Twenties Girl

Lara Lington's great aunt-Sadie has just passed away at the young age of 105 years. However, no one seems to care. In fact the only people that show up to great aunt-Sadie's funeral are Lara, her mother and father and sister Tonya and her father's brother Bill, his wife, and spoiled daughter. What's even more pitiful is the room. There are no flowers, not pictures of Sadie, and horrible muzak is being pipped throughout the speakers.

Lara feels even more guilty when the vicar comes and asks for some information on Said so that she can put it in her speech - and not one family member can give any information. No one knew her or went to see her. As the vicar begins her speech, a shrill voice cries out asking where her necklace is. Lara looks around - where is this voice coming from? Again she hears it and suddenly she sees the person belonging to the voice. A young lady in a flapper dress. The young lady notices Lara looking at her and demands to know where her necklace is. Lara replies she doesn't know - and suddenly her family looks at her startled. Who is she talking to? Suddenly it dawns on Lara - she can only see this person. Is she going mad? The ghost, who now makes it known that she is Sadie Lancaster (Lara's dead great-aunt) demands that the necklace be found and the funeral stopped. She won't stop bugging Lara until she gets her wish. Lara stops the funeral by saying she believes great-aunt Sadie was murdered. Suddenly Lara finds herself agreeing to help her great-aunt's ghost hunt down a missing necklace. Is she on a wild goose chase?

I must admit that when I read the inside flap of the book I thought the story would turn about differently. Like she'd find the necklace and be transported back into the 1920's and that sort of thing. I'm glad I was wrong. The 1920's has always been on of my favorite eras (the clothes alone!) and I was glad that I was able to read a book that blended the culture of the '20s with that of the '09s (as in 2009). Sadie is such a spunky woman, and you have no problem imagining her in the '20s in a smoke filled club dancing the Charleston. At time Lara seemed a bit dim witted (especially when it came her to her ex-boyfriend) and I was glad Sadie was there to tell it to her like it was. It was such a cute book to read. I was greatly pleased by it - the little twist and turns in the plot kept me wondering (and it wasn't an agonizing wait for the answers either).

After reading this book I want to go out to a cute vintage clothes shop and purchase some flapper dresses of my own (I've always loved vintage clothing '40s in particular). And why not? Although I don't think I'll be cutting my hair into a short bob or marceling it any time soon.

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella. New York (c) 2009

Nightlight: A Parody

When I first came across this book I was excited, I was also in Barnes and Noble which might've added to my excitement. I quickly picked up this book and read the back and knew instantly I wanted to read this book. I was about to purchase it when I looked at the price: $13.95 for a 154 page book. Uh, no thanks. So I sadly put it back on the shelf and decided to put it on hold at my library.

Finally it arrived and with in the first sentence I was laughing hysterically: "The hot Phoenix sun glared down on the car windowsill where my bare, pallid arm dangled shamelessly" (page 3).

It opens very similar to the Twilight book, which this book obviously parodies. Since it obviously parodies Twilight there isn't a reason for me to state what happens in the book except that towards the end there is a twist that was not in Twilight. The two main character are Belle Goose and Edwart Mullen. In this book however, Edwart isn't a cool and dangerous as he is in Twilight. In fact Edwart Mullen is more of a wet blanket. Belle Goose is still a ditz and well oblivious to everything around her, much like she is in Twilight.

I'm going to share with you ONE of my favorite passages (there were too many to re-write and well let's face it - I'd probably retype the whole book).

"I felt overwhelmed and confused by the results: "Nosferatu", "The Buffy Summers Workout", "Kristen Sterart's Onset Romance", "Midnight Sun Leaked", "Robert Pattinson Excellent Blues Singer".

Weird. What did any of this have to do with vampires?"

(page 44)

Such a fun quick read to pass the time between books! For those of you who love Twilight you might not like it quite so much. I loved it - since I'm not a huge fan of Twilight anyway.

Nightlight: A Parody by The Harvard Lampoon. New York (c) 2009

Catching Fire

The time following the previous Hunger Games has kept both Katniss and Peeta very busy. Finally after months of 'preforming' Katniss sneaks down to her old home and slips into the woods where she meets up with Gale. They hunt in the woods but there is now an odd tension in the air that surrounds them. When Katniss finally got a chance to be alone with Gale he kissed her, and she doesn't know how to interpret her feelings.

