Adult Book Club Pick: Dreadful Young Ladies

Dreadful Young Ladies and Other Stories
by Kelly Barnhill
Algonquin
2018
304 pages
ISBN: 9781616207977

Author Kelly Barnhill has proven her talent as a children's writer with the blockbuster middle grades fantasy  The Girl Who Drank the Moon. Now she tackles short stories for adult readers, and she does so with nuanced finesse!

Adult fans of Barnhill's books will revel in this literary feast. The author has lost none of her magic, whimsy or fantastical situations and characters. Short story collections are rare, but this one is worth your time and investment.

Highly recommended for short story fans.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher.

YA Book Giveaway: Slasher Girls & Monster Boys

See my review

 

 

I have FIVE FREE copies of Slasher Girls & Monster Boys up for grabs! This is a thrilling and chilling read for grade 9 and up! If you have high school readers who love things that go bump in the night, you'll want this book! If you love Stephen King, you MUST have this book!

For your chance to win a copy, simply post a comment to this blog. Please include your first name, city, state and email contact. Deadline for posts is January 19th at noon MST. Winners are chosen randomly by Randomizer. Please check your email in the afternoon on January 19th. Winners will be contacted immediately. Winners have 24 to respond to my email. Books will ship from New York.

YA Creepy Pick: Slasher Girls & Monster Boys

Slasher Girls & Monster Boys: Classic Tales, Brand-New Nightmares
Stories Selected by April Genevieve Tucholke
Dial Books
2015
385 pages
ISBN: 9780803741737

Dangerous, dark, devious, twisted (in the best way), tortured, and a true treasure trove of scary stories, Slasher Girls & Monster Boys cuts into YA fiction (pun intended). Compiled by Tucholke, this collection includes stories by YA heavyweights Jonathan Maberry, Carrie Ryan, Leigh Bardugo and Marie Lu, and others and it will truly entice teen (and adult) horror fans.

The dedication by Tucholke states this story collection is... "For everyone who read Stephen King when they were way too young." Count me in! Every horror fan will want to get a bite of this book. The creepy cover sells the book before readers even think about opening it.

Once opened, this book just keeps giving. From what starts out a bullying story and ends up apocalyptic (or does it?), "Fat Girl With a Knife" is compelling and scary. Readers are not likely to forget the main character. "Sleepless" is edgy and starkly realistic. It's a real cat and mouse game that readers are not likely to figure out until the gruesome and brutal end.

The book opens with "The Birds of Azalea Street," a dark tale of a terrifying neighbor who preys on the young and innocent. When the kids' prayers are answered, something otherworldly happens and it's awesome! At the end of each story, the inspiration for the story is revealed. Careful readers may be inspired to look up and read the earlier books and watch the classic movies mentioned. No one can go wrong with "Psycho," "Rear Window," "The Birds," or "Night of the Living Dead."

Finally! A short story collection for teen horror fans by YA authors! This book is bound to get attention in award circles due to the fact that it's a novelty among YA titles and it's so well done.
Each story is a gem and it's nearly impossible to pick a favorite, but Jonathan Maberry gets my vote.

Highly, highly recommended for horror fans and reluctant readers. Even a reluctant reader is bound to find a story here. This is a must have for story collections and horror collections.

Grade 9-up. Grisly, macabre and adult. Not for middle school readers.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Book Club Pick: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
by Gabrielle Zevin
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
2014
258 pages
ISBN: 9781616203214

Available April 1, 2014

From the author's website:

“Funny, tender, and moving, it reminds us all exactly why we read and why we love.”—Starred, Library Journal

“In this sweet, uplifting homage to bookstores, Zevin perfectly captures the joy of connecting people and books . . . Filled with interesting characters, a deep knowledge of bookselling, wonderful critiques of classic titles, and very funny depictions of book clubs and author events, this will prove irresistible to book lovers everywhere.” —Booklist

“Surprisingly expansive… Zevin is a deft writer, clever and witty, and her affection for the book business is obvious.” —Publishers Weekly

“Sometimes funny, sometimes true to life and always entertaining . . . A likable literary love story about selling books and finding love.” —Kirkus Reviews

“I don’t appreciate the position I’m in with The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. I resent the skill and verve that Ms. Z. shows in this quirky, punchy novel. I don’t like that it’s so readable, so appealing. I disdain its damnable charm, its succinctness, its crisp, clear tone! AAAUGH! . . . VERDICT: This lightning fast read is super-enjoyable; hide it inside a Popular Mechanics.” —Library Journal‘s Books for Dudes blog


From the publisher's The Algonquin Reader, Volume 3, issue 1, says Zevin:

"The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, my eighth novel, is about a bookstore and a bookseller and a stolen manuscript and a girl abandoned in a poorly stocked children's section. You must already know how this is going to end--I've already told you I come from a family who believed that no child left in a bookstore ever came to any harm."

