I love novels that alternate between the past and the present. When a novel like this is well done, the historical story enriches the story taking place in contemporary times. Two novels that do a brilliant job of intertwining the past and present to make one richly complex story are The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton, and The Tenth Gift by Jane Johnson.
The Forgotten Garden is a title that I instantly fell in love with. A few chapters in, I knew that I loved this novel, and the rest of the story did not disappoint. Morton beautifully weaves this story, seamlessly blending mystery, history and fairy tale together, and telling a story across several generations. I was captivated and absorbed by this book and deeply invested in the fate of each heroine. It is an exquisite story- deeply moving, acutely tragic and yet profoundly uplifting and hopeful.
It is 1913. A small child is found at the docks in Australia. The dockmaster and his wife decide to raise the child as their own, since she is unable to tell them who she is or why she is alone. As an adult, Nell sets out to solve the mystery of her past. But it is a complex, layered mystery, and it is not until after her death that her grandaughter is able to fully solve the mystery. This novel takes place at several different points in time. As you read, you slowly put the pieces together until you have a truly wonderful story. I just loved it. I have recommended this novel many times, and everyone who has read it has really enjoyed it as well. I also read Morton's A House at Riverton, and while it can't compete with The Forgotten Garden, it is an excellent read as well.
More recently, I read The Tenth Gift by Jane Johnson. This novel takes place in Cornwall, in the 17th century, and in present day. Julia is a woman in a dysfunctional relationship with her friend's husband. He breaks up with her to make amends with his wife, and he gives her an antique embroidery book. Written in the book are diary entries from 19 year old Catherine, an embroider living in Cornwall in 1625. Catherine is kidnapped from her church by pirates and brought to Morocco as a slave. Catherine writes about her terrifying experiences, and Julia journeys to Morocco to learn more about Catherine's story. As Julia encounters Catherine in her writings, she must find her own path, and perhaps her own love story as well. The Tenth Gift offers a glimpse into a different time and place, a different culture, and an oft ignored part of history.
Both novels are enchanting, and Johnson and Morton demonstrate the ways the past can enrich the present. I highly recommend them both.
Showing posts with label Fairy Tale. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fairy Tale. Show all posts
Monday, May 3, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Is anyone else sick of Twilight?
So what do we call the vampire/werewolf/witchcraft/zombies/strangeness genre that is dominating teen novels these days? It may have started with the wonderful Harry Potter series, but it has become darker and weirder and in some cases, just bad. I thought I would highlight the best and worst of the genre that I have personally read.
Okay, I'll admit it. I got sucked into the Twilight craze just like all the thirteen year olds out there. I ended up reading all four books in a mad rush over Christmas. They are highly addictive. They're the kind of novels that are great in the moment, but when you think about them once the Twilight-induced haze has passed, you realize they're really not very good. They're not very well written, the characters can be so annoying (especially Bella) and two-dimensional (again, Bella) and the last couple novels are very anti-climactic. You can tell that Stephanie Meyer was really grasping at straws in the last book especially.
Another series that became very popular (though not as popular as Twilight) is The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. This series also has some vampires, and also witches and demons and other weird things. I was sad to hear that the first novel in this series, City of Bones just might be the 2010 YRCA winner. These are not very well written either, and yet they became ever so popular.
I recently read another novel, A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libby Bray. This novel was highly recommended to me by a teen at the library, and I was sorely disappointed. In this novel, a young girl (Gemma Doyle) discovers her magic powers at a boarding school in Victorian times. She and three of her schoolmates form a mysterious group called "The Order" and discover a magic world. Gemma must also discover the truth about her mother, who was mysteriously killed at the beginning of the novel. It was just strange and not memorable at all. Yet, this very popular book (first in a series) is reportedly being made into a movie.
Another vampire series is the highly popular Southern Vampire Series by Charlaine Harris. This series is intended for adults, and it chronicles the adventures of Sookie Stackhouse, a psychic barmaid who strikes up a romantic relationship with a vampire. Think of this series as a harlequin romance with vampires. I'll admit it- this series is also highly addictive, but it is certainly not amazing.
Now to discuss some good examples of the vampire/werewolf/witchcraft/zombie/strangeness genre. I recently read The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. In this novel a young girl grows up in a post-apocalyptic society. This society is closed off from the world because of the 'unconsecrated' (aka zombies) that live outside the fence. As Mary is trying to find out where she belongs in the community, the community's very existence is threatened when the fence is breached. I really really enjoyed this novel. I thought it was very well written and the plot kept me engaged and interested. I liked the ending- Ryan stayed away from the tried and true formulas. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel- The Dead-Tossed Waves.
Another post-apocalyptic novel (this one is free of vampires and other magical creatures) is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This is an absolutely wonderful novel, and one of the nominees for YRCA 2011. In this future society, the nation is divided into thirteen districts- the rich and powerful Capitol and twelve other poor districts. Every year, a boy and a girl from each district is chosen to fight in the Hunger Games- a competition to the death. Katniss takes the place of her younger sister to fight in the games. Can she survive to see her family again? This is a great novel, and the first in a trilogy. I highly recommend. it.
