When I made my June announcement I got a lot of positive feedback via facebook and Twitter. However, I also had a few Tweets and direct messages saying that comics and comic buying was intimidating. This is understandable. Most people I've met think that comic shops are run by people like this:
(Image brought to you by: Matt Groening)
They aren't. In fact, if you are ever forced to put up with how that Simpsons character treats people, leave the shop and give it a scathing review on Yelp.
Another intimidation factor is the long term comic reader. You know, the person at work with who's got the Green Lantern tattoo. He's got his comics in plastic sleeves, and he's able to point out insane flaws in the story lines. This guy shouldn't really be a problem. The vast majority of comic shops I've been in, and worked with, have pull lists. This guy swings in the comic shop, waves hi to the guy behind the counter, the clerk hands him a stack of stuff, and he walks out $40 poorer. This entire transaction should take 10 minutes. 30 if he's chatty. He won't leave the front counter, and I rarely run into him in the back of the store when I'm trolling the manga section looking for new titles unless he's going to the bathroom.
Next up, comic shops tend to have a organization system that can be confusing. The majority of shops I've been in have long cardboard boxes marked with plastic dividers. Said boxes contain large swaths of comics that vary in age. Don't panic. These boxes are set up for collectors. A lot of the back story lines are kept in these boxes, so if one is shopping for the first time he or she won't spend a whole lot of time in this area.
Speaking of collectors, if there are toys in the shop understand that the vast majority of them will never see the bottom of a toy box. They will be lovingly displayed in glass cases in the homes of collectors. Again, one is able to skip this area completely unless something catches the eye.
With all that being said, the biggest and most discussed fear is not knowing what to buy. This is where the clerk comes in. Yes, dear readers, one must ask for help. Describe to the clerk your literary background. Tell him what books you like to read and what TV shows you like to watch. Explain to him that you've never been in a comic shop before. In under an hour you will be holding a stack of books. Buying comics for the first time is a collaboration. Try to shop local for this. Sure, the local big box book store may have some graphic novels and comics, but finding the best work is in comic shops. The owners and clerks tend to have a passion for sharing their love of comics.*
So dear readers, I challenge you to go to your local comic shop and buy a comic book. You may just fall in love.
(Image brought to you by: Big Shiny Robot)
*If you live in my city the best shop I've found is Austin Books and Comics. The shop is well run, the clerks are amazing, and they've got a lot of variety.
They aren't. In fact, if you are ever forced to put up with how that Simpsons character treats people, leave the shop and give it a scathing review on Yelp.
Another intimidation factor is the long term comic reader. You know, the person at work with who's got the Green Lantern tattoo. He's got his comics in plastic sleeves, and he's able to point out insane flaws in the story lines. This guy shouldn't really be a problem. The vast majority of comic shops I've been in, and worked with, have pull lists. This guy swings in the comic shop, waves hi to the guy behind the counter, the clerk hands him a stack of stuff, and he walks out $40 poorer. This entire transaction should take 10 minutes. 30 if he's chatty. He won't leave the front counter, and I rarely run into him in the back of the store when I'm trolling the manga section looking for new titles unless he's going to the bathroom.
Next up, comic shops tend to have a organization system that can be confusing. The majority of shops I've been in have long cardboard boxes marked with plastic dividers. Said boxes contain large swaths of comics that vary in age. Don't panic. These boxes are set up for collectors. A lot of the back story lines are kept in these boxes, so if one is shopping for the first time he or she won't spend a whole lot of time in this area.
Speaking of collectors, if there are toys in the shop understand that the vast majority of them will never see the bottom of a toy box. They will be lovingly displayed in glass cases in the homes of collectors. Again, one is able to skip this area completely unless something catches the eye.
With all that being said, the biggest and most discussed fear is not knowing what to buy. This is where the clerk comes in. Yes, dear readers, one must ask for help. Describe to the clerk your literary background. Tell him what books you like to read and what TV shows you like to watch. Explain to him that you've never been in a comic shop before. In under an hour you will be holding a stack of books. Buying comics for the first time is a collaboration. Try to shop local for this. Sure, the local big box book store may have some graphic novels and comics, but finding the best work is in comic shops. The owners and clerks tend to have a passion for sharing their love of comics.*
So dear readers, I challenge you to go to your local comic shop and buy a comic book. You may just fall in love.
(Image brought to you by: Big Shiny Robot)
*If you live in my city the best shop I've found is Austin Books and Comics. The shop is well run, the clerks are amazing, and they've got a lot of variety.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
The Phantom Tollbooth. Revisiting an old friend.
Every now and then I like to revisit an old friend. Today, I reread The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. When I was in 5th grade I was having a hell of a go. I had glasses, a bad perm, my arms seemed to grow at an exponential rate (the rest of my body didn't), and I was facing a group of very mean girls that liked to make fun of me. A kind teacher decided to slip me this book, and it made me face the world feeling a little bit stronger. After rereading it, I realize why. Juster taps into something special and wonderful with Milo. Even though it was written 50 years ago, the book feels fresh and new. It could have been published yesterday.
When I was doing a bit of research for this blog post, I discovered that Tollbooth is considered advanced reading for children. In part, I understand that. The word play can be complex, but it doesn't really hinder the message. I think if your child can grasp Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events he or she can grasp this with ease. However, do yourself a massive favor, don't let your child read this alone. Do this for me. Read this one, a chapter a night every night, for the next 20 days. This book deserves to be a bedtime story. Besides, there are some adults that need to meet The Demon of Insincerity and learn how to best it.
What? You don't have kids? Well, who cares. Read it out loud anyway.
My next book is Shadow Walkers by Brent Hartinger. I'm on a short YA kick.
(Image by, Jules Feiffer. This is a map of the areas visited in The Phantom Tollbooth.)
When I was doing a bit of research for this blog post, I discovered that Tollbooth is considered advanced reading for children. In part, I understand that. The word play can be complex, but it doesn't really hinder the message. I think if your child can grasp Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events he or she can grasp this with ease. However, do yourself a massive favor, don't let your child read this alone. Do this for me. Read this one, a chapter a night every night, for the next 20 days. This book deserves to be a bedtime story. Besides, there are some adults that need to meet The Demon of Insincerity and learn how to best it.
What? You don't have kids? Well, who cares. Read it out loud anyway.
My next book is Shadow Walkers by Brent Hartinger. I'm on a short YA kick.
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