The Capitol, and everyone else for that matter, thinks that Gale is her cousin - so how can she possibly have a romantic future with him? This year also marks the 75th anniversary of the Hunger Games - which is marked by the Quarter Quell. Each quell has a certain theme (shall we say) to it. For example, one year had twice as many tributes. Before the announcement of the Quarter Quell theme President Snow goes and visits Katniss and the message he delivers to her does not bode well. Districts have started to uprise and it's her fault, now to save all those she loves she must impress upon people her undying and true love to Peeta - failure of this would mean the deaths of many. When the theme for the Quarter Quell is announced people are shocked: the victors from the previous games are to be picked - which means that Katniss is going in for sure, but who will go with her - Haymitch or Peeta?

I love this series and am so glad I came across it! Poor Katniss. There are moments in the story where I hate her, and then there are moments when I feel so sad for her. Her life is not easy. She lost her father, had to take care of her mother and protect her sister, has to sneak to get food for her family - and now be more of a puppet for the Capitol. Yet, she can be so narrow minded of other people's thoughts and feelings - like Peeta. She'll have a feeling about him and then instantly switch it to the complete opposite because she thinks he's 'faking'. Why doesn't she just go and ask him? Or for once try and figure out her feelings??

I used to see the Team Katniss or Team Peeta buttons and think - how can they choose? After finishing reading the first book I still didn't know how they could choose. But now I know my decision. I'm for Team Peeta. He never waivers. I like many of you, am eagerly awaiting the third book, Mocking Jay.

Books in this series:

1) Hunger Games

2) Catching Fire

3) Mocking Jay (8.24.10)

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. New York 2009

The Magician's Nephew

I had first read this book way back when, but never finished it. I only got to about the second chapter and didn't think it was that interesting. How wrong I was! This is the first book (as I'm sure many of you know) in C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia.

There once was a young boy named Digory who lived with his crazy uncle Andrew, his Aunt Letty, and his sick mother. Next door to Digory lived a young girl named Polly. One day these two happen to meet, and became fast friends. They both loved adventure and decided to explore the attics - for Polly had discovered a secret door. One day they decided to walk the length of all the homes via the attic walk-way. Unfortunately for them, but fortunately for Uncle Andrew, they miscalculated the distance and instead of ending up in the abandon house they end up in Uncle Andrew's room.

Upon seeing the children in his room he quickly locks them in and tells them about his magical rings. He tells Polly to put one on (which she does) and Polly instantly disappears. Digory demands that Uncle Andrew bring her back, but alas he can't. For she only has a yellow ring and needs a green ring to return to this world. Digory seeing what Uncle Andrew had planned all along agrees to save Polly, but tells his uncle how much of a coward he is. When Digory slips on the ring he is transported to a world that is very quiet and filled with many ponds. There he comes across a girl. She looks like him, and he vaguely remembers knowing someone who looked like her. After a while they regain their memory of who they are and Digory gives her the green ring. First though, they want to do some exploring. After marking the pond that takes them home, they decide to jump into a pond that takes them to another world. What they find there isn't very comforting.

After watching the movie The Lion the Witch, and the Wardrobe I knew of Narnia, plus my mother who used to read it constantly when she was younger had often mentioned it to me - so I was familiar with the plot: a lion named Aslan who represents God, and an evil witch that represents well evil and the battle it out for the land called Narnia and somehow 3 kids are mixed in to the plot. Well I didn't know how it started (the forming of Narnia) or how it all tied together (the wardrobe) and now I do! Towards the end of the book the lightbulb went on and I had that "OH! NOW I GET IT" moment. What a delightful book.

Books in this series:

1. The Magician's Nephew

2. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

3. The Horse and His Boy

4. Prince Caspian

5. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

6. The Silver Chair

7. The Last Battle

The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis. (c) 1983 by C.S. Lewis (Pte) Limited

Watchmen

I heard about this graphic novel when the movie was just about to come out. I refuse to see any movie unless I have read the book, and even then I am very reluctant to see a movie based upon a book.

With that being said, now that I've read the novel I want to see the movie (which I heard followed the novel very closely).

This graphic novel is set in the 1980's during the cold war. Talk about another World War is one of the frequent topics as well as the deaths of some forgotten masked avengers.