A Curse Dark as Gold, also one of the 2011 YRCA nominees, is a wonderful retelling of the Rumpelstiltzkin fairy tale. Elizabeth C. Bunce combines magic and fairy tale with the history of the industrial revolution, adding other elements to make the story her own. This story had a great twist at the end.
The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel is first in another great series. I mentioned this one in my YRCA 2010 post, so I'll just say that this novel is a great blend of history, mythology, magic and fantasy. Wonderful!
Scott Westerfeld has written a couple of good teen series, The Midnighters and The Uglies, the former being more dark and magical, while the latter is another post-apocalyptic series. Both are enjoyable.
Neil Gaiman, author of Coraline and Stardust has written another great fantasy novel called Neverwhere. In this novel, a young man falls into a secret world under the streets of London. This magical world is dark and vicious and it is uncertain whether he- or the young woman that accompanies him- will survive it.
Before you dismiss Stephanie Meyer altogether, she has written another novel, The Host, which I highly enjoyed. Aliens have come to earth and taken over human bodies. But one girl struggles for dominance of her own body against the creature occupying it to protect her loved ones. This novel puts Twilight to shame.
Finally, if you're dying for a good vampire novel, I do have one for you. It's called Sunshine by Robin McKinley. A young woman is kidnapped by a group of vampires and brought to an abandoned mansion. She is clothed in a red gown and chained to a wall. Chained to the opposite wall - just within reaching distance-is a very hungry and emaciated vampire. Will she survive the night?
So, there are some good examples of the vampire/werewolf/witchcraft/zombie/strangeness genre out there. Now we just need to come up with a shorter name! The Modern Gothic perhaps?
Okay, I'll admit it. I got sucked into the Twilight craze just like all the thirteen year olds out there. I ended up reading all four books in a mad rush over Christmas. They are highly addictive. They're the kind of novels that are great in the moment, but when you think about them once the Twilight-induced haze has passed, you realize they're really not very good. They're not very well written, the characters can be so annoying (especially Bella) and two-dimensional (again, Bella) and the last couple novels are very anti-climactic. You can tell that Stephanie Meyer was really grasping at straws in the last book especially.
Another series that became very popular (though not as popular as Twilight) is The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. This series also has some vampires, and also witches and demons and other weird things. I was sad to hear that the first novel in this series, City of Bones just might be the 2010 YRCA winner. These are not very well written either, and yet they became ever so popular.
I recently read another novel, A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libby Bray. This novel was highly recommended to me by a teen at the library, and I was sorely disappointed. In this novel, a young girl (Gemma Doyle) discovers her magic powers at a boarding school in Victorian times. She and three of her schoolmates form a mysterious group called "The Order" and discover a magic world. Gemma must also discover the truth about her mother, who was mysteriously killed at the beginning of the novel. It was just strange and not memorable at all. Yet, this very popular book (first in a series) is reportedly being made into a movie.
Another vampire series is the highly popular Southern Vampire Series by Charlaine Harris. This series is intended for adults, and it chronicles the adventures of Sookie Stackhouse, a psychic barmaid who strikes up a romantic relationship with a vampire. Think of this series as a harlequin romance with vampires. I'll admit it- this series is also highly addictive, but it is certainly not amazing.
Now to discuss some good examples of the vampire/werewolf/witchcraft/zombie/strangeness genre. I recently read The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan. In this novel a young girl grows up in a post-apocalyptic society. This society is closed off from the world because of the 'unconsecrated' (aka zombies) that live outside the fence. As Mary is trying to find out where she belongs in the community, the community's very existence is threatened when the fence is breached. I really really enjoyed this novel. I thought it was very well written and the plot kept me engaged and interested. I liked the ending- Ryan stayed away from the tried and true formulas. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel- The Dead-Tossed Waves.
Another post-apocalyptic novel (this one is free of vampires and other magical creatures) is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This is an absolutely wonderful novel, and one of the nominees for YRCA 2011. In this future society, the nation is divided into thirteen districts- the rich and powerful Capitol and twelve other poor districts. Every year, a boy and a girl from each district is chosen to fight in the Hunger Games- a competition to the death. Katniss takes the place of her younger sister to fight in the games. Can she survive to see her family again? This is a great novel, and the first in a trilogy. I highly recommend. it.
A Curse Dark as Gold, also one of the 2011 YRCA nominees, is a wonderful retelling of the Rumpelstiltzkin fairy tale. Elizabeth C. Bunce combines magic and fairy tale with the history of the industrial revolution, adding other elements to make the story her own. This story had a great twist at the end.
The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel is first in another great series. I mentioned this one in my YRCA 2010 post, so I'll just say that this novel is a great blend of history, mythology, magic and fantasy. Wonderful!
Scott Westerfeld has written a couple of good teen series, The Midnighters and The Uglies, the former being more dark and magical, while the latter is another post-apocalyptic series. Both are enjoyable.
Neil Gaiman, author of Coraline and Stardust has written another great fantasy novel called Neverwhere. In this novel, a young man falls into a secret world under the streets of London. This magical world is dark and vicious and it is uncertain whether he- or the young woman that accompanies him- will survive it.