Blogger's Review:



The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is THAT book that will stick with you for years to come, nay not years,  decades to come. It is everything that a novel should be! Zevin's carefully crafted prose and dynamic word choice  is evocative of  F. Scott Fitzgerald's finest writing.

Widower A.J. Fikry owns a small book shop on Alice Island just off the coast of Cape Cod. Fikry's wife Nic died in a car accident a year prior, and he mourns her death daily. His small book shop's proceeds are slipping; summer people buy a few books but they do not have A.J.'s  refined  and somewhat pompous taste in literature.

One morning a bleary eyed, hungover  Fikry discovers he's been robbed! His priceless manuscript of Tamerlane has been filched, and his early  retirement is now out of the question. A strange but not unwelcome discovery left in the children's section of the book shop  changes Fikry's life forever.

What does it mean to love and be loved? Can a persnickety pessimist find love again? What does it take to heal a broken man?

This novel reminds readers that life is short, true friends are priceless, blessings are numbered, and when something unexpected happens, revel in happiness, and let go of  sorrows.

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is about the relationship a writer has with the reader of his carefully crafted story and that  sense of fulfillment that a reader takes away from a story. Zevin's characters honor books and reading and truly commit themselves to fine writing. Any reader who loves books and lives for books will find a treasure trove of gems  in The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry.

This novel will break publishing records and is likely to be around for a very long time. Rights have been sold in 20 different countries, and book stores may have trouble keeping up with demand for this title. My top three books of all time has just changed. The top three of all time are: To Kill a Mockingbird, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry and Life Among Giants. If I could only read those three books for the rest of my life, it would be more than enough to keep me happy.

So highly recommended that I'm shouting it from the rooftop: Buy this book! It will change your life.
Highly, highly recommended for mature readers and adults. Adult situations. Life situations.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Classic Pick: Aesop's Fables

Aesop's Fables
retold by Ann McGovern
Illustrated by A.J. McClaskey
Scholastic Inc.
2013
80 pages

Over 60 of Aesop's stories retold by Ann McGovern will explain the fables for a new generation of readers. Stories include the old stand-bys like "The Tortoise and the Hare" and "The Boy Who Cried Wolf." Lesser known fables are included, too: "The Farmer and the Stork," "The Two Travelers and An Axe," and "The Playful Donkey."

Illustrations by A.J. McClaskey depict each tale and add visual interest for reluctant readers. The slimness of this little treasure is bound to appeal to the reluctant club. Even the most reluctant of readers will not be intimidated by the short fables and the "lesson" each fable teaches.

This version of Aesop's Fables is a no-brainer for any literature class. The stories are concise and complete. Learners will come away from the book with a good understanding of fables and the famous and not so famous stories.

Recommended for all learners grade 3-up. Easy to read and understand. Non-intimidating for reluctant readers.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Graphic Pick: Explorer: The Mystery Boxes

Explorer: the Mystery Boxes
Edited by Kazu Kibuishi (creator of the Amulet series)
Amulet
2012
127 pages
Color illustrations (graphic novel)

Available March 1, 2012

Beautiful art and design and fantastic and imaginative tales will make any reader a graphic novel fan. Seven stories by very different artists all have one thing tying them together: a box. What could be in that box? It is human nature to wonder and worry about what is unknown, and it's human nature to open the box--remember the myth of Pandora's box?

"Spring Cleaning" is a light hearted story of a boy who happens upon a box and gets much more than he bargained for. "The Keeper's Treasure" is one of the most beautifully rendered artistic graphic stories I've ever seen. Kazu Kibuishi's story "The Escape Option" is beautifully designed and well-thought out; it is a thought-provoking lesson in humanity and ecology.

"The Soldier's Daughter" is an effective story about the trials and brutality of war and the ones who are left behind when a soldier dies in battle.

Other stories are "Under the Floorboards," "The Butter Thief," and "Whatzit." The collection is so diverse and the art so wonderfully different, that a teacher could spend entire lessons on effective art and design and how each story varies and why the artwork is different for a light-hearted story than it is for a darker tale like "The Soldier's Daughter."


Highly, highly recommended for all graphic novel collections and grades 6-up. Younger students may not understand the lesson of The Keeper's Treasure" or "The Escape Option" although they still may enjoy the art. No language, no sex.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.