The story opens with a death of a man. The two cops assigned to this case are trying to figure out the obvious: who did it, and why? After they've left a figure moves into the space. His name is Rorscharch and he knew the victim. The victim's name was the Comedian, and he was once part of a group of crime fighters, outlawed with the passing of the Keene Law in 1977. Who would want to kill the Comedian? Is his killing related to the book that Hollis Mason wrote? As the story continues we meet of fellow 'super heros' that have retired like: Nite Owl, Veidt, Jon (who's like superman but not exactly human) and Laurie. Rorscharch believes that someone is trying to wipe out the old super heros - but who and why?

This is my first adult graphic novel (Babymouse and Lunch Lady aside). I found the story line very intriguing and also very slow to get through. I don't know why it took me so long to read this book. I didn't enjoy having to read another comic inside this comic. I read about the first section of it (it dealt with a man stranded on an island back in the 1800's) and I tried to find a connection to the main story but couldn't - so I stopped reading it whenever it appeared. The characters were very interesting and it was enjoyable getting to know them. Often you would read their backstory once you got to know them. I felt sorry for Rorscharach, and Jon (the superman-like one) just annoyed me with his aloofness, although he can't help that. I wonder how the movie will pan out? Who did they get to play those characters?

Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. New York (c) 1987

Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta

Another day and another crime to solve!

Everyone is excited at Thompson Brook School because the author of the Flippy Bunny Books is going to make an appearance. When he arrives he is led to the gym where he'll be doing his presentations. After his presentation he signs a few books, but refuses to sign Hector's because it's ripped. After school Terrence is led by the rest of the Breakfast Club to the soccer tryouts the only problem is the coach hasn't shown up.

The following morning the gang is speaking about the mysterious disappearance of coach - for he never showed up to soccer tryouts. The Lunch Lady grabs Betty and they go into their secret boiler room to find out what's happened to the coach. After their research the Lunch Lady notices that the author forgot his lucky pen and decides to go and return it. When she arrives at his mansion she hands the pen to the butler and returns back to the boiler room where Betty is fast at work doing more research on the author. What they find out is that every time the author makes a guest appearance at a school the gym teacher goes missing. Is it a coincidence or is the author behind the missing coaches?

I still like the last book were the Lunch Lady had to battle the league of evil librarians. In this book the Lunch Lady and Betty take more of a back seat as the breakfast club does more of the crime fighting. I did laugh when the author refused to signed ripped books and then told the lunch ladies he only eats gourmet food.

Graphic Novels in this series:

1. Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute

2. Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians

3. Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta

4. Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown (Recently Out: May 11, 2010)

5. Lunch Lady and the Bake Sale Bandit (Spring 2011)

6. Lunch Lady and the Field Trip Frenzy (Spring 2011)

Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. New York (c) 2009

Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians

Our crime fighting Lunch Lady is back and this time she going to battle evil librarians!

The day begins as days normally do, but this time there is excitement in the air. The annual Book Fair is about to begin!! All the kids and teachers cannot wait for it to begin! The librarian though is less that excited and snaps at the Breakfast Bunch and the Lunch Lady and her friend Betty to leave immediately because the library is closed.

On the way home, Hector notices he dropped his keys in the library so they all head back to retrieve them. The following day the book fair begins and everyone is happy to look around. After school the Breakfast Bunch decide to do a bit of spying on their own and what they see is something most librarians don't want you to see . . . THEIR EVIL PLANNING SESSION!!!!

Mrs. Page with the help of Edna Bibliosa (her assistant), Vivian Bookwormer, and Jane Shelver begin to formulate a plan that will destroy the new video game system and end with world domination. When the kids go to the lunch ladies the following day to tell them about what they saw the lunch ladies dismiss their silly antics. After all, how can librarians possibly be evil!? The breakfast brunch decide to take matters into their own hands . . . can they stop those librarians in time?

I loved it!! I know some fellow librarians and have a hard time viewing them as evil schemers which made it even more fun to read. I kept picturing them as the evil librarians in the book. One of my favorite parts was when the high school librarian preferred to be called a "media specialist" (about page 22). I also enjoyed how well (or rather not-so-well) the Lunch Lady went undercover. I also enjoyed the evil librarians evil weapons - characters from books that attacked - like the 3 little pigs.

Graphic Novels in this series:

1. Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute

2. Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians

3. Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta

4. Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown (Recently Out: May 11, 2010)

5. Lunch Lady and the Bake Sale Bandit (Spring 2011)

6. Lunch Lady and the Field Trip Frenzy (Spring 2011)

Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. New York (c) 2009