Before you dismiss Stephanie Meyer altogether, she has written another novel, The Host, which I highly enjoyed. Aliens have come to earth and taken over human bodies. But one girl struggles for dominance of her own body against the creature occupying it to protect her loved ones. This novel puts Twilight to shame.
Finally, if you're dying for a good vampire novel, I do have one for you. It's called Sunshine by Robin McKinley. A young woman is kidnapped by a group of vampires and brought to an abandoned mansion. She is clothed in a red gown and chained to a wall. Chained to the opposite wall - just within reaching distance-is a very hungry and emaciated vampire. Will she survive the night?
So, there are some good examples of the vampire/werewolf/witchcraft/zombie/strangeness genre out there. Now we just need to come up with a shorter name! The Modern Gothic perhaps?
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Young Readers' Choice Awards 2010
There's just sometihng about a children's book that appeals to me. I don't know if it's the magic and innocence or the ability to escape from adult problems for a short while, but I can completely immerse myself in a juvenile or teen novel. This must be why I love the Young Readers' Choice Awards titles. I can still remember voting for my favourites back in elementary and junior high school. Now that I work as a Library Assistant, I have started reading the YRCA nominees again.
For those of you that are wondering, the YRCA nominees are chosen by kids and teens, librarians and teachers in the Pacific Northwest- Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana and Washington. Once the final nominees have been chosen, it is up to kids to read the nominees and vote for their favourites in each category. Since the voting is now complete and the results will be out any day, I thought it would be fun to put in my two cents.
For the junior division (grades 4-6), my favourite is The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull, author of the wonderful Fablehaven series. Candy that is both delicious and magical- what could be better? But a group of kids soon learn that the grandmotherly owner of the new candy shop is hiding something more sinister. My second place vote goes to The Mysterious Benedict Society. In this novel, gifted children are handpicked to join said society to help save the world. Think of this one like a clever combination of Harry Potter and Lemoney Snicket, though it certainly has standing power on its own.
For the intermediate division (grades 7-9), two books have my vote for first place. Michael Scott's The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel is a delightful blend of magic, fantasy and history. In this fun read, a brother and sister help Nicholas Flamel keep his secrets of immortality out of the wrong hands. Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale reads like an exotic fairy tale- a girl and her maid are locked into a tower for refusing a cruel suitor. As the days go by and the supplies dwindle, they wonder if they will even survive, let alone find true love.
I read almost all of the books in the Senior division (grades 10-12), and only two books really stood out. My vote for first place goes to Caroline B. Cooney's Enter Three Witches. Whether you enjoy Shakespeare's MacBeth or not, you will enjoy this novel that tells the story through a young girl's eyes. In second place is Laurie Halse Anderson's Twisted. I first encountered Ms. Anderson when I read her stunning novel Speak, and this one packs almost as much of a punch. Like Speak, Twisted tackles some tough teen issues, but from a male perspective.
The nominees for the 2011 nominees have recently been released, and I've read several of them already. Some of my favourites so far? Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix. For more information on the YRCA nominees, go to http://www.pnla.org/yrca/index.htm
In the meantime, happy reading!
For those of you that are wondering, the YRCA nominees are chosen by kids and teens, librarians and teachers in the Pacific Northwest- Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana and Washington. Once the final nominees have been chosen, it is up to kids to read the nominees and vote for their favourites in each category. Since the voting is now complete and the results will be out any day, I thought it would be fun to put in my two cents.
For the junior division (grades 4-6), my favourite is The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull, author of the wonderful Fablehaven series. Candy that is both delicious and magical- what could be better? But a group of kids soon learn that the grandmotherly owner of the new candy shop is hiding something more sinister. My second place vote goes to The Mysterious Benedict Society. In this novel, gifted children are handpicked to join said society to help save the world. Think of this one like a clever combination of Harry Potter and Lemoney Snicket, though it certainly has standing power on its own.
For the intermediate division (grades 7-9), two books have my vote for first place. Michael Scott's The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel is a delightful blend of magic, fantasy and history. In this fun read, a brother and sister help Nicholas Flamel keep his secrets of immortality out of the wrong hands. Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale reads like an exotic fairy tale- a girl and her maid are locked into a tower for refusing a cruel suitor. As the days go by and the supplies dwindle, they wonder if they will even survive, let alone find true love.
I read almost all of the books in the Senior division (grades 10-12), and only two books really stood out. My vote for first place goes to Caroline B. Cooney's Enter Three Witches. Whether you enjoy Shakespeare's MacBeth or not, you will enjoy this novel that tells the story through a young girl's eyes. In second place is Laurie Halse Anderson's Twisted. I first encountered Ms. Anderson when I read her stunning novel Speak, and this one packs almost as much of a punch. Like Speak, Twisted tackles some tough teen issues, but from a male perspective.
The nominees for the 2011 nominees have recently been released, and I've read several of them already. Some of my favourites so far? Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix. For more information on the YRCA nominees, go to http://www.pnla.org/yrca/index.htm
In the meantime, happy reading